Customer Reviews

Black Diamond

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After many years of being behind the scenes in the music business as a songwriter, background singer, and front woman of the critically acclaimed but now defunct R&B group Vertical Hold, Angie Stone shines like a star on her debut CD "Black Diamond".

It is a joy to finally hear true R&B music that you can groove to without all of the booty-slaps, hoochie references and nasty lyrics that most artists today believe are necessary. Miss Stone bares her soul on this album with beautiful lyrics and downright funky rhythms.

Even though she samples from Gladys Knight on "No More Rain (In This Cloud)", she molds the song around lush harmonies and utilizes the sample to great effect. Certain rappers/producers should take note: This is how you sample a song!

"Life Story", "Everyday" and "Bone 2 Pick" are also strong cuts which all show how she can mix elements of old school with new school with astounding ease and effect. She pays tribute to legends like Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight while keeping up with contemporaries Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo.

This is definitely a CD that you do not want to miss out on. A Classic!

The first time that I heard Angie Stone's song, NO MORE RAIN, I was automatically drawn to her soulful, breathtaking, and beautiful lyrics and voice. It was that song that drove me to buy her album, not knowing how her other songs would sound. I did have a feeling inside, though, that it would be a good album and I was right. While listening to her songs, it just gives you a beautiful, relaxed feeling on the inside with her soulful, head bopping beats. Her voice is just amazing and I would recommend this album for everyone to own.

If there is one Soul or R&B album you have to get this year make it this one by Angie Stone. This album would have you listening to it over and over and over and over again. I not going to single out any particular track because they are all very good. Most people might have heard the hit single "Life Story", like them this was the track that got me to notice Angie Stone for the first time. So when I checked out the reviews I was impressed by what other people said about the album, so I quickly went out and bought it. Well this album will have you experience real soul music the way it is suppose to. This is the bomb!!! A five star.

This CD is worth any amount of money you pay for it. Yes, she may have snatched a few beats from a couple of originaters, but think about it, WHO HASN'T! Artists of today can't do what R&B creators did back in the day. They can't make there own beats and create ther songs without some type of influence. Angie Stone's "Black Diamond" is one of my favorite CDs because it is mellow and smooth. Every song in the CD has a beat to it that you could just nod to. To be honest, at first I really didn't like this CD. But as I listen to it more often, I began to feel the beats. Anyways, what I am trying to say is, is that if you haven't purchased this CD yet, you need to do so now.

When I first purchased Black Diamond, I had heard "no more rain" & loved it! The Gladys Knight sample was nice! I was intrigued by the clarity & depth of Angie's voice & wanted more. WHen I bought the cd, I put it in & just let it play & you cannot do that with most of the R&B out today. Too many fillers, skits & plain garbage. I was very pleased with Black Diamond & have recommended it to many many people. IT AS A WHOLE IS A VERY BOLD STATEMENT OF ARTISTIC FREEDOM & INDEPENDENCE ALONG WITH SOME FEMINIST EMPOWERMENT, SOUTHERN CHARM AS WELL AS OLD-SCHOOL, FUNKY VOCAL BLESSINGS. GO COP THIS CD!

I've been loving this album for months and I keep hearing how angie stone's music sounds like this or that other contemporary r&b or soul artist, some with terrific afros (macy gray, grenique, n'dambi) and some without (erykah badu, maxwell, d'angelo). some of them make great music, too, but angie stands alone right now, on a sublime level of deep, to-the-core-of-you soul music based on vocals, hooks, and bass, like they used to make in the sixties and seventies. this woman has made a work of art so felt, so powerful and fierce and full of light and hurt and strength and hard-earned joy, and so fully, imcomparably musical - it deserves to be recognized for the unique record it is.

Unfortunately I cannot give any artist who makes use of samples as much as Miss Stone 5 stars although I feel that she has really created something truly original and satisfying with her use of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye music to name just a few of the artists that were sampled.

Part jazz, part fusion, part soul... it's great listening.

It's definitely a must have album but let's not go too far in our praise for work that is not entirely original.

Angie stone reminds me of one of those old school R&B divas circa 60's-70 's soul. Singers who could really sing and who realy had soul when the did. On Black Diamond Angie Stone delivers with a very soulful, funky if not always innovative debut. Black Diamond has some real strengths on it. The first song and single No More Rain in this cloud is one of the strongest singles, which cleverly uses a clever Gladys Knight and the Pips sample. Everyday sounds like it was a cut left off of D'angelo's brown sugar album. To me that is BD's strongest single. It's know suprise to see that the modern day prince had a part producing it. Too bad D didn't produce any more tracks on BD. Other strong tracks are Visions of you, Life story, Bone to pick and Love junkie. hese song more than make up for some of the weaker ones. While there are NO bad sogs on BD there are a couple that have been done better by others. Trouble man was a nice try but Angier simply doesn't have the charisma to pull off a remake of it convincingly. Heavan help me is a pretty good song only it was done better by Lenny Kravitz on his are you going my way CD. Thes small coplaints aside this is a very good album from a promising new artist who I believe is here for a while.

With the lame teen pop dominating the popular music scene these days, I've gone elsewhere to find quality music. Having bought and enjoyed discs by Macy Gray and Mary J. Blige, Angie Stones' "Black Diamond" breaks from the pack and establishes herself as Queen of the Neo-Soul movement. The production, vocal arrangements and track sequencing are seamless. Sounding like equal parts Roberta Flack and Chaka Kahn it won't be long before Stone is a household name. The street buzz on this cd is incredible. Love "Visions" "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" and the awesome cover of Marvin Gayes "Trouble Man". You go girl -- I'll buy any and everything you put out as long as it holds up to this standard!

Hmmmmm, I know alot of you are probably thinking by now, Why in the hell does it sound like D'Angelo? To answer that question: she co-written "Jonez In My Bonez" on his debut "Brown Sugar". This has got to be one of the rarest occassions that a CD this good, does not get the props that it deserves. "Visions", "Everyday", and "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" is living proof that Angie Stone can definately hold it on her own. "Black Diamonds And Blue Pearls" is a very striking interlude that she has dedicated to her daughter: too bad this was not a song as well. This is a MUST HAVE in your personal collection...SDeez