Frenchy’s Fracas

General Description
Artist/Band: Donny Hathaway || ||
Album Title: These Songs For You, Live!
Year: 2004

This is why I love music..

How I Got Into This Music
Annoying little man, Hieronymus Fox.. The guy’s right 99% of the time and it would be a serious pain in the ass if it wasn’t for the fact that I always benefit from it.
The man brought along this CD for me to listen to from a singer called Donny Hathaway. The name rang a bell, and after some mental excercise I remembered this track from a Back To Mine compilation by Everything But The Girl called Someday We’ll Be Free. I liked but I thought it was a bit too sweet and soft.
Most of us old-timers know him from his duet with Roberta Flack . That bone-chillingly beautiful Where Is The Love?, remember that?
These Songs For You, Live! is a compilation of live tracks performed during the 70s, the man himself died 1979.

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Tracks that got my attention:
Flying Easy
Love this recording, the sound system isn’t working right, so the first minute or so the vocals are a bit too soft. No slickness here, boys and girls! And it doesn’t matter cause the man’s vocals bring a spring sunshine to anybody’s dark winter day..

Valdez in the Country
One of his own tracks, love the crispy keyboards on this instrumental track.

Someday We’ll All Be Free
Ohmygod.. The track I thought to be a bit too soft and sweet: this live version just breaks my heart in a gazillion pieces. Fuckmethisisbeautifulnuffsaid..
Listen to this man’s voice.

You Got A Friend
Now we get a coupla covers of Classic tracks. First one, Carole King’s masterpiece. It’s an easy sing-along track, and the crowd eats it all up. But listen to Hathaway’s subtle vocal changes, brilliant!

He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother
This is the slowest version of this track ever and it’s friggin’ incredible!! His mix of whispery soft and booming gospel vocals, it’s.. Can’t find the words, just go have a listen..

What’s Going On
You gotta have some very large balls to cover a Marvin Gaye classic; and perform it in a way that makes you accept the fact that someone else is singing it. Shit, this is a very close to a perfect alternative version!

Yesterday
I swear when the Beatles heard this version, they must’ve realised that not only did they make one of the greatest songs of all time, but that there’s someone else who can perform the track better than themselves. Think the Beatles went like: Right, we’re done here, nothing left to do, guys. Off to the pub, cause this bastard’s put us to shame.. Who the hell is this guy?!?

Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)
See previous track. I’ve posted it before: this version of Superwoman is one of the most breath-taking things I’ve ever heard.

A Song For You
When the man’s vocals go all gospel on you, it just makes you stop whatever you were doing and pay attention. However the crowd isn’t behaving at its best, mucking about during such a delicate song, but hey, it comes with the territory.

Sack Full Of Dreams
Wow, such slow sweetness. I can not be grumpy when I hear this one.

Little Ghetto Boy
First heard this as a sample on Dr.Dre’s Chronic and he knew what to use from his Elders. Beautiful vocals singing harsh lyrics with an upbeat ending.

I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know
Damn, the opening vocals on this track! Soul & Blues mixed up in one heart-wrenching song.

The Ghetto
The keyboard buildup is nice and mellow, followed by a lovely up-tempo groove. Great crowd participation and again, when Hathaway puts out that voice out there, I get goose bumps.

Interview
An interesting addition to the album: bits and piece from an interview with Hathaway. You get to see what he was doing, thinking and planning. His life plans, what he wants to do musically, it goes in all directions.

Conclusion
I haven’t heard a contemporary performer put so much heart and talent into the music like Donny Hathaway. It’s possible that I wouldn’t like the studio albums as much as this live compilation, who cares?
It’s very regrettable that we don’t have Donny Hathaway in our midst any more, it is a sad thing that we don’t have a performer of his stature in our midst at the moment.
Enough with the praise, I love this album!

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General Description
Artist/Band: David Holmes ||
Album Title: Come Get It, I Got It
Year: 2002

Producer’s Master Class

How I Got Into This Music
The second source of interesting music, my man ArAm, it’s all his fault again
He let me listen to another album from David Holmes called Let’s Get Killed a coupla years ago, but… The album didn’t really work for me back then and I didn’t pay much attention to the artists for quite a while. Until..
Sitting in the movie theater with another friend of mine (Hello, SleighRide!) watching.. gulp.. Out Of Site with Mr. Clooney and Miss Lopez’ JellyBuns. I didn’t expect a lot from the movie and was surprised when I realized that the movie was great entertainment. What really got me excited (no, not her nice butt) was the film score/soundtrack, wow!!! I got the CD the next day and it took me some days to connect the soundtrack to Let’s Get Killed, silly me..
So I went scouting for more and encountered this little album called Come Get It, I Got It..

