Customer Reviews

Ain't Nothin Like Me

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After disappointing fans with 2003's And Then, JOE returns with one of the best R&B albums of 2007 thus far and his most strongest release since 2000's My Name Is Joe. Joe has always been talented singer but given medico re production a singer of his caliber will disappoint. Thankfully JOE enlisted the heavy hitters for this album and does disappoint. The album opens up with the banger Get To Know Me feat. Nas followed by the first single If I Was Your Man. with it's truthful lyrics and production by Stargate If I Was Your Man is the most heartfelt song JOE has recorded since 1997's Good Girls. Sean Garrett, Bryan-Michael Cox, Johnta Austin, the Underdogs, and Cool & Dre all provide production on slow jams and on up tempo tracks club tracks. This album also features some rappers cameo's including Dre,Papoose, Fabolous and G-Unit's Young Buck & Tony Yayo. Buck & Yayo trade verses with JOE on my favorite up-tempo song Ain't Nothin Like Me which could serve as the sequel to If I Was Your Man. Finally what would a JOE album be without ballads. Two of the strongest ballads are My Love and Let's Just Do It. On his sixth CD Joe has maintained relevant and reliable since he debuted that other artist's should take notes on.

R & B singer Joe (A.K.A. Joe Lewis Thomas) returns with his sixth album "Ain't Nothing Like Me" (2007). Guest appearances include: Nas, Papoose, Tony Yayo, Young Buck, Fabolous and Dre. Production on this release comes from Tim & Bob, Stargate, Ric Rude, Sean Garrett, Bryan Michael Cox, The Underdogs, Cool & Dre, The Beatsmithz & Joshua Thompson. Joe opens up the album with "Get to Know Me" a collaboration with veteran MC Nas, Hip Hop heads will recognize the beat to this cut as it was originally used on Nas album "Stillmatic" on a track called "You're Da Man". For the remake Joe delivers some soulful vocals while Nas drops a few verses, with both artist's getting their game on. Next up is the album's second single "If I Was Your Man" a feel good love track, which has Joe apologizing to a special woman, and making some changes. Joe delivers some impressive smooth vocals, backed by some on point production from Stargate. The next standout is the album's first single "Where You At" which features an appearance from Mixtape MC Papoose, I originally heard this track on a Papoose mixtape and enjoyed it then. Joe shines again once again on the vocals while Papoose makes a late and short appearance. Joe slows the album's tempo down with a slow jam in "My Love", then sings about being infatuated with a beautiful woman on "Go Hard". Joe has a history of collaborating with G-Unit in recent years, Tony Yayo and Young Buck drop in for the tite track "Ain't Nothing Like Me" which falls under skip material for this reviewer. The upbeat "Let's Just Do It" is a slightly better cut which features an appearance from Fabolous. Joe slows things down again on "Feel For You" another love ballad, then teams up with producer/rapper Dre (Of Cool & Dre) on the laidback "Just Relax" which borrows from A Tribe Called Quest. Joe then drops an ultimatum for a woman who thinks "Love is Just A Game" then recollects on another smooth standout in "Life Of the Party". Tim & Bob produced bonus track "That's What I Like" is not to be missed as it is an outstanding cut. Overall this is an enjoyable release, Joe has unique vocals, genuine lyrics and production is generally on point. Borrowing from Hip Hop does not hurt this album - can see that Joe is a fan of the genre. Joe provides a memorable album with "Ain't Nothing Like Me", recommend it to fans and those new to his music.

It's been so long since I have purchased a Joe CD - WOW! He has been around for so long. I honestly did not know what to expect when I purchased this CD. Joe is essentially a veteran in the R&B game.
His voice sounds as good as ever. He still has a good, fresh sound.

Every song on his latest release: 'Ain't Nothing Like Me' is good R&B which it seems that the newer "R&B" artists are lacking today. Good, melody driven songs, good beats and some good guest appearences (Nas, Papoose, Young Buck, Dre, Fabolous....)

This CD really takes me back to the late 90's when R&B was at the forefront of music. I like it a lot and it is well worth the buy!!!

