 Everything You Want
Vertical Horizon
(RCA Records-BMG Entertainment)
This could be the shortest CD review you will ever read. Why? Vertical Horizon’s latest album, Everything You Want, is the worst piece of crap ever recorded and there’s not much more left to be said.
I’m sure you and just about everyone else on the face of the earth have grown tired of hearing “Everything You Want,” which is played 24/7 on the radio, but just imagine if you had to listen to the entire CD? Trust me, it’s not pretty. Every song on the CD (with the very small exception of “Everything You Want”) is mindless drivel that will make you wish you were dead.
Vertical Horizion describes this album as a move toward an “edgier, electric, full-band style of music,” but if this is the end result, they should go back to their roots and produce the music that made them who they are. This album is a clear step in the wrong direction. James Boozer, Contributing Editor
Halfway Down the Sky
Splender
(Columbia Records)
With a mix of pop/rock and uplifting energy, Splender is determined to redefine the world of modern rock and set a new standard in music with their debut album on Columbia Records, Halfway Down the Sky.
If you have been looking for something different, then look no further because Halfway Down the Sky is a perfect alternative for those who have longed for a different kind of rock and are in need of something a little lighter.
The first single from the album, “Yeah, Whatever,” is an excellent blend of smooth verses and harmonies that guide you through the ups and downs of life, love and happiness. Never have I heard such a compelling mix of melodies from a rock band before, and the group’s uniqueness sets them apart from any other band out there.
Some may consider Splender to be--more or less--a Third Eye Blind copy, but a song like "Cigarette" will draw you in and offer a real taste of how popular this band may become one day. The only downside to the album is that the constant repetition found in songs like “Wallflower” or “Space Boy” can become tiresome. Overall, you shouldn’t be disappointed in what you get--an album worth listening to. James Boozer, Contributing Editor
VooDoo
D’Angelo
(EMD/Virgin)
Four years! We have been waiting four years for a release from D'Angelo, and on Jan. 25, we were rewarded with his second release VooDoo. Now I know you hold D'Angelo's Brown Sugar in higher esteem than most of the CD's in your collection, and well you should.
In 1995, D'Angelo shook up the music world with songs like "Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine," "Lady," the Smokey Robinson remake "Crusin'" and the album titled Brown Sugar, which was
produced by Ali Shaeed Muhammad.
D'Angelo's neo-soul voice and style breathed new life into the R&B/soul genre while also pushing the bar higher for artists after him. Artists such as Eric Benet, Maxwell, Erykah Badu, MesheD'echello, Davina, Grenique, and new soulstress Angie Stone have followed similar formulas coupled with their own original styles to pull R&B/soul out of its pop stage. Now if you haven't bought VooDoo, let me inform you–you can't judge this album off your first
listen. This album takes some work to listen to and because of that some people have dismissed it entirely because they feel some of the songs sound repetitive. I will even admit when I first gave VooDoo a listen, I was a little upset for the same reason. VooDoo is like a good book. It takes at least four or five listens to grasp everything, and even when you think you understand it, you will find something even more musically appealing. That depth is what kept Brown Sugar going strong from the mid ‘90s, and it's what's going to make this album succeed today through tomorrow.
The songs on VooDoo bring influences that range from Prince to Marvin Gaye to Sly and the Family Stone. With ?uestlove from the hip hop band the Roots on drums, D'Angelo, along with a host of others, handles all instruments, background vocals and lyrics. In the first single "Left and Right," D'Angelo gets help from Method Man and Redman (and if you listen very closely, you can hear Q-Tip in the back; “Chicken Grease" has a down home backyard jam feel to it. "The Root," which is my personal favorite, is a melodic love song with lush harmonies that ascend and grow to the end of the song. When listening, it's difficult to believe D'Angelo is doing all the vocals, but he is. "The Root" also features the talented bass/guitar player Charlie Hunter. On this song, along with "Spanish Joint" and "Greatdayndamornin'," Hunter plays his the guitar and bass at the same time!
There's no doubt you have seen the video or heard the song "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" on video shows or the radio. Raphael Saadiq, formerly of the group Tony! Toni! Tone!, helped produce this song and plays guitar/bass while Angie Stone, who contributed with writing some songs on D'Angelo's first LP, helped on "Playa Playa," "Send It On" and "Africa," a song about D'Angelo's son.
By now most people already own this album, so what I'm saying is nothing new. VooDoo is currently No.1 on the R&B/soul Billboard charts, and reaching record sales across the nation and abroad. If you haven't picked it up, I highly suggest you do. D'Angelo is truly an artist who places his emotions and feelings into his work. With most of the music coming out today that's driven by beat machines and tired lyrics and production, it's refreshing to hear an album like this. Do yourself a favor and let the sounds of Voodoo take over you. Donnie Seals Jr., Assistant Photo Editor |