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Tracks that got my attention:
Intro
Heheh.. Heard this one also being used by rap legend Grandmaster Flash!

Sixto Rodriguez - Sugarman
This song? Wow… couldn’t believe my ears when I heard this the first time. Still can’t believe them, this track has this incredible grip on my emotional triggers: I can get happy and sad at the same time when I hear this song.
Never heard of Sixto (Diaz) Rodriguez before but I sure am glad mister Holmes introduced me to him!

The Free Association - Effectin
Ohh.. The first entry from The Free Association project of mister Holmes and others. Love the whole thought behind the lyrics!

Hodges, James, Smith & Crawford - Nobody
Man-o-man-o-man-o-man!
When I play this one in the car, other drivers get to see me shouting my lungs across the galaxy.

Muddy Waters - Tom Cat
The late great Muddy Waters doing his dirty deeds, nice!

The Johnny Otis Show - Country Girl
You can take foxes out of the country, but
You can’t take the country out of foxes
O-so-nasty! Straight down and dirty blues mucking up those spit-shined shoes..

Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers - Strange Happenings
Whoa.. Heavy stuff, not always my cup of tea. Subtle production work by Holmes with the extra heavy background hisses and disturbances.

Harold Alexander - Mama Soul
Damn, I’ve never heard shit like this before! Don’t especially like or dislike the song, but it’s definitely a bizarre track..

Ray Bryant - Up Above The Rock
Sometimes this track’s a bit annoying, but there’s also this great vibe coming off the whole thing, making me wanna clap my hands and stomp my feet.
Also sounds like a great intro track for some 70’s TV show.

Cyril Neville - Gossip
Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers, doing some funky bluesy stuff.

A Fascinating Musical Experience - The Monster
There’s a 99% chance that if you wake me from my hard earned sleep around four in the morning, just to play me this song, that you’ll probably live to tell the story.. Just probably not with all your body parts intact, but hey..
I just LOVE this track: that mellowed-out bass on the background, the solo guitar that just makes the devil cry and those nasty keyboards chopping away at your sanity. Love it!!

Jujus - Sweet Songs
Love this one too, the band gets to do some old school introductions: instruments, horoscope, name and a little solo. Sweet songs, indeed!

Betty Adams - Make It Real (Ride On)
Somebody told me lightning don’t strike the same place twice.
Uh-huh, that could be true, but somehow it don’t somehow seem right.
Alright, I saw you last night and I saw you today.
Uh-huh, every time, baby, you make me feel the same way.
Damn, you know I like me some metaphores and gross exaggerations, but with this song it’s simple: you need to be totally dead and buried/cremated (or working for the Civil Service for more than six months) to NOT feel anything when you hear this song.
Listen, to me it’s a sort of natural selection, making the distinction between those who love music and those who don’t. If you’re in the second category, go work for the Civil Service, you’ll like it there.
Do you follow?

The Staple Singers - Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)
Classy bass, the incredibly talented vocals, sweeeeet..

The Free Association - La Dolce Vita
Wacky electronics, takes the right mood to listen to this one, and when the mood matches the track: pure extacy! When it doesn’t match: a lot of valium helps a bit.

Johnny Jones And The King Casuals - Purple Haze
Have a read here about their relation with Jimi Hendrix.

The Free Association - Don’t Believe A Word
Incredible mix of electronics, great vocals and great closing lyrics.
Don’t shoot that stuff in your arms.
The only thing [we] should have in our arms, is eachother

Conclusion
I think I’ve succeeded in bringing across these subtle hints about my serious love for this album. If not, lemme try again.. Ehm..
This album could be viewed as just a collection of diverse tracks used in such a way that a certain coherence is being proposed that comes across as suggestively eclectic mix of music. (getting drowsy..)
Or, read this excellent review by the interestingly name Pimps Of Gore
Or, you could simply acccept that this mix of weird, soulful, blues-infected, electronics-injected songs is something you’ve never expected to hear in such a way and that it’s impossible not be awestruck by this album. It’s just one of my Favorite albums, have a listen and after that you can come back and agree with me
Nuff said..

