Customer Reviews

A Beautiful World

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I first heard this album while driving around with some fellow R&B musicians. I love R&B and was getting bored with the watered down stylings of b2k and other bubblegum R&B singers/groups. Thicke releases a great album mixing all aspects R&B. Traditional,neo,light funk, and rock influenced soul are all mixed to create an excellent eclectic mix of music not short of genius. Thickes voice is smokey,and chilled.True he may lack range& power, but he constructs music to suit his thin voice. Thin does not mean bad, it means simple, it means he uses aspects that some power house singers don't. He just sings the songs, no ranting like R&B singers Beyonce` and other over the top "soul" singers, he hits solid notes. Which is truly refreshing, no frills just singing. What he may lack in range and power he makes up for in style and vibe.
This album is truly one of the best R&B/soul albums released in the last 5 years, and thats saying something.
If you like the stylings Lauryn Hill and Musiq you will like Thicke and his quaint artistry.

Equal parts funk/soul (think Stevie Wonder) and rock and roll (think the Beatles, namely John Lennon), Thicke defies classification. That doesn't go over too well in today's image obsessed, over-hyped "material world" (just ask Nikka Costa), but it makes for innovative music. He's an original, both a throwback to the 1970s and thoroughly modern, which adds to the charm of the album.

A long-winded run-down of the tracks: "Oh Shooter" recounts the true-life story of a bank robbery that he witnessed at 17. It's a great opener with a lazy, laid-back vocal style and insistent beats. "A Beautiful World" is probably the best song on the album. The lyrics are great, simple, complex and clever at the same time ("Everyone's skinny and overweight..."), and they work with his soaring falsetto. "Suga Mama" is my least favorite on the record. If I skip anything, it's that one, but the next one, "Flowers in Bloom" is a nice, sad song, a bit faster in pace than "A Beautiful World." The first single, "When I Get You Alone," didn't catch on to radio here, but it's great sample of "A Fifth of Beethoven." A few of the lyrics are a bit ridiculous, but it's a good song. "The Stupid Things" is a ballad that reminds me of John Lennon because it's more clever than deep. One of my favorites. "I'm A B Alright" is a great dance track. "Brand New Jones" has been stuck in my head for days. It's a catchy song reminiscent of classic funk. Another favorite. "Vengas Conmigo" is a latin flavored track with verses in Spanish. It's growing on me. I love "Flex." There's great guitar work, and the end feels like something from the 70's. "Make A Baby" is another one I'm not too fond of, but it's still a good song. The hook reminds me of the Beatle's "Revolution." I love the next one, "She's Gangsta." More clever lyrics and great beats. It's really funny. "Lazy Bones" is a more cynical/angst-ridden tune, while still upbeat. "Cherry Blue Skies" (the original title track before the album got pushed back about 100 times) closes nicely. It's a hopeful, pensive 9/11-inspired cut. Definitely something to think about.

It's definitely got a few weak points, but all-in-all this is an auspicious debut. Thicke wrote all of the lyrics (rather well, overall), and while they're awkward at times and overly ambitious, they top most other debuts (love you, Timberlake, but you wish you could write this well). He plays the piano, too. This man is too talented to get slept on. This is what real music should be, an unclassifiable blend of different styles that's cohesive as a whole. Where everyone else follows the trends of disillusioned teenage "punk/pop" (isn't that an oxymoron?), generic neo-soul, and way too much bling-bling and "murda" for my tastes, Thicke is a zebra in the world of tired, used-up horses with recycled beats and vapid lyrics. He's one of the few artist out now doing something interesting and deserves success.

When my friend first let me hear this album, I thought it was good, but to be honest I was not really impressed. It was not until some time later, when I saw his video, I think it was for When I Get You Alone, that i realized who he was and I had his album lying around the house. I listened to it again and the genius of this man hit me. To place this album in a category would be to do it injustice, so I will refrain from doing so (however, I have it in the neo-soul category on my computer). It defies categorization in my mind because of the range of genres containd herein, and how the music really plays a large part in how the lyrics are interpreted. Here is a track by track break down of what I think of each song.

Oh Shooter - 9.5/10 This song is performed in such a non-chalant manner that I at first assumed he was telling the story for someone else. After listening to the whole album, however, I surmised that it actually happened to him, but he was not afraid for one reason or another.

A Beautiful World - 9/10 Great falsetto. I love the simplicity of this song.

