5 comments about R in R&B Collection 1.

1. this has every one of his hits. you can listen to it straight through. i don't think he needed to have the second cd with the remixes, but it's cool to listen to.



2. R.Kelly is one of the few artists whose fans have already made up their greatest hits collection over the years. Case in point my R.Kelly collection would have to include You Bring Me Joy, More & More, Step In My Room and of course Heart Of A Woman. Never the less this is still a good collection from one of the most talented men in R&B. on The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1 -- a best-of release that paints a generally favorable picture of the Chicagoan by focusing on his more essential recordings. Many of Kelly's well-known hits are provided, and they range from "You Remind Me of Something" and "Bump n' Grind" to "I Believe I Can Fly," "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)," and "I'm Your Angel" (the singer's unlikely duet with Celine Dion). For the casual listener this is an all right collection but R.Kelly fans have already made their own R in R&B Collection time and time again.



3. This is the best R&B greatest hits I've heard because for one it's by the "Pied Piper". There's a variety of hits he had like "Bump N' Grind", "Ignition", "Step In The Name Of Love", Thoia Thoing", "I Wish" and my personal favorite "When A Woman's Fed Up". This great for any occasion (except for church). Good for slow dancing and stepping game. Get this, bump this, play it all day, UNDERSTAND ME!



4. Forget that Mess that Rolling Stone Magazine&the Corny Grammys are saying R.Kelly is the King of Music. Congradulations to Brother R.Kelly being the First Songwriter to get the Stevie Wonder Award for Songwriting.Soul Train presentation coming next month. COngrads on the 3 nomiantions. R.Kelly getting Ready to Tour as well. anyway this Collection showcases so many of His Classic Songs have had Peopel Stepping,the Smooth Laid Back Songs,Songs that made you think,songs that made you laugh&Reflect.the Brother has a Musical Gumbo of R&B,Pop,Hip-Hop,CHUUCh,Blues,Opera&His Own Arruh Stylings.He creates Melodys that create words that create a Soulful Vocal Delievery that is timeless.the Man is a Musical Monster.Versatility& a true One of a Kind.



5. not a bad collection at all..........BUT its missing songs.yes it just the first volume of a collection.but i think the older songs should have camed first.then the newer versions for the second volume.either way this is a great collection of contemperary R&B songs.with the rate of r-kelly he'll be able to produce up to 5 collections.besides usher,keith sweat,and maybe bobby brown you would be hard press to find a R&B singer who had such a huge solo career in modern contemperary R&B other than r-kelly.
   
   now on to the album
   
   1. Bump N' Grind-its ok but i prefere the remix
   
   2. Your Body's Callin-oh man this was my jam,one of r-kelly's best smooth mellow slow jams.it was great to listen to in 94,especialy on my summer vacation in jamaica and the bahamas that following year.
   
   3. Sex Me (Part 1)-love it
   
   4. You Remind Me of Something-love it
   
   5. Ignition [Remix]-love it
   
   6. Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)love it hope they put the remix on vol 2
   
   7. When a Woman's Fed Up-great song that got played to death.
   
   8. Step in the Name of Love [Remix]its ok i liked the original better
   
   9. Thoia Thoing-meh.....its ok
   
   10. Touched a Dream-huh?? never heard it
   
   11. Fiesta [Remix] - Jay-Z -never liked it
   
   12. I Wish-the remix is better
   
   13. Ghetto Religion - Wyclef Jean-never heard it before
   
   14. Honey Love-its ok lol probably the first r-kelly song i heard
   
   15. She's Got That Vibe-i don't think i remember this.....hhhmmm
   
   16. World's Greatest-he tries to recapture the glory of i wish i could fly,its ok
   
   17. I'm Your Angel - Celine Dion-never liked it
   
   18. I Believe I Can Fly-oh my god the bane of my existence lol
   
   
   i hope in vol 2 they add gotham city and the remix,ghetto queen,half on a baby,the remix to bump in grind among a huge list of other songs,and some people probably forgotten about.like slow jamz,born into the 90's,seems like your ready,homie lover friend remember that? lol.its true r-kelly's remixes was almost always better than the original.
   
   all in all this is a great cd that barely touches the surfice
   of r-kelly's career.