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General Description
Artist/Band: A Tribe Called Quest ||
Album Title: People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
Year: 1990

Influential To The Max!

How I Got Into This Music
A Tribe Called Quest was one of the first rap groups that really got me interested in rap. After the militant lyrics and antics of Public Enemy, the world was surprised by the more relaxed approach of the Native Tongue, a collective consisting of groups like De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest. This was their first album and it made a lasting impression on my consciousness.

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But First..
This album is an incredible collection of samples. It’s a bloody education in itself to research all the tracks, and the nice people at Secondhandsongs.com did most of the hard work. If you’re interested in all kinds of sample trivia, go over to the site.

Tracks that got my attention:
Push It Along
The Boom, The Bip.. The Boom-Bip!
Crazy weird intro, followed by the mellowest of samples, can’t remember where I heard the original track. That sax during the bridge and at the end is highly enjoyable..
Sample Info

Luck Of Lucien
Not really very heavy-handed lyrics, but incredibly groovy samples, especially the chorus. Of course, Q-Tip’s nasal vocals gets the job done.
Sample Info

After Hours
Just lovelovelove that chorus, the heavy scratch-works in the background, oooooooweeee! Found out they’d sample some Sly & The Family Stone, I’m guessing it’s the guitar and bass, tasty!
Sample Info

Footprints
Starting off with Stevie Wonder’s Sir Duke, and taking us along this great laid back groove to the the awesome pay-off: an insane beat that would get your comatose granny to start dancing.
A Nubian, a Nubian, a proud one at that
Remember me? The brother who said “Black is black“
Sample Info

I Left My Wallet In El Segundo
Breakthrough single for this group, I mean, the first time I saw this clip was on an item by CNN for chrissakes. A very funny story is being told with some catchy beats and that corny guitar sample in the chorus.
TV watchers in the USA know this tracks also from the Sleeper Cell TV-series, where one of the bad guys performs this track at a karaoke bar.
Favorite lyrics (I catch myself singing/rapping these words many times, scaring my co-workers each and every time..)
..Pulled out the wallet and I saw this wicked beautiful lady,
She was a waitress there.
Put the wallet down and stared and stared.
To put me back into reality, here’s Shaheed:
“Yo, Tip, man, you got what you need?”
I checked for keys and started to step
What do you know, my wallet I forget..
Sample Info

Pubic Enemy
Public Service Anouncement about STD’s. Not one of my favorites, ’s okay. Cameo by Old School master DJ Red Alert.
Sample Info

Bonita Applebaum
Man-o-man! One of my all-time favorite tracks! It’s a great way to romance your loved one (kinda worked for me), the lyrics are funny and intelligent. The single remix used Carly Simon’s Why? and there’s a great remix that uses Grace Jones‘ Slave To The Rhythm, excellent!
38-24-37 (uh, uh, uh!)
You and me, hun, we’re a match made in heaven.
I like to kiss ya where some brothas won’t.
I like to tell ya things some brothas don’t.
Sample Info

Can I Kick It?
Their world hit. Love listening to it now, but back then, waaaay too much airplay. Legend has it that the guys didn’t clear the bass sample from Lou Reeds Walk On The Wild Side. Mr. Reed took offense and ATCQ had to pay out, leaving them with nothing on the single sales. A valuable lesson or fable, I guess..
Sample Info

Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving)
I got the rhythm, you got the rhythm.. That intro.. And then when the beat kicks in, ouch! That’s the nice kind of pain..
Polyrhythmatic with a big fat boom
You have an eargasm as you start to consume
The ghetto beat with a ghetto poem
Yeah, it’s from the heart, cuz it’s from the home
Sample Info

Descrption Of A Fool
Another educational track, they’ve used a sample from the Roy Ayers track Running Away. I discovered Mr. Ayers’ music partly through this sample.
Check out Groove Armada’s remix of this track on their Back To Mine album. It’s stripped of all the music, just using the vocals and their own flavors, bloody incredible!
Sample Info

Conclusion
Like I said before, this album’s one of the most interesting albums I’ve heard. It’s a favorite because it’s got great tracks but also because of the great samples and its impact on the music scene back then. A Tribe Called Quest together with The Native Tongue collective combined great music with thought-prevoking lyrics, not being radical about their opinions and not even using swear words (in the beginning).
An open hand full of grooviness and intellect instead of the closed fist of anger and payback. Both valid means of expression, but ATCQ’s approach worked better for me in the end.

