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.

Google Search for reviews of this album || Album details at Artistdirect.com || Answers.com || || ||

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: The Jungle Brothers
Album Title: Straight Out The Jungle
Year: 1988

Original Native Tongue, Humor and Heart

How I Got Into This Music
Just like with De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers arrived on the rap scene like a breath of fresh air. I discovered the group as the third part of the Native Tongues group. Their approach was their own distinctive mix of fun and seriousness. Calling your band like that meant you knew how to use words, associations and perceptions. I remember taping the album and playing it for days and days..

Album credits at ArtistsDirect.com
|| Lyrics at Song-teksten.com

Tracks that got my attention:

Straight out the Jungle
Man.. Just the opening: the scratch, the beat and African chants.. And then the smooth flowing rap. The nasty Melly Melle’s “The Message” mention, perfect!
Men killing men just because of one’s color
In this lifetime, I’ve seen nothing dumber

What’s Going On?
Still remember playing this at home for a mate of mine (Oomen-chama) to listen to. His reaction to this track was that of pure indignation: How can they sample Marvin Gaye?!? You just don’t do that!!
I then realized a coupla things, first off: I was almost 20 and still hadn’t listen to Marvin Gaye’s work.
Second, people can really get worked up by the use of samples..
The track itself still is one of my all-time favorites: a totally different take on the question of a black identity in the US. Showing the problems without blaming others and a great way of changing a popular children’s prayer:
Now I lay me down to sleep
I give the Lord for my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
Take me to Heaven cuz I need a break

Black Is Black
Judged by both my race and colour
Don’t you know we need each other
There’s no way I can explain how strongly I felt about what was said on this track. It’s incredible how you can identify with a situation you’ve never ever really been in.. The lyrics rule this song, but the whole musical setup is also very good, especially that out of the blue sample of Prince’s Controversy at the end.
I went out of my mind trying to find out where the sample used in the chorus came from (remember, boyz-n-girlz, there was no Internet back then..). So I went to a DJ I knew and just started singing that bit, not caring if I was making a damn fool of myself. The answer: Gil Scott-Heron with “The Bottle”!

Jimbrowski
Okay, after all that serious stuff, some fine and funny material about.. uhm.. well.. How can I explain it? Just read or listen to the lyrics, it’s obvious, heheh.. Good luck finding the lyrics on the net btw ;o)

I’m Gonna Do You
Ooooh.. the laziest beat with the sweetest nasty-assed lyrics ever!!
You said you have a boyfriend, but like you said, he is a boy
I am the real thing and he is just a toy
Something that you pick, play with and put down
But girl, you can have me all year round

I’ll House You
Still their biggest hit ever, one of the first rap-n-house (original track’s by Royal House, can’t remember the title though..) hybrids and also still one of the best! Another mate of mine (TomTom) and me knew the lyrics by heart and no one would be safe while we sang along this one!
Feel the vibe, feel the vibe, feel the bass

On The Run
Love the bass groove on this track. And that break halfway the song, love it!

Behind the Bush
Crazy smooth love track. And with “love” I mean the making thereof..

Because I Got it Like That

Can’t remember the original track for the beat loop, okay song..

Conclusion
No gold chains or crotch grabbing stances, but intelligent positive afro-centric music and lyrics.
Without taking the sell-out road or the “by any means necessary” path, these guys knew how to put together a fantastic combo of a great party atmosphere with conscious social commentary.
The last three-four tracks are just a bit below par, which is why it didn’t get into my “Favorites” category, but this still is one of the influential rap albums in my collection.

Rating: (and a lil’ bit more)

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