Suga Mama - 9.8/10 I believe the highest score should be reserved for the absolute best song, which is why this song doesn't get a 10. I like a couple of songs better. This song is brilliant, however; especially the bridge. Funky.

Flowers in Bloom - 9/10 I remember my sister told me one day that she couldn't listen to this song every day because it made her want to kill herself. Tongue-in-cheek comment, of course, but point taken.

When I Get You Alone - 9/10 Brilliant adaptation of the classic classical theme from Beethoven.

The Stupid Things - 10/10 I have a slight obsession with this song. Ok, it's not slight. This is a non-skip cd (play the whole thing without skipping any songs), but this song makes me skip forward and backward to hear it again and again. I'm learning to play the piano so that I can sing this song. (I'm a little off)

I'ma Be Alright - 9/10 Lighter themed song. Another falsetto hit.

Brand New Jones - 9.9/10 This is probably the best song on the album, but because of my obsession I have it rated lower than "The Stupid Things." This song is the best example of what I stated earlier, how the music helps to tell the story. I developed a theory about what he's talking about specifically in this song. Absolutely brilliant.

Vengas Conmigo - 9.5/10 Latin theme to this jam. He does a good job of capturing the essence of Latin music in this one.

Flex - 8.5/10 Fun song. Good combination of record scratching and electric guitars in the chorus. Well done.

Make a Baby - 8.5/10 Theme of this song is pretty straight forward (see song's title). Musically, this song reminds me a bit of the tv sitcom theme songs his father (Alan Thicke) used to write in the 70s and 80s.

She's Gangsta - 8/10 Probably the weakest song on the album, but stil a good one. Some good vocals on this track, especially with his ad-libs.

Lazy Bones - 9.5/10 Energetic song with good background vocals. Another song that I have a tendency to repeat because I just love the groove of this one.

Cherry Blue Skies - 9.3/10 He really shows off his falsetto on this one. He might hit the highest notes on the album in this song. Changes in tempo really limit the groove of this song, but it's still a strong ending to a great album.

Overall - 10/10. Go get it!

First let me say that this man is highly underappreciated. He has an outstanding voice that is often remeniscent of Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson and he write fabulous uptempo funky songs. One thing that I think is interesting about this cd is that it gets better as you listen to it. In my opinion the best songs are in the second half of the cd and the album kind of builds up to them, getting better and better. Here are the tracks: 1. OH SHOOTER: This track shocked me at first because Thicke sing the first verse in this drawl and I hoped that the whole cd wasn't going to be like that. Turns out he is recounting a bank robbery and kind of acting out the parts. This is a great uptempo track and is an extremely odd choice for the opening song. It is quite funky though. 2. A BEAUTIFUL WORLD: This song is very slow but very beautiful. It's kind of odd that it is placed where it is in the cd because it kind of drains the energy from the first track. It is a very pretty song though and one of only two ballads on the cd. 3. SUGA MAMA: This song is pretty cool. It's very catchy and I love the way that Thicke sings it. There is a very cool falsetto part towards the end that shows off Thicke's soulful voice. 4. FLOWERS IN BLOOM: This is a pretty sad, midtempo song. It's nice, but not one of my favorites. 5. WHEN I GET YOU ALONE: You may have heard this in commercials. I don't know why this single was so overlooked by radio. It samples "Fifth of Beethoven" and makes great use of it. This is a fun, uptempo, catchy song that will get stuck in your head. 6. THE STUPID THINGS: This is a beautiful piano ballad that can be quite funny sometimes. It's probably my favorite ballad on the cd and Thicke sounds great. 7. I'M A BE ALRIGHT: This has a real old school seventies sound to it and sounds really familiar to me. It's a fun uptempo song that is great to drive to in the summertime. 8. BRAND NEW JONES: This song will get stuck in your head for sure. The chorus is incredibly catchy and I can see this as a single. 9. VENGAS CONMIGO: This has a great latin feel to it and I love how he sings the verses. They are very catchy and cool sounding. For some reason this song is very funny to me. 10. FLEX: This song is very interesting and very guitar oriented. I love it and it is very funky. It definitely reminds me of the seventies. The guitar is the highlight. 11. MAKE A BABY: This song is very strange and Thicke sings it in a very interesting way. It's kind of like a departure from the rest of the album. It reminds me of a song that the Beatles would right. That is quite a complement I know! 12. SHE'S GANGSTA: This song is one of the highlights for me. It is quite sexual and very funny I think. The chorus is very cool and very catchy. the background vocals are very interesting too. 13. LAZY BONES: This is my favorite song and it is SO good. The beat is very very cool and kind of sounds like a marching band. When the guitar comes in it is heaven. It starts off with this amazing vocal hook and then just goes all over the place. It's kind of like a party inside the stereo. Trust me, this song will get you dancing. 14. CHERRY BLUE SKIES: This is a good closing song for the album and has a good message. It's uptempo until the chorus when it slows down. It's a good peace song which is always welcome. ~ lyrics included