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General Description
Artist/Band: Me’shell Ndegeocello ||
Album Title: Plantation Lullabies
Year: 1993

Funky, moody Soul with many, many Messages

How I Got Into This Music
Me’shell’s one of my favorite artists, finally got into her music back in 1998, a bit late, but such a sweet discovery!! I think this was one of the first albums I listened to.

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Tracks that got my attention:
I’m Diggin’ You (Like An Old Soul Record)
Momma. please help me, I’m having so much fun, it just hurts! Me’shell’s wicked vocals, rhymes and wicked bass playing just gets me all jazzed up. I even enjoy the weird guitar solo, especially the final bit where the chorus comes back.

If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)
Heheh, evil lyrics!! You do not ever want someone to tell you your partner’s unfaithful in the way Me’shell does on this track, ouch!
That nasty bass theme, makes me very happy. Ooooh, that part of the song, at the bridge, yum-yum!
Now late at night he calls me on the telephone
That’s why when you call
All you get is the busy busy tone

Shoot’n Up And Gett’n High
Tragedy, enduring a never ending form of misery and pain.

Dred Loc
Lusty love song with a great tropical feel to it - love the bridge, the sax and other horns recreate a typical 90’s groove and feel.

Untitled
Beautiful lyrics, a poem recital.
..Her beauty cannot be measured with standards of a colonized mind
Darker than blue darker than her blackness
Unblemished her features broad and striking
She cradles his body with her large hands
Her fingers stretch endlessly into his world of pain..

Step Into The Projects
Bass line is incredible all through the track, damn! Subject matter is obvious, but still to-the-point.

Soul On Ice
Another very poignant rant about the (self)image of black people and their culture; the attack on black men going for white females was one of the biggest racial topics in the 90s and it kinda still is, now the sistahs too are switching colours. There’s a lot of resentment about racial inequalities or better put: why’s whitey better than my black ass?!? Funny, I grew thinking up that although we may not be considered as equal, somehow still, nobody’s better than another. Living in a white country doesn’t change it for me.
But back to the song - this lady’s ripping up the bass like it’s nobody’s business!!

Call Me
One of my all-time favorite love songs or songs of any kind!!! The funny and loving lyrics, flowing in the typica Me’shell singing rap flux. The bass play in the background is just smooth, warm, funky and bloody brilliant. Got a lot of memories with song, sitting in front of a hotel in Guetemala, early sunrise on a small island near the Belize coast, just me and my walkman with Me’shell playing her lil’ ass off.. Ah, them be good memos!

Outside Your Door
She has this Billie Holliday sadness in her voice, not the technical similarity, but the emotional thing that just cuts through your soul.

Picture Show
A great ‘celebrating our love’ track with a nice walking and skipping and hopping and cartwheeling bass groove. And that nasty closing bit? Soooooo right!
I’m just a hopeless romantic, hopelessly in love with you

Sweet Love
Reggae ballad kinda vibe going on here, not really working for me, but this girl’s vocals still get to me.

Two Lonely Hearts (On The Subway)
I like the different styles and themes on ths track - yes, there’s this sense of motion, but also the great funky break and that beautiful closing part - just love it..

Conclusion
I was doubting if I could call this a Favorite, but after two or three tracks I quickly understood that I was being a bit silly. The angry parts in her lyrics are sometimes a bit disconcerting and sometimes also a bit too preachy: yes, there is inequality and racial prejudice, but it’s a fine line you’re walking when your protest also sounds as you want to return the favor in kind (by being aggressively unkind).
The fuck do I know about what was going through her life and her head when she wrote this stuff? Not easy to review something that personal when you haven’t had quite the same experiences.
On the musical side of things: this is an incredible album, thightly grouped musicians with excellent material to work with. The love songs are joyful taking me on a walk on top of the clouds and the sad songs take me to an abyss of lost love that can trigger less fonder memories. And that’s just the thing about this album: you have to be dead and buried not to feel anything while listening to this album, good or bad, it makes a strong impression.
Me’shell has made a great album, nuff said..

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General Description
Artist/Band: 4Hero
Album Title: Play With The Changes
Year: 2007

British producers, global quality..
 