4 comments about Do I Move You?.

1. This is a great cd, lots of wonderful blues from a rare talent. If you get a chance to see her live, go. She was "2006 Female Comtemporary Blues Artist of the Year" for a good reason.



2. nothing new here, same old worn out blues, nothing that really moves the soul,seems to play it safe, we have heard all of this 40 years ago, nice try



3. I recently saw Janiva in Grapevine, Texas and it was a relevatory experience. This is not your slicked-up, bogus blues parlayed by so many. This is gut bucket, down in the dumps reality. Hot singing, hot combo playing, nothing produced or pretentious. If you like the blues, old school variety, KoKo Taylor, Bessie Smith, etc., you NEED this cd.



4. I first became aware of Janiva Magness when I got a promo copy of her 2001 release, "Blues Ain't Pretty" from a fellow programmer at our local community radio station. Janiva's vocals were strong, the original music was great, and I really enjoyed her cover of the Ray Charles/Percy Mayfield tune "Tell Me How Do You Feel". I was hooked from day one.
   
   Her subsequent releases have always been 'must buys', and she keeps getting better and better with each release.
   
   "Do I Move You?" continues that trend. Janiva shifts gears often, giving a varied view of the blues that sure is pleasing. Yes, Janiva is easy on the eyes (as evidenced by the cover artwork), but the view I speak of is the imagery she paints of a Chicago blues joint with her cover of Willie Dixon's "Workin' On Me Baby", then south to a Texas roadhouse with Delbert McClinton's "You Were Never Mine", over to a Tennessee honky-tonk with Ray Batts' "Stealin' Sugar", and finally down the Mighty Mississippi to a Bourbon Street blues hall with "I Can't Stop Crying", one of three songs written by Jeff 'Big Dad' Turmes.
   
   Turmes has played with dozens of blues greats, and wrote a number of tunes on Janiva's past CDs, including the title track of her last album "Bury Him At The Crossroads". My favorite Turmes tune on this album is a really tasty acoustic Delta blues number titled "Don't Let Your Memories".
   
   Producer Colin Linden and Tom Hambridge (author of Susan Tedeschi's hits "It Hurts So Bad" and "Rock Me Right") co-penned "I Give Up", a nice shuffle about working way too hard.
   
   Another cover is the Cara Bell/Mike Hanks tune "I Want You To Have Everything", an up-tempo soul song originally recorded by Lee Rogers in the mid-60's. Also covered is the George Jackson/Eddie Harris tune "I'm Just A Prisoner (Of Your Good Lovin')", previously recorded by Candi Stanton and Clarence Carter.
   
   Finally, the best cover on the album is the title track "Do I Move You", written and recorded in 1966 by the late, great Nina Simone. Janiva really dug into the vault in choosing some of her covers, and did a very respectable job on them all, but "Do I Move You" is something special. It really shows why those three Handy nominations for Female Blues Artist have been so well deserved!
   
   In all, every track on "Do I Move You?" is worth playing time and time again. There are some real fine blues, with some sweet soul thrown in for good measure.
   
   I have had the pleasure of seeing Janiva perform live several times, both in club and festival settings. An evening with Janiva is well worth the price of admission, and worth a pretty darn long drive, even at today's gas prices!

5 comments about Dream Cafe.

1. Despite a limited number of instruments and arrangements, this CD is a beauty of musical artistry, due to Greg Brown's talent of songwriter/singer.
   Great songs and thrills of emotion.



2. Many of us think this is Greg Brown's best album. Reasonable minds can differ, of course, but they have to get around the extraordinary imagery of the title cut, the plaintive story sketched in "Laughing River" and the deceptively simple melody line of "Spring Wind."
   
   Yesterday I had a vision, under the tree where we first talked
   Of an old couple burning their love letters
   So their children won't be shocked.
   
   Songs of love and disappointment, hope and loss, as well as the messy business of life. Never self-pitying, brutally honest, with melodies that can sear the lyrics into your mind.
   