It seems a bit funny to be reviewing this item years after it's released and of owning it. Thicke's music was honestly something that I had discovered while having nothing to do in a record store. Along with Boomkat, I picked up this CD, A Beautiful World. Thicke's vocal range and ability is absolutely amazing. I honestly wasn't expecting to like this cd that much but when I read the lyrics and then popped it in my CD player in the car I was hooked. His vocals flow over the music like velvet or silk. His writing is so interesting and honestly not like much I had heard when it was released until now, the present! I do enjoy his new project Evolution of Robin Thicke but I will admit I'll always enjoy ABW even more. This album is mixed with spanish splendor, to rock n roll to R&B groove to songs that just touch you. As wierd as some of the beats are on this CD, you can't help but to love them just as much! My favs are She's Gangsta-the lyrics are fanatstic and fun! I love Vengas Con Migo-the intro and lyrics are sexy and when the chrous comes in it grabs you and before you know it you're singing Spanish and you have no idea what ur singing about either! LOL...then of course Oh Shooter (even the updated version with Lil' Wayne isn't bad at all)...I'm 'A Be Alright(fun song and something u can really feel too) and finally Stupid Things(heartfelt and melodic) and then When I Get You Alone for the obvious reasons!!!! So in essence, I titled this review "Thicke All Around" because he is simply not one of those artist who is going to just fall flat and have one hit and his greatness be forgotten...so essentially he truly is Thicke...All Around...the voice, the artist, the musician, the man! :)

After listening to this cd I began to have mixed feelings about it. I mean I love that each and every song on this album is different from each other in a sense that there is a different aura for each song. It seemed like every other song was great but some of the songs on this album were just too out there or they had potential to be good but they didn't reach there potential. First of all, even though I'm not a singer in anyway, type, or form, I must say that it must have been pretty hard to make a whole album by employing his falsetto abilities. In my opinion Robin Thicke might be compared to Justin Timberlake just for the fact that there aren't to many White (Soulful/ Neo-Soul/R&B/.....) singers in the mainstream media and many people don't look beyond what they are presented with.

My favorite songs that are on this Album are Oh Shooter, A Beautiful World, Flowers In Bloom, The Stupid Things, I'm A Be Alright, Brand New Jones, Make A Baby, and Cherry Blue Skies. I believe all of these songs are very different and unique compared to each other, but these are the songs that stand out and make the Album.

Conclusion: If you are tired of the music that is presented to you in the Mainstream, you NEED to listen to "A Beautiful World." You may not like each and every song on this album. But I'm sure you will come across the songs that'll keep you hooked to Robin Thicke. This album is a BREATHE OF FRESH AIR because it is not like any of the music that is out there now. SINCE ROBIN THICKE ISN'T A MAINSTREAM ARTIST AND HE ISN'T IN THE LIMELIGHT LIKE OTHERS, YOU WILL FEEL LIKE YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON TUNED INTO THIS ALBUM.

I actually bought this disc about a year & a half ago, half listened to it and put it in my "to be listened to later" pile. I'd gotten the Remy Shand cd around the same time and made the deadly mistake of comparing the two artists and because I fell in love with Remy's music immediately, I felt like my purchasing Thicke's cd was a bust.

After reading a few of the reviews and truly listening to the cd in entirety a few times I've changed my opinion - it's a good debut. For those who have the disc and maybe didn't feel the music on a first listen, give it time. Personally I find that with a lot of "alternative r&b" music, I HAVE to listen to it more than once in order to truly appreciate the lyrics & music & also to try to get the message that the artist is trying to convey through the songs.

Thicke's musical influences are pretty obvious as I listened to the tracks - I heard a little Stevie, a little Prince, a little Beatles which is cool considering that his style of music falls within the "alternative r&b" (or neo-soul) if you like category. I enjoyed listening to this disc - his musical style & ability to mix different genres of music so successfully hopefully predicts that we will get to hear more music from this new talent.