How I Got Into This Music
To the best of my recollection, the first track I heard from them was back in 2000/2001 (not sure), a weird and weak 70s rip-off track, called Les Fleur. That song really got me all agitated and the video was even worse; it all just got under my skin for being such a blatantly cheap copycat action. But, it still stuck in that vast grey bucket of trivia called my brain, referenced under Crappy Rip-offs That Are Kinda Interesting.
Flash forward to 2006: I discover this insane album called How About A Game Of Chess? thru the nice people at Last.fm. And I find out that the guy behind that album, Marc Mac is one half of a band called 4Hero, and that triggered other stuff: these guys also worked on a track with miss Jill Scott, called Gotta Get Up (Another Day). Still with me?
So, it turns out that 4Hero were the people behind the aforementioned abomination Les Fleur, a great Jill Scott track and that Chess album. A coupla months back this new album by 4Hero came out and I just had to try it out…

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Tracks that got my attention:
Morning Child ft. Carina Andersson
Same lady doing the vocals as Les Fleur, but now somehow, it works for me. The other weird thing, the horns remind me of Toto’s Georgy Porgy (later covered by Eric Benet).

Take My Time ft. Jack Davey
Nasty and innocent vocals, love it.. Never heard of J*Davey but I might check it out soon.

Look Inside ft. Face
Hmm.. Just a bit too up-tempo for me, gets anoying some times.

Sink Or Swim ft. Lady Alma
Retro Soul, incredibly catchy bass loop and chorus. And some very sweet vocals!

Give In ft. Darien Brockington/Phonte
Oooooo… This track helps me get through the worst of moods, calms me down, makes me enjoy the rainy day. Compact cameo rap by Phonte of Little Brother.

Play With The Changes ft. Talita Long/Harry Mizell
A friend of mine (hiya Tama!) thought the first part of this song sounded like something done by Sergio Mendes; hadn’t thought about it like that, but she was right. The second part is my favorite: added beat is simple, effective and incredibly groovay.

Something In The Way ft. Bembe Segue/Kaidi Tatham
Nothing wrong with this track, it’s great. But it does get skipped sometimes.

Stoke Up The Fire ft. Face
Impossible to skip! The bass on this song is just superb, it’s all over the place while still managing to function as part of the rhythm section. Gonna cost me some months of annoyance but I’ll be trying this one out with my bass teacher. He’ll probably just grin insanely: the pupil’s getting in way over his head again

Awakening ft. Ursula Rucker
New mantra:
I must and shall listen to more stuff by Miss Ursula Rucker
I must and shall listen to more stuff by Miss Ursula Rucker
I must and shall listen to more stuff by Miss Ursula Rucker
This lady’s been on the edge of my musical radar since her work with Jazzanova, Circe (from The Remixes 1997-2000). But I never took the time to seriously get into her music; an entry on my To Listen List..
Back to the song; this one reminds me of United Future Organization: like the soundtrack to some 70s cop movie or TV show. Miss Rucker’s vocals/poetry flows smoothly, carrying a poignant message about The Message.

Sophia
Great one to enjoy while driving the car along the Maasboulevard into Rotterdam, with its beautiful skyline. (And no, I ain’t getting paid one cent for this endorsement, cheap bastards..)

Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) ft. Terry Devos
What can I say? The first part takes getting used to, but knowing what’s coming after that is worth stealing Fire (and the Comfy Chair) from the Gods.
Terry Devos’ voice takes your breath away, this cover of the Stevie Wonder classic is perfect!

Bed Of Roses ft. Jody Watley
Who’d thought Miss Jody Watley would still be active in this crazy music business? She used to be in the 80s groove band Shalamar and some of us senior citizens remember her for that classic catch phrase: “Hasta La Vista, Baby” (Yep, Arnie stole that one..). She’s also one of the few US artists that contributed to the classic Band Aid track, Do They Know It’s Christmas?.
Enough trivia, this is a great collaboration: UK Garage/Soul mixed with US vocals. Catchy as hell!

Our Own Place
Don’t know who’s doing the vocals, but they’re nice. Reminds me of Zero 7.

Dedication To The Horse
An unexpected way to finish the album, but the guitar work works for me. Just gotta keep from playing this track while driving, I cannot keep on getting those speeding fines

Conclusion
First album from these guys I’ve listened to and I like it a lot. Not sure if I’ll be checking out their previous work, more curious about what they’ll be doing on a next album. Their work is solid and mature, there’s this sense of cocky independence: This Is How We Do It, And That’s That. I like that in a musician and 4Hero are excellent craftsmen. I’ve played this album in my car for three weeks straight and now, while listening to it again for this review, I still love it very much: a Frenchy’s Favorite, indeed!

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