I have been listening to hiphop and rnb for over 10 years now. I have also listened to Joe for a very long. I have to say that this album is one of his best in a couple of years. One of the reasons for that is becuase he has good mix between party and "lovemaking" song on the cd. The beats and his lyrics are also very good. It makes me a little sad to see that he only sold 100 000 cds the first week. This cd deserves to go platinum.

He's right. There aren't too many R&B artists like him. When R&B is starting to sound like watered-down rap music, I appreciate the R&B artists who keep it old school and let their melodic voices be the main voice of the album. But on this album, Joe did what a lot of R&B artists are doing now though; he put a bunch of rap guests on the album and for me, it killed some of the best songs. A prime example of that would be "Just Relax." Joe still has a beautiful voice and is forever singing about some dramatic relationship issues, but I wish he'd take it back the way he was before. I love that song "Where You At" above all others and would definitely play that song out, but that was the only song that really struck a chord with me. There are circumstances when a hip hop lyricist can compliment a song, and Papoose had that down because he knew what level to rap on, not too hardcore, slightly vulnerable. The rest of the rappers came a little too hard for me. It was like walking around with Timberlands on when a baby just went to bed. Loud. I still support Joe though but I hope he has less rap on his next album. I love hip hop and rap is okay, but there are times when it's just not necessary and Joe can hold his own without it.

I was introduced to Joe when he had the track "All The Things (That Your Man Won't Do)" on the "Don't Be A Menace" soundtrack. Then, the next track that I heard Joe on was "Don't Wanna Be A Player" that was fetaured on the "Booti Call" soundtrack. That's when I dubbed Joe "the soundtrack man" because he had 2 nice songs on different soundtracks but at the time I thought that he didn't have a CD out. (Much later I found out that he had released the CD "Everything" before these 2 tracks) I began to hear another Joe track entitled "Love Scene" and finally I started hearing a release date for "All That I Am". To say that I enjoyed the CD would be an understatement. "All That I Am" was in heavy rotation for a long time. My favorite tracks ended up being "Good Girls", "How Soon", "Love Don't Make No Sense" and "No One Else Comes Close". Once "All That I Am" ran its course, Joe started gaining a buzz once again because of the track "I Wanna Know" that was featured on the soundtrack for the movie called "The Wood". "The soundtrack man" was at it again. Before you know it, "My Name Is Joe" had been released. This was definitely Joe's biggest CD to date. The CD definitely had a "sexy" theme to it as my favorite tracks ended up being "Somebody's Gotta Be On Top", "One Life Stand", "Stutter", "So Beautiful" and "Treat Her Like A Lady". The CD also featured the remix to Mariah Carey's "Thank God I Found You" that also featured Nas. Joe's next CD ended up being "Better Days". Out of all of the Joe CDs that I had listened to, this was definitely one that I had not expected. It seemed as if Joe was trying to tone things down a bit because of 9/11 and he wasn't making as many sexual songs this time around. My favorite tracks were the 1st single, "Let's Stay Home Tonight", "What If A Woman", which was basically another "Treat Her Like A Lady", "Lover's Prayer", "Isn't This The World" and my favorite track on the CD, "Alone". Joe's next CD was released in 2003 and was entitled "..And Then". His first single was a song that R Kelly had recorded previously entitled "More And More". My other favorite tracks ended up being "Sweeter Than Sugar", "Priceless", "Ride Wit U" w/G Unit, "It Ain't Like That" and "Make You My Baby".