   I came down with a sickness; I thought you were the cure
   But passion seems to promise more
   Than friendship can endure.
   
   Greg Brown doesn't have any bad albums. But some are a little better than the rest. And this is simply the cream of the crop. My very highest recommendation.



3. Ah, I love this guy! Brown's voice can go from back-of-the-bar room gravely to plaintative soprano... The music goes from folky to country to bluesy and is always great. The imagery in his songs are fantastic too -- some creepy rural themes, like the soundtrack to an Andrew Wyeth painting (ie. "Sleeper".) The song "Dream Cafe" makes me feel like I'm in an open air restaurant in Arizona... Which is odd because I've never been to Arizona... Case in point, this guy can do imagery...



4. Insightful and inspirational. Quit reading this and buy it!



5. If you are familiar with Greg Brown, you probably are familiar with this release. If you don't have it, get it and treat yourself to an experience that take you on a journey of loves lost and loves to come. For those who are curious about Greg's work, this is an excellent place to start. There is not a bad cut here, and in particular, "Dream Cafe", "Spring Wind" and "Laughing River" are a trio of songs that somehow work some sort of magic into allowing me to see into life a bit deeper for a period of time. Two other releases that go along well with this are "Further In" and "The Poet Game."

5 comments about Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters Collection, Vol. 2.

1. Bought a copy for a trip to Kauai. Listened to it while I was there and now all we have to do is slip the disc on to be transported back to the islands (at least if we keep our eyes closed and try real hard to imagine).
   
   The music is sublime.



2. I am hooked on this music and could play this CD day and night.



3. This cd would be worth buying even if it only had one song on it - the version of "Pu'u Anahulu" with Martin Pahinui on vocals. I get chicken skin just listening to this song and how much he sounds like his father! Of course I love Gabby's version but always wondered what it would sound like without the cheesy strings; this is it. Unlike one other reviewer, I love the vocals.



4. This album won a Grammy in February 2006! And diservedly so...
   
   Slack key has come into it's own, many prominent guitar players are following these talented Hawaiians around, learning their new tricks and their old traditional ways. (In song sample #8 of "Masters II", Amazon spelled Cyril Pahinui's name with a "g", come on, let's give the Hawaiian artists the respect they deserve.)
   
   This is NOT a sequel to Slack Key MastersI, but a beautiful extension and addition. The voices as well as the strings are sublime, just right in fact.
   
   All I can say is, MORE! MORE! MORE!



5. That's my call to record execs, or George Winston, or whoever, if they ever read these. I bought volume one, absolutely thrilled that finally, after 40 years of searching, I'd finally found slack key without singing. I don't hate the vocals, and the vocals on this CD are less annoying than a whole lot of the vocals I've heard in Hawaiian music (yes, I grew up there, and have gone back every year for the last 30 years, and I've heard a whole lot of Hawaiian music that I didn't exactly ask for.) I love finger-picked ukulele (NOT strummed), and I love the cheesy steel guitar, but if I never hear another vocal, it'll be too soon. So anyway: is everyone who ever published Hawaiian music confident that people like and expect vocals? I see other reviews here that could do without the vocals. I hereby swear that if Dancing Cat (or anybody) ever does another collection anywhere near as good as Vol. 1, without vocals, I will instantly buy it at a premium price. I promise!

5 comments about Watermelon Slim and the Workers.

1. Their music transcends all classes and ages. This was our first Watermelon Slim CD but it won't be our last. We saw him last night on stage, don't miss an opportunity to see and hear him in person when you have the chance.



2. I saw these guys live at Legends on a field trip to Chicago...and I was blown away. I'm not your typical blues fan, in fact, I never owned a blues album before this one (I'm more of a metal-head). If you are new to the genre or trying to find something fresh in the blues world, then check out this cd.
   
   Some of my personal favorite songs are "Foldin' Money Blues", "Baby Please Don't Go", and "Bad Sinner". You won't be disappointed with anything on the CD. Watermelon Slim and the Workers really deliver the goods here.