The standout tracks to me are: SUGA MAMA, SHE'S GANGSTA, LAZY BONES, FLOWERS IN BLOOM, STUPID THINGS, FLEX, VENGAS CON MIGO & MAKE A BABY. Two other tracks that stood out for the music production but I found the lyrics unmemorable are: I'M A BE ALRIGHT & BRAND NEW JONES (probably over time and other listens, they'll grow on me too).

Thicke's vocal style is falsetto but he never strains above his ability but still manages to convey conviction in singing his songs - I don't find him to be as soulful as Maxwell but as I stated before, the mix of musical styles make this an interesting debut worth a listen.

For someone who listens to blues to world music to gospel to new age I love this album. Its just plain upbeat and creative.

ok, gotta admit, didn't quite like this one when i first put it in my stereo, but after 2 or 3 listens, it's definitely grown on me. thicke's style isn't quite like a lot of the stuff i hear on mainstream radio nowadays. he blends a variety of different genres into his music, from rock to blues to soul to dance, it's quite a versatile album. one thing i have to point out before i start reviewing the tracks is that my version is different (it's got more tracks) and for some reason i can't seem to find it on amazon but anyway, here's my two cents on each track:

1. Oh Shooter - 7/10 - k, didn't like this one at all when i first heard it, thought it was boring as hell, but that was when i didn't give it a chance. when i did i didn't think it was so bad. but still, not quite the best track i've ever heard, and it probably shouldn't have been the opening track for this album.

2. A Beautiful World - 7.5/10 - don't know why this wasn't included in the amazon version considering it's the title track. but yah, not so bad. nice soulful melody and vocals. again didn't like this one at first, but as time went by, it started to grow on me.

3. Suga Mama - 8/10 - pretty catchy song. like the beat of it, the hook. it's got a bit of funk to it as well. overall great track.

4. Flowers in Bloom - 8/10 - very pretty song.

5. When I Get You Alone - 9.5/10 - this song's the reason why i bought this album, it's probably the reason why most people bought this album. it's pretty self explanitory. great hook, great beat, can't ask for much more than that.

6. The Stupid Things - 8.5/10 - love this one as well. would've given it a 10 if some of the lyrics for the verses weren't so corny. "your scent is sweet like betty crocker bakes/ i'd love to have your cake and eat it too", i'm sure he could've tried a little harder than that. but overall the melody is beautiful, the chorus is great "and all the stupid things i do have absolutely no reflection on how i feel about you" now those are good lyrics. if he woulda just polished the verses up a bit i woulda given this one a 10.

7. I'm A Be Alright - 10/10 - i absolutely LOVE this one. my personal favourite track on the album. it's got a catchy guitar riff to it. it's an overall fun, soulful rock type song that makes you just wanna sing along with him. this one's definitely one of the highlights.

8. Brand New Jones - 8.5/10 - probably the most pop sounding track on this album. still pretty good though. catchy, danceable. love it.

9. Vengas Conmigo - 10/10 - LOVE the latin flare to this one. very catchy, love the hook on this one as well. another overall fun track that you'll just feel like dancing and singing to.

10. Flex - 9/10 - i think the thing that got me in this one is the rock feel to it. i love it when r&b singers incorporate a bit of rock into their songs. it always ends up being one of my faves.

11. Make A Baby - 9.5/10 - the hook reminds me of oldschool rock, like the beatles era (i'm not saying this song sounds like the beatles, it just reminds me of that era). lovin this one.

12. She's Gangsta - 7.5/10 - not the greatest song on the album, but hey, still pretty good.

13. Lazy Bones - 10/10 - really love this one, another fun beat, great hook, just overall awesome track.

14. Cherry Blue Skies - 8.5/10 - like the music to this one. the melody is pretty good.

overall pretty good album. the reason why i gave it a 4 instead of a 5 is because his lyrics, like some other reviewers on here say, needs a bit of refining. but if you don't really care about lyrics and mainly listen to music for the melodies and such, i'd say give this one a try and keep an open mind. it's a unique blend of a variety of genres and a solid debut album on thicke's part.

I actually enjoyed his 2nd CD before I bought this one. The 1st and 2nd is night and day difference between the two. This album gives more of a pop/rock tempo while the 2nd CD is warmer, smoother, and makes you think about those you may love more. "Beautiful World" is not a bad CD by far, but it gives a different vibe. If you are like me and listened to "Evolution" before "Beautiful World" you may not be too interested in Thicke's approach on "Beautiful World."