Frenchy’s Fracas

General Description
Artist/Band: Justin Timberlake
Album Title: FutureSex/LoveSounds
Year: 2006

Twice shy?
 
How I Got Into This Music
First single from his Justified album took me by surprise: a boy band nobody doing serious pop, produced by the Neptunes, how can that be?
I just didn’t know what to think.. Second and third single came out and I knew I had to give that record a listen. The element of surprise worked for 4 or 5 tracks but the other ones weren’t that good. Still, I was curious for whatever this guy was producing. His incredible track on Sergio Mendes’ Timeless showed the quality of a real performer.
And now, his second album is out.. Logical progression or ??

Album info at Answers.com || Album review at artistsdirect.com || Google: Other reviews of this album

Tracks that got my attention:
Futuresex/Lovesound
Title track. Took me quite a while to get used to the sound, the groove and beats. There’s this Another One Bites the Dust effect on the bass groove, catchy.

Sexyback
First single off the album - can’t get used to it. It sure as hell is different than what I kinda expected, but that’s okay with me

Sexy Ladies/Let Me Talk to You Prelude
That bass is what makes it work for me on this track. Timbaland’s production value is working its stuff here..

My Love
Second single, so typical of this album: can’t put my finger on it, great yet disappointing

Lovestoned/I Think She Knows Interlude
First part of the track’s full of dance energy. Second part, nothing subtle about it

Chop Me Up
Horrible, horrible.. First time I’ve been able to categorize this guy as a wigger. And that’s not fair, but this track really gets on my nerves

Damn Girl
Annoying Will.I.Am featuring on this excellent track, full credits for the Old Soul Vibe they’ve produced on this track

Until the End of Time
Already labeled as the new King Of Pop and he still wants more: great beat sample of Prince’s Purple Rain era.

(Another Song) All Over Again
A very mature track, but what really knocked my socks off was finding out who the producer was: one of this sweet earth’s most important and influential producers of the last two decades, Rick Rubin

Take Away Your Love
Shit, close your eyes and you get that Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Debarge feeling - scary how well produced this track sounds. And Timberlake’s no slouch either..

Pose ft. Snoop Dogg
Nasty lyrics, great beat and of course long-time collaborator Snoop on this funky bonus track

Floatin’ ft. Charlie Wilson
Like the previous track, Floatin’ is more like the tracks of the first album - love it!

Conclusion
Respect. Sounds cheesy, but the guy keeps on taking risks and on this album there are plenty taken: no Neptunes, no reusing of the success formula of the previous album, more Dirty South influences. Some work, some really, really don’t. Timbaland seems to be the main influence and that works quite well, but I kinda miss the Neptunes on this album. It takes guts to take these risks and even though I preferred the debut album, the FutureSex/LoveSounds album is a great follow-up. I just wonder if it’ll be just as successfull.. It’s kinda weird that I enjoyed the bonus tracks more than the album itself.

Rating:

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General Description
Artist/Band: Sergio Mendes
Album Title: Timeless
Year: 2006

Absolute Brazil
 
How I Got Into This Music
My old man, it’s all his fault, the important part of my musical education is all his fault, thanks Alte! heheh..
Yep, my dad had some of the original albums of this influential Brazilian artist, Sergio Mendes. I just remember the incredible sounds coming from all different musical directions: latin, Brazilian, jazz, pop. And those lovely vocals.. just making me wish I was on a sunny island in the tropics.. Hold on, that’s where I was when I listened to this stuff, the lovely island of Curaçao ;o)
So, a coupla months back, I was eager to rediscover some of this music. Lucky me, this album just came out..

Album credits at artistdirect.com || Google Search: Lyrics of Timeless

Tracks that got my attention:
Mas Que Nada ft. The Black Eyed Peas
First things first.. I do not like the Black Eyed Peas, period. They’re talented and inventive musicians and performers, but.. it just doesn’t work for me, to the point that I just zap away whenever there’s a video of them on the tele. But.. this is Sergio Mendes, so.. Nobody can screw up Mas Que Nada, not even Will I Am

That Heat ft. Erykah Badu
Saw the video, had to listen to the album. Miss Badu gets way too little airplay on this track.

Berimbau/Consolacao ft. Stevie Wonder
Wow.. It’s been a long time since I heard Stevie Wonder on the harmonica (The Eurythmics’ track ‘There Must Be An Angel’ to be precise).. Sweet..
Also when the beat and the vocals follow up the intro: deeeeeeelicious!! Miss Gracinha Leporace does let you feel that Brazilian groove, and the Mendes piano gets you right between the ribs!

The Frog ft. Q-Tip
The Abstract from A Tribe Called Quest on a groovy track, kinda works, too bad about the other guy.. The keyboards are so laidback.

Let Me ft. Jill Scott
Power vocalist extreme, Jill Scott, doing the nice and sweet stuff, love it!

Surfboard ft. Will I Am
sigh.. Fair’s fair: this track rocks! Again I’m guessing it’s the piano doing the hard work.

Samba De Brenco ft. Marcelo D2
Sweet, soft and lazy with groove-ass lyrics (don’t understand most of it, but it just gels..)

Timeless ft. India Arie
Third songstress on this album, excellent selection of artists! India Arie’s voice so incredibly strong and warm..

Loose Ends ft. Justin Timberlake and Pharoahe Monch
Strong message, lovely song, and that guy Timberlake keeps surprising me: damn, his vocals are fine!

Conclusion
Almost every track that has got Will I Am gets on my nerves, it’s usually the other performers that make those tracks bearable, with special exception for Surfboard coz there it all works perfectly. Let’s be honest here, this guy worked his sweet fanny off to make this album, so credit to him for that
But that sure as hell ain’t enough for me: it’s the excellent performances by Jill Scott, India Arie, Justin Timberlake and last but not least the great man himself: Sergio Mendes. Great album to reintroduce a lot of people to classic Brazilian music. Great album for those sunny days at the beach!
Ooooooh.. He’s gonna be at North Sea Jazz Festival this summer!

3(you know why it’s not a 4..)/5

EDIT 11-JUN-2006: I just keep enjoying this album more and more, almost forgetting BEP are on it. Songs like Berimbau/Consolacao, Timeless and Loose Ends have almost permenantly been in my head for quite some weeks now. So.. I reckon I’ll have to change the points:

Rating: (when it’s good, it’s good..)

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