3. Simply put: This is the best blues album I've heard in years.
   
   Listen to the sound-clips here and check out the free videos on his website. I first heard of Watermelon Slim from hearing/seeing the video of him doing Howlin Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" on his website (somebody recommended I check it out). I was so blown away by what I heard that I immediately got this disc. Very few albums blow me away these days like this one. Amazing blues!



4. Stunning slide work, great writing and his band rocks...
   Okie and proud of it, he writes about what he knows, from
   jammin' gears and haulin' garbage to history, woman trouble and
   an ecletic list of other topics. Hard to pigeonhole as just a
   blues man, his music is totally unpretentious and fresh sounding.
   He just doesn't sound quite like anybody else. What a find!



5. Bill "Watermelon Slim" Homans sings about misery and treachery, but instead of just going to the well and reroasting the same blues chestnuts he gives the genre a good, swift kick in the rear. "Watermelon Slim and the Workers" is the kind of CD that one should play to a group of friends assembled for a game or cards or dice on the porch. Nobody will know what is playing, but everybody will like this fresh-sounding take on the blues.
   
   Mr. Homans penned most of the tracks here, and he delivers his musical tales in a howl that might raise the hackles on more than a few dogs. His slide and harp playing are on the money, and the Workers, the excellent trio who accompany him, lend plenty of feisty energy to this blues-laden outing. Instead of over-the-top guitar or gutbucket baying, Watermelon Slim and the Workers features crisp arrangements paired with laconic insights instilling new life into a sometimes tired genre.

5 comments about The Best of Taj Mahal.

1. ... a collection to complement this?
   
   this album covers TJ's late 60s and early 70s. how about another collection (maybe double disk) to complement this collection - which covers his later 70s and 80s and 90s ...



2. He never lets us down. These old favorites are blues at the roots. Taj Mahal is one of the great blues men.



3. I finally broke down and dropped twelve bucks on this CD, even though I already had The Essential Taj Mahal, which contains nearly all the tracks on this one. The reason I did it was to get one single track, possibly my favorite song that he has ever recorded: "Farther On Down The Road." This song is so amazing, I plan to play it at my wedding. (I want "Corinna" played at my wedding too, but I doubt I will be lucky enough to find a girl that lets me plan an all-Taj wedding soundtrack; that would be sweet, though). In addition to "Farther On Down The Road," this CD trades two songs from Taj's best album (Giant Step/De Ole Folks At Home) for live versions of these same songs, from the excellent live album The Real Thing. The Essential Taj Mahal includes only the studio versions of these songs, so this CD is a nice complement to The Essential in that respect, especially since the two songs in question are two of his best and worth hearing in multiple versions. And the Real Thing was recorded with a horn section, so the songs do sound plenty different from the studio versions.
   
   Another song that's worthy of mention is "Frankie & Albert," about a woman who shoots her cheating man. I don't know about you, but I find that role reversal pretty refreshing, considering the million versions of "Hey Joe" that have been done.
   
   If you are new to Taj, I would recommend you start with this one rather than The Essential Taj Mahal; if you like what you hear, then later you can get either The Essential Taj Mahal or In Progress & In Motion (a great 3-CD compilation). In Progress & In Motion has Taj's awesome version of the Mississippi John Hurt song "Stagger Lee" (also reworked into a reggae song by the Clash for London Calling), yet another song that is sadly missing from The Essential. Both of these multi-CD compilations do a much better job than The Best Of at covering Taj's later period. He was making good music all the way into the 90's, including some very cool Hawaiian-flavored blues stuff; but The Best Of does not include anything past 1974.
   
   Bottom line: Start here, but *don't* stop here.



4. Taj Mahal exudes the essence of music. He could enthrall an audience with a comb and a piece of wax paper if he felt like it. This man is a griot, a National Treasure. This album effortlessly imparts an education in the background of the blues. One jewel of a song after another.



