Customer Reviews

Beautiful Tomorrow

5 star:		(84)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I pre-ordered this CD and I have to say it was worth the wait. I first heard of Blue 6, who is Jay Denes, when they released the single "Sweeter Love." The sweet vocal line and smooth, sexy house tracks really set me into a relaxed state. Then came Bare Essentials, Vol I, and I fell in love instantaneously with not only Blue Six, but the whole label and the artists represented on the compilation (Naked Music). Come to find, Mr Denes is the founder of the label. If you want to hear more about this amazing composer, check their website - ... The music is very relaxing, but still holds on to a house groove that is exciting enough to keep your attention. Chill or downtempo could be used to describe the sound, I suppose, but that would be misleading. Soulful, smooth, amazingly talented vocalists are possibly the best attribute. No Mariah vocal gymnastics here. A straightforward and pure sound is what Mr Denes employs. Lisa Shaw should be a household name before the second half of this decade comes. The music is electronic, house, jazz - all rolled into an accessible collective. Flutes decorate the reflective "Music and Wine." Acoustic guitar and a strong bass drum support the inspirational "Pure" - the best track on the CD.
Many tracks have been released on vinyl, and many a DJ will know of this group already. You can find the "Sweeter Love" CD5 listed in Amazon's catalog. What and how future tracks will be released makes me curious. "Pure" and most of these tracks could and should find commercial success, but it ("Pure") has been released on vinyl already, not accessible to the Common Joe. With my passion for this music, I have remixes of five of these tracks. I ordered this CD already loving half of this CD (there are a couple dub versions - of "Pure" and "Music and Wine"). The other tracks I had knowledge of are the originally syncopated "Love Yourself" (a mix can be found on the 3rd Naked Music mix compilation) and "Let's Do It Together," which is the first single to be released with the album. "Close to Home," "All I Need," and "Beautiful Tomorrow" have already grabbed my attention, as well a dub of "Grace" - which makes me anxious to hear what the original would sound like.
Thematically, this album is about self-love, as well as relationships, growing up, and optimism for the future. Couple this with 1) amazing real (flute, guitar, et al)+ electronic instrumentation and 2) smooth, well-trained vocalists and you have one amazing composition that only furthers the dance genre into a more developed artform that music lovers of any genre can appreciate. I have studied music from age nine all the way up to the masters level and I give this work my full recomendation. This CD can help you reflect; to come to understand and appreciate the simple things in life we often loose track of; to quote "Pure:"
"Look at me I'm pure; everything that I am I adore; it's the reason that life is for; it's my heart that I need to be sure; keep it pure...what you love at the root, at the core - keep it pure"

It's on my top XIX list, along with Deca Dance's Chillout combilation, Hed Kandi's Deeper, Beach House, Winter Chill, Disco Kandi, compilations including Miguel Migs, Lisa Shaw, Soulstice, Cafe Del Mar, Jazzanova, Deep Dish's Yoshiesque Volumes 1 + 2, Sasha's Global Underground GU13 collection, and lately, Tok Tok's Day of Mine.

I love this album to tears. The tunes are so catchy, erotic, with supersonic-feeling beats, that I completely forget what genre it's supposed to be, and focus on the lyrical images it's trying to paint.

Since I truly enjoy all the songs on this CD, I can only dispel information of my favorites:

1. Close to Home - tells of a long-distance relationship between two people, in two seperate countries. I have the same situation, so it's a personally-relative tune. It's the kind of song you can sing to someone you're in love with, longing for, in the wistful and hopeful sort of way that lovers do when life and distance seems to be the only thing in the way.

2. Music and Wine - one of my all-time favorites. I never hear this in a club, and I'm very grateful for that. It's such a sweet tune, best for bachelorettes longing to meet the man they're not supposed to meet, while in the meantime, enjoying the time.

3. Pure - another all-time favorite, and actually, THE tune which pulled me "Deeper" into this musical genre. This tune was remixed by Migs back in 2000, and I subsquently discovered it while randomly surfing groovetech.com's website in 2002. Here's the link to that fateful broadcast ... (All I need - yet *another* all-time favorite. It's such a smooth tune with sexy, sexy, SEXY story-telling. One can only love this tune so much, and wish to be a part of the melody itself.