This time around Joe has returned with "Ain't Nothin' Like Me". As soon as I put the CD in my stereo I was impressed because the first track used Nas' "You're Da Man" that was featured on his "Stillmatic" CD and was produced by the Large Professor. Joe gets the party started right and Nas gives you 2 quality verses as he is able to reinvent a track that he has already used before. The first single, "If I Was Your Man" is the best single that Joe has released probably since the "My Name Is Joe" CD. Stargate, who has also produced Beyonce's "Irreplacable" and Ne-Yo's "Because Of You", provide a platform where Joe feels most comfortable, which is just singing heartfelt lyrics to women all over. However, this clearly does not dictate the flow of the entire CD, which to me is very hip hop based. "If I Want To" has Joe at the party again stating that if he wants any woman there including yours that he can have her. Joe employs Papoose on "Where You At" to pleasant results. Joe is trying to figure out where his woman has gone and why she has decided to leave him. He goes over possible mistakes that he may have made and wonders how he could have done things differently. Papoose's verse goes well with the track as he leaves the mixtape lyrics alone this time around. Bryan Michael Cox, the infamous ballad man, hooks Joe up with the solid midtempo jam "My Love". Although, I liked the past 2 Joe CDs, you were not able to find a song of this high quality on either CD, with the exception of "Alone" from "Better Days". When you hear this track you will understand why Bryan Michael Cox is in such high demand. On the midtempo title track Tony Yayo attempts to be "Curious" (Tony Yayo and Joe had a song called "Curious" that was featured on Tony Yayo's solo CD) once again and Young Buck also drops a verse as well. Joe is trying to tell a particular woman that no matter who her man is that he is nothing like him. The track is pretty good but probably won't be in your Top 5 favorite songs. Stargate work their magic once again on "It's Me" as Joe is trying to explain to his ex how she was able to change his life and how much that it hurts him that she left after that happened. The only drawback to this track is that it will definitely remind you of Ne-Yo's "So Sick" because of the production and the fact that Stargate also produced "So Sick". Joe's best ballad on this CD, in my opinion, is "Feel For You" and is produced by Bryan Michael Cox. Joe expresses to his woman why he feels the way that he does for her and what she has done to make him feel that way. I am definitely not surprised to see Johnta Austin's name on the writing credits. This song is put together very well. I almost through a flag for a personal foul and a 15 yard penalty when I heard "Just Relax". It was hard for me to believe that Joe used A Tribe Called Quest's "Electric Relaxation" and made a song to it. The song isn't that bad in my opinion but Dre from Cool & Dre needs to stick to producing and he sould put the microphone down. On "Love Is Just A Game", Joe is trying to figure out whether he should stay or if he should go and if his woman even cares what his decision might be. She is also lying to her friends about events that are happening in the relationship. On "You Should Know Me", Joe is explaining to his woman that she should know that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her or to damage their relationship. The track has a 90s slow jam feel to it as Bryan Michael Cox attempts to take us back about 15 years. "Life Of The Party" has Joe breaking down to a woman that he has lost things that are going on in his head about their past. It seems as if Joe had a hard time balancing celebrity life with his personal life and that was the reason why things didn't work out. This track is definitely one of my favorites as Joe even goes as far as asking her if she remembers the freaky things that they use to do.

Tim & Bob produce the bonus track "That's What I Like". The beat reminds me of Brian McKnight's "Use To Be My Girl" which Tim & Bob also produced. However Joe wants to use this track to tell the woman that he is seeing tonight how he is ready for their next encounter.

Overall, "Ain't Nothin' Like Me" is definitely Joe's best CD since "My Name Is Joe". Some people will even say that it's in the running as his best CD ever. Me personally, it's hard to put anything above "All That I Am" and "My Name Is Joe". I can't speak for "Everything" because 'til this day I have never heard the CD. Although music sales as a whole are down hopefully Joe's core fan base will support him and buy this CD. Some people will be turned off by all the rappers but they can't even take away from the quality of Joe's best work in awhile.

James' Top 5

1) If I Was Your Man
2) My Love
3) Get To Know Me w/Nas
4) Feel For You
5) Where You At w/Papoose

Honorable Mention:

Life Of The Party
It's Me
Let's Just Do It w/Fabolous
Love Is Just A Game
You Should Know Me

Ranking Joe's Discography (Excluding "Everything")

1) All That I Am
2) My Name Is Joe
3) Ain't Nothin' Like Me
4) ....And Then
5) Better Days

JUST SAW HIM LIVE IN CONCERT, HAVE NOT STOPPING PLAYING CD IN MY CAR YET, JUST BROUGHT ANOTHER ONE FOR THE HOUSE, LOVE THIS MAN'S MUSIC AND SOUND. DON'T MISS THE CHANCE TO HEAR SOME REAL MUSIC, YOU CAN PUT ANY OF HIS CDS ON AND LET THEM PLAY TO THE END...... BUY HIS MUSIC YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. KEEP DOIN WHAT YOU DO JOE LOVE U

What can I say!! Joe thank you for all of your special & wonderful music. I have all of his CD's. Whenever I want to think about the idea of love or loving this is the artist I listen to over & over. Of course, this is my favorite R & B singer. I just love this new CD, Ain't Nothing like Me. His voice is so smooth & mellow like, lets say chocolate. I pulled out my collection--And Then & Better Days the other day & just had to appreciate both of them all over again. Can't wait to see you in concert again.. Joe, when I die & go to heaven I hope they are piping in your music just for me. (smile) Everyone go get this CD Ain't Nothing like Me!! Great for those hot summer months.