5. This collection focuses on the very early Taj Mahal and contains most of his early classics. For anyone not familiar with this artist this is a great place to start. You get a full taste of "Taj Mahal", "The Natch'l Blues" and "The Real Thing"(with the tuba band), his first 3 excellent albums, and it is obvious from these how eclectic a blues performer he is. Taj Mahal has always been one of my favorites, and he presented one of the best live shows I have ever seen. He is touring this summer so check him out if you get a chance, and delve deeply into the rest of his recorded material, particularly "Senor Blues".

5 comments about True to Myself.

1. i remember listening to this everyday when it first came out. i have all of his albums and this one is my favorite. i love his voice!



2. Eric Benet has me entranced by his indescribable talent. He is pure soul! His voice is rugged yet smooth... edgy yet creamy... delivering a solid performance that enraptures your listening experience.



3. Eric Benet's first debut showed us that he can combine the elements of funk, soul and seduction to lure us into his web of sensuality. Femininity is a sex purry kitten seductive vibe that sets the tone for this masterpiece. True To Myself is the beginning of funk for Eric's sexy tenor. I'll Be There is the follow to more sexy funk. Eric mostly is the king of sexy funk.
   Can We Stay Together remix is the ultimate bomb. The rest of the cd is not much to be desired but it's passable.
   Grade: B-



4. The Ten Commandments remain revered by me when I seriously say, "Oh, My GOD!" This is one of the best songs ever made, this Fem In In Ity. Check it :
   
   I like the way you take control of me
   
   You have a little certain quality
   
   Not many girls would ever dare to be
   
   The lady that you are ...femininity
   
   Oh, but the music! The piano riff at the start followed by Eric's melodic, crisp and fresh moans just gets me goin' like the morning sun, warm and new. Of course there is so much more to love. The man is so very talented. Halle Berry Benet had more happy days than sad I'm sure. Eric has a witty laid back sense of humor and an earthly passion like a country garden in the south. He's the bomb. The autobiographical, remorseful homage to Eric's deceased Baby's Mom (While You Where Here) will have you heaving a bucket of tears (she was killed in an automobile accident during a snowstorm one longago April) but feeling Eric's cleansed healing by the end. This man is just so cool and you feel him, fall in love with him, feen for him and forgive him as he stays true to his extremely talented self on this slamming album.
   Listening to True To Myself is like taking a drive down to a true coffehouse jazz joint and tapping into the aura of an unsigned hunk on the guitar/piano/mike and swooning into the hot mellow funk.
   Disclaimer: Virgins needn't apply for the refund. Don't ask - no harm, no foul. Get back with me when you're grown and sexy.



5. I've been waiting for an opportunity to post this review of Eric Benet's first album since it was first released in 1996. At the time I worked for a national record store chain and was doing everything I could to promote his album, including buying my own copy when I could have gotten a free promotional copy from the label rep and letting everyone know it.
   
   "Eric Benet is one of the most exciting young singer/songwriters to come along since Brian McKnight burst on the R&B music scene in 1992. His songwriting is prolific, mature, and socially conscious without being sappy or overly sentimental. Benet wrote or co-wrote all but one of the tracks on his debut album, and his vocal delivery in each song is moving and convincing. From the funky opening groove of the title track, to the beautiful orchestration of "While You Were Here", a bittersweet, tearjerking ballad (dedicated to the memory of his daughter India's mother who died tragically in a car accident), Benet manages to capture the heart, mind and soul of the listener for the duration of this album.
   
   The musicianship of his album personnel is often reminiscent of superband Mint Condition, and serves to enhance Benet's powerful vocals. The evidence of the influence of Stevie Wonder's vocal and arranging styles come through on this album, too, but not often enought to limit Benet from carving out his own niche in the R&B world. If this isn't this young artist's best work, then he and his fans are in for a long, enjoyable career."
   