Beautiful Tomorrow wraps up this album very nicely, so you know when to repeat it again (for those who don't have that function in their cdplayer programs, like XMMS). This is an excellent album for relaxing, cooking dinner, drinking wine, whining about your ex to, pondering prospective dates, preparing for your date, driving on a lonely highway, driving home after a really late night-that's-now-a-really-early-morning, commiserating with friends, playing chess, pondering life and the experiences you've shared with friends, and taking long walks while contemplating an introspective outlook.

Oh, and grab a listen to that groovetech.com link. It's super keen, considering it was 2000, and not 2003.

After hearing re-mixes of several tracks off of this album, I wanted to check out this CD. Needless to say I was not disappointed and this album rekindled my faith in Electronic music. This album is not for the teeny-bopper candy raver and it's espaecially not for someone who listens to Top 40 radio. If someone says that they don't like this album, chances are they haven't been listening to good music.
This album is an influence of Pop,Soul,Jazz,R&B,and House. The female vocalists on the selected tracks are quite simply amazing. It irks me to know that these artist don't get recognized for their talent,and meanwhile Mariah Carey gets the record deals for sounding like a cat in heat. Producer Jay Denes' songwriting is soulful,heartfelt,and sexy. If you are expecting thumping house tracks or fast-beat techno, then this album is not for you. It was so refreshing to listen and NOT hear any of that. The vibe of Beautiful Tomorrow is extremely sexy,laid-back, and soulful, there are no other words to describe it. I did like the fact that there was a recurring theme throughout the tracks and that some of the same songs get re-worked.
Beautiful Tomorrow is for a listener with a bit more of a sophisticated ear. It's an album for those nites when you're having friends round for cocktails or getting ready to go out. But it's especially effective on those nites in front of a fire with someone to cuddle up with and enjoy the Music and Wine.

Jay Denes is a genius. This CD exemplifies the mellow yet sexy, jazzy, lush, deep house vibe that defines the Naked Music sound. Not since 4AD in their prime has a record lable released such consistently excellent work. The sultry, varied vocalists keep things extra sensuous and interesting. Contrary to another review, the production on this CD is absolutely pristine, very clean sounding, and exquisitely minimal/elegant. Denes will probably attract much attention from some big names (e.g., Madonna who suppposedly is a Naked Music fan) with this release. Hopefully their recent Astralwerks distribution deal will give Denes & company the exposure they deserve. Until the next Rurals, Los Amigos Invisibles, or Nude Dimensions 4 CD comes out, this has got to be the best dance release so far this year.

I'm a big fan of the Nude Dimension CD series from Naked Music and love most of the stuff that Lisa Shaw, Miguel Migs, Bruno Ybarra, or Jay Denes is involved with. The combination of bass, deep groove beats, well-placed samples, and sultry-silky vocals on this album are fantastic. Some of the songs on this album have become well-known deep house tracks; specifically "Music & Wine", "Sweeter Love", and "Pure", the latter being one of the most recognizable works of producing per the genius of Miguel Migs (See Nude Dimensions Volume 2).

Sometimes however, when you are at the top of the hill expectations of you are lofty and the critics watch every move you make. With that said : 4 stars at the max. Some of the tracks on this album that could have used a little extra work; it's like either they rushed it or didn't get creative enough to add that extra little special something to make the original tracks really something over the top. It is my opinion that there are several other remixes of most of these songs that are much better than the original versions. This album is great for those first beginning to experience the sounds and grooves of "deep house" music. The overall vibe is *very* soulful. All the female vocals are sultry. The tracks are silky smooth with my favorites being "Music and Wine (Teksoul Dub)" [#3] and "Sweeter Love" [#4], but even then those tracks don't quite live up to the later versions of them. This a "naked" album but something feels like it's wearing a tiny piece of clothing which is holding it back from being truly "nude".