I like this new album. I was a lil concerned about the number of rap cameos because I love Joe's ballads (plus I aint no fan of G-Unit), but all fears were put aside after the first listen. Then first joint featuring Nas is a great re-do of Nas' 'You da man' off his Stillmatic album. Every track from then deserves it's place. His delivery is silky smooth and should set the mood very well with the ladies.

Joe can be considered a "veteran" in the R&B industry today. Sure, he isn't an icon like Stevie Wonder or the late great soul stars, but he is certainly memorable among the smorgasbord of R&B male artists out today. He's not neo-soul, nor is the soul-less dance-pop male that is so predominant today -- he is Joe, the adult-contemporary, balladeer and that hasn't changed since his four-year hiatus from R&B. What saddens me about the exceptional AIN'T NOTHING LIKE ME is that despite a pleasant #2 bow with 98,000 copies, is that AIN'T NOTHING LIKE ME will fall into the pot of the "best" R&B albums of 2007 that aren't certified or just go gold. So many of 2007's best have truly fallen below they should where sales are concerned: Gerald LeVert's Grammy worthy IN MY SONGS has yet to be certified, Fantasia's exceptional sophomore self-titled affair is slowly creeping back up the charts thanks to "When I See U", Marques Houston had his largest debut, but quickly tumbled with fading single "Circle, and that's just to name a couple of examples. Aside from my "sales" tangent, Joe's album deserves platinum certification, even if the R&B prospects are looking downward sales-wise (with a few exceptions of course). It is an exceptional album, flawed in only a couple respects.

The album's opening track "Get To Know Me" features an energized Nas, who despite his assertive performance isn't necessary-- Joe holds it down with his beautiful vocals, strong and passionate as ever. "If I Was Your Man" proves as consistent with contemporary, urban sounding arrangement that does Joe's vocals much justice. His nuances are perfect and the ad libs have such a soulful yearning to them. Besting "If I Was Your Man" just might be the third consistent track in a row, "If I Want Her", which is a "vocal masterclass" for any burgeoning male R&B artist. The production is top-rate as is Joe, ever the showman here on this ultra memorable R&B number.

"Where You At" featuring up-and-coming rapper Papoose falls short of the glory of "his" three predecessors, but it is still on par at minimum. Joe still sings his heart out and makes up for any loss of momentum with my personal favorite, the Bryan-Michael Cox produced "My Love", another hit for the "it" R&B producer of 2006-07 (aside from Timbo & will.i.am of course). Joe sounds very best here, and he also pulls off the second Cox production very well, even though "Go Hard" doesn't quite have the same "zip" as "My Love". "Ain't Nothing Like Me" features Tony Yayo & Young Buck but as with most title track, it does disappoint some. It isn't bad, just not as good as one would hope. It's memorable to an extent, but doesn't stand out among the top echolon of songs on AIN'T NOTHING LIKE ME. "It's Me" also falls a bit short of the glory that ruled AIN'T NOTHING LIKE ME at the very beginning, but Joe still sounds as inspired and as glorious as ever on the number that is average compared to the very best.

"Let's Just Do It" featuring Fabolous isn't bad, and stands among one of the best tracks, if it never quite achieves the quality of the very best. "Feel For You" is fine as well, though not the best Cox production of the album. "Just Relax" is interesting, though I personally didn't connect with it. I think it is a track requiring a couple of listens for it to really click. The last couple of tracks ("Love Is Just A Game", "You Should Know Me", and "Life of the Party") are all competent, though you do think that there are a couple too many ballads and had they been cut, the album would've been "that" much stronger.

Overall, aside from a few too many ballads, AIN'T NOTHING LIKE ME is pretty flawless in my eyes. Honestly, I haven't seen R&B as strong as it has been in 2007 for a while. Some great albums have been released and Joe's return AIN'T NOTHING LIKE ME is no different! 4 stars!