   Recommended tracks:
   While You Were Here
   Let's Stay Together
   Femininity
   Spiritual Thang
   I'll Be There
   
   
   I had the pleasure of meeting Eric Benet at a live performance/autograph signing at a local club called "The Warehouse" in Detroit, MI, when "True to Myself" was first released. Benet struck me as a very down to earth individual who was a very humble and talented artist. Of course, all this was prior to his very public courtship and marriage to Halle Berry and their subsequent break up. Even though the circumstances surrounding his split with Ms. Berry may have left some of his previous admirers questioning his character as an individual, his talent as an artist has not diminished and TRUE fans of his music will stick by him because his talent is undeniable. I have yet to purchase his latest album, "Hurricane", but I will be buying my copy soon! I love what I've heard of it and if the title track is any indication, Benet's fans have gotten another great set out of an accomplished artist whose musical growth has been borne out of his life experiences.

5 comments about Still Ghetto.

1. Jaheim's old school vibe continues on this joint from 2002. Pretty good album. Check it out.
   
   Top Joints:
   Fabulous - (featuring Tha Rayne)
   Put That Woman First
   Me And My B*tch
   Backtight
   Tight Jeans
   Beauty And A Thug - (featuring Mary J. Blige)



2. This album definantly shows significant growth for Jaheim. The song choices,the lyrics, the featured artists, and Jaheim's image are all improved since his last album! I am a huge Jaheim fan and this is my favorite of all three of his albums.
   My top 5
   1. Diamond in da ruff
   2. Fabulous
   3. tight jeans
   4.Long as I live
   5. Put that woman first



3. With a sleek, soulful style combined with the hard edge of hip-hop, Jaheim makes it all work and outdoes himself on this album. With a sound reminiscent of a young Teddy Pendergrass, Jaheim is truly at his best in Fabulous....Put That Woman First.....Diamond In Da Ruff...the entire CD is Jaheim at the top of his game. Jaheim demonstrates the type of artist that you rarely see these days...with true talent, and with an appeal that reaches the very mature listener and the hip-hop crowd. One of the very few artists whose CDs I actually purchase......this one is a must for the collection.
   
   
   DYB



4. "Still Ghetto" is Jaheim's sophomore album. "Still Ghetto" is incredible, amazing & wonderful. I picked this album up a few months ago. I had never heard of Jaheim, I hadn't even heard of him. But when I first listened to this album, I was amazed. Jaheim has such a wonderful voice. It's so deep, so soulful. I'd love to hear more from him. After purchasing this album and listening to it numerous times back to back, I decided to get more of his material. I saw the video for the song "Anything" and I thought it was new, but I quickly learned that it was an old song off of Jaheim's debut album, "Ghetto Love". I purchased the album but I haven't gotten around to listening to it, just only a few tracks.
   
   "Put That Woman First" was the first song I heard by this New Jersey vocalist. I saw the video and I thought it was great. This song is about, well, putting that woman first because if you don't she's going to leave. Great song, great message.
   
   "Fabulous" is probably the best song on this album. It teaches children to keep their head up and never give up. I think that is a great message and it also features little children singing the chorus and other parts in this song.
   
   "Special Day", "Let's Talk About It", "Me And My Bitch" & "Diamond In Da Ruff" are other songs I also like on "Still Ghetto".
   
   Overall, this album is great. I'm looking forward to listening to "Ghetto Love".



5. I would never guess that such a big brotha like Jaheim would possess such a beautiful voice. He's so shy. I know he's gonna be around for a long time with a voice like that; he's got that Mary J type of soul. This album goes down like hot chocolate on a winter day, smooth. I say, cop this album, and play it whether you're in love or still looking for it.

No comments about Woodstock.

5 comments about Maxwell Unplugged.

1. Everything that a live album should be. Don't sleep on this album, it's worth every minute of your time.



2. This Maxwell CD is bar none truly amazing. Love it, love it. Maxwell, your fans are waiting steadfast for your new CD. In the meantime, release the DVD version of MTV Unplugged!!! How super sweet that would be.



3. Maxwell was still riding high off the sucess of his first when he released his MTV Unplugged EP. Maxwell's vocals carry this CD through seven songs all with the perfection of a seasoned vet. From the hush version of Sumthin and his cover of This Woman's Work.



4. I loved every song on this CD except for the last one. This CD should be used to woo any man or woman back into you heart.



5. i've own the cd, but somehow wants the DVD so i can see maxwell in my TV...
   
   release the DVD please...