Music » Contemporary Blues Music

Excellent Condition

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Genre: Soul/R&B
Media Format: Compact Disk
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Release Date: 18-JUN-2002

The best-of-Luther thing has been done a couple of times before, but Greatest Hits lays it down well. The single-disc format means that one of your favorites might not be here, but among the well-chosen gems present are "Never Too Much," "A House Is Not a Home," "So Amazing," and "Any Love." Vandross, of course, was the reigning king of '80s R&B romance; while he was never as troubled as Marvin Gaye or as downright eccentric as Al Green, he did have that voice. Before hip-hop split the audience generationally, it was the favored accompaniment to seduction for many fans, whose number grew even greater when 1986's "Stop to Love" pushed him through the pop-crossover barrier once and for all. Greatest Hits summarizes the days when he ruled the world. --Rickey Wright

After a three-year break from studio releases, the queen of hip-hop soul returns with her fourth. From the Fulfillingness' First Finale-style groove of the opening "All That I Can Say" to the replayed "Bennie and the Jets" sample on "Deep Inside," these tracks are perfect matches for Blige's update of classic R&B values. --Rickey Wright

A true tour de force, Mama's Gun is that rare sophomore album that shows a maturing artist at her best. Erykah Badu's voice was always her main attraction--its unique sound has been compared to Billie Holiday and Chaka Khan. Here, it's her skill with that voice that shines. Badu shapes her instrument to suit her material (all of it written or cowritten by her). A full range is represented: On faster, danceable tracks like "Penitentiary Philosophy" and "Booty," she sounds gritty and funky. On softer, more introspective tracks, like "A.D. 2000" and the single "Bag Lady," she shows amazing restraint, letting her voice travel lightly over the notes, allowing the songs' emotions to guide her performance. The high point of the disc is Badu's duet with Stephen Marley, "In Love with You," easily the sweetest, truest love song of the year. That alone is reason enough to buy the disc--and you won't regret having done so. --Courtney Kemp

The 1974 album on which Clapton's solo career truly caught fire, 461 Ocean Boulevard is best remembered for its hit version of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff"--perhaps the first time many in America ever heard the rhythms of reggae music. But it's also an album on which emotions run high, especially on two Clapton originals, the prayerful "Give Me Strength" and the pleading "Let It Grow." Clapton maintains his grounding in the blues with versions of Robert Johnson's "Steady Rollin' Man" and Elmore James's "I Can't Hold Out"; revisits a rock & roll classic in Johnny Otis's "Willie and the Hand Jive"; and turns the standard "Motherless Children" into a showcase of snarling guitars. Following a period of dark reclusiveness, 461 Ocean Boulevard was a powerful comeback for Clapton. --Daniel DurchholzThis was Clapton's comeback record after a long bout with heroin addiction. Up through 1970 or so, he had been a restless musical seeker, opening rock up with his guitar experimentation, trying to get to the bottom of the blues. There is none of this on 461. He seems relieved just to be alive. It's a low-key affair, and that suits him. Some of his best songs are here, as well as his cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." Torn and frayed from the melee inside him, this album may be the most personal blues he ever made. --Steve Tignor Eric Clapton Merchandise

While the industry might be holding its collective breath waiting for the release of the next D'Angelo CD (current ETA: mid-March 2003), some of us have gotten on with our lives. Of course the reason we fiend for Mr. D is because he doesn't sound like your run-of-the-mill soul smoothie, and flashes of uniqueness are what keeps R&B fans from slitting their throats in frustration over the current ho-hum state of affairs. Enter singer-songwriter Donell Jones, whose second effort asks the question "What makes a hit?" The answer is his single "U Know What's Up": hooks upon hooks, a catchy melody, and a sexy but low-key vibe, put together in a way that's more than just retro-trendy. The rest of the Where I Wanna Be is classy and idiosyncratic without being too artsy--a perfect buy if you need a break from all the preening and smoke blowing that's all too common. --Amy Linden

She may be beautiful, but Alicia Keys is a musician first and foremost. She plants herself firmly behind the piano keys on her debut, unlike many of the booty-waggin' junior divas who are crowding the R&B videoscape these days. Though many of the tracks on Songs in A Minor are embellished with adolescent angst, this 20-year-old's substantial, gorgeously soul-drenched alto putties the cracks between notes with astonishing ease. "Fallin'," the album's first single, showcases Keys at her best. She wails plaintively and passionately over rolling blues chords, in the tradition of the greats that this young talent clearly wants to align herself with--Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, and Aretha Franklin. She swoops and soars over the spicy, flamenco-fueled melody that opens "Mr. Mann," one of the many winning tracks gathered here. And she digs deep into a remake of the beloved Prince B-side, "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" packing more heat into her melismatic wails than most singers twice her age. --Sylvia W. Chan

The perfect timing of Beyonce Knowles' career moves continues with the release of her debut solo album. Dangerously in Love's best music is wildly up-to-date, craftily designed for both maximum street acceptance and positioning as some of the most cutting-edge stuff on current radio. The brash first single, "Crazy in Love," melds Jay-Z with an unstoppable Chi-Lites horn sample, shape-shifting into something brand new. Collaborations with Outkast's Big Boi and Sean Paul also prick up the ears, while changes of pace like "Be with You" and "Speechless" achieve their aim with credibility. The disc becomes far too ballad heavy in its second half, but the key stuff is the noise she brings. --Rickey Wright

The CD Slide Pack is a New Form of No-frills CD Packaging featuring an Outer Slipcase with the Original Cover Artwork, and an Inner 'slider' Including a CD. Note: There is No CD Booklet in this Package.