(POSTSCRIPT: After giving this album some more time to truly sink into my skin the words "deep, sexy, and soulful" are dead-on. The first 5 tracks: outstanding. Don't expect the same Nude Dimension sound you are accustomed to. Contains a few house vibes to fill a dance hall, this is an "deep" original and must be respected as such. If you prefer remixes Nude Dimensions Volume 1 and 2 will serve you better. One of my top 10 personal favorites for 2002, it had a big influence on me [10/10/02]. Big ups and respect to Jay Denes.)

This is a great album that you won't get tired of even if you play it over and over again. Very catchy - smooth but never bland. Most all my CD collection goes into my iMac. iTunes plays songs randomly on my stereo from my mixes (like my very own radio station), and when a Beautiful Tomorrow song comes up it still makes me stop and notice "that's a really great song." This is one of my favorites to play in the car. The vocals are catchy, beautiful and unadulterated and the music will make you want to dance.

I'm not a big fan of most house music, disco or jazz straight up, yet somehow this Blue6 blend takes the best of each one and leaves out what I don't like. A lot of jazz doesn't have enough energy and isn't catchy enough for me. Most house music is too repetitive and artificial (blatantly electronic) for my taste - I do love dance grooves. That's why I didn't care so much for clips from Thievery Corporation - too obviously electronic. Nuspirit Helsinki is similar to this album in lots of ways but it doesn't seem colorful enough either. I just listened to some clips from Carte Blanche 3 and want to give it a try. Of all the "mood music" I've listened to the blend in Beautiful Tommorow is just right (Miguel Migs' "Colorful You" ties for my other top favorite in this category).

I like everything from dance pop (Kylie Minogue, Anastacia) and rock (July for Kings, 3 Doors Down, Seven for the Sun) to neo-soul and contemporary R&B (Jaheim, Jill Scott, india.arie, D'Angelo). Anything with a funky rhythm is great. If you're looking for mood music and have similar tastes in music, you definitely want to check this out.

I was hesitant to even listen to this cd, even after hearing samples on Amazon. But yesterday I finally popped it into the player and decided to just open my mind and my ears. It wasn't long before I felt myself relaxing and slipping away. All troubles melted. Even rude drivers and heavy traffic didn't disturb the groove I was feeling while this was in the player.

To get the most out of this cd, you have to just not make yourself think too much. I disagree with everyone who says the tracks aren't varied enough. You're not listening... or maybe you're trying to force something that truly isn't there. I take the cd for what it is. It's a cool mix of downtempo/chillout music that's good for just about any occasion. It would make great background music, especially if you want the lounge vibe to show up at your next gathering. I would highly recommend this cd to anyone who just wants to relax and as others have said, get away from the fast-paced house/techno/deep house vibe. Although I love all of that house and so much more, it's hard to find a cd that invites you to relax and just be. This cd is it.

Go get it. You won't be disappointed. Happy listening.

It's been well worth the wait to finaly hear a full record from Blue Six. Enough has been said about the label and the acts, but this is something special here. The whole album is superbly produced, played, and performed. The vocalists are class (who can argue against Lisa Shaw?) and the musicians are on top of their game (bass expert Dave and guitar slick-lick Mark deserve recognition here). Add the sensory imagery (and studio-wizzardry)of Jay and you, well, get the picture. This album starts off with a smooth vibe that's tough to resist. You kow things are for real when you hear "Life can be hard". I must admit I am taken away by the message and poetry in the lyrics (even when tracks like Pure and Music and Wine were known in "advance"). Many say this is deep house and r&b and all that (and I'm not gonna disagree), though it's hard to miss the influence of Slide Five, the vibes of the Rurals, and the expert production of Martin Iveson.

I first heard of this group on a Nude Tempo Comp. I was taken by the soulful voices, the mellow jazzy undertones and most of all its ability to force you to dance.Many House music listeners are seeking a CD that is not pop or techno based.This is one CD that has been played in several Poetry Houses, and is in heavy rotation at Dozens of house parties and several clubs. I will tell you now it is for a sophisticated audience that does'nt have to wait for the alcohol to set in to get them dancing.

I bought this cd back in 2002 and can say that its still one of my favorite cd's ever. Music and Wine, Lets do it together, Pure are just a few of the cuts that stand out and show why Naked Music is for real. Picture relaxing with friends, listening to music, having a drink and not a care in the world. Thats what this cd is.