Customer Reviews

Born to Do It

5 star:		(183)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I'm officially on the train. I can't get this damn thing out of my mind. I wish I had it this together when I was 20.

The man's vocal talents are obvious; he can swing, sing, rap, and flow with considerable ease. What matters at the end of the day, of course, are the songs. On this score, CD gets an 8.5 out of 10 in my book.

Craig David already gets Kudos for simply being intelligent enough to recognize that good songwriting is the foundation of the house; his efforts in developing his skills in this area are quite manifest, and it is a beautiful thing to see somebody hungrily training and developing his talent.

Then it becomes a matter of execution. The production team on this effort has done a terrific job.

The best debut in years, and certainly the best R&B debut since Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite.

Never before have I been a fan of R&B. For some reason I've never been able to get into that genre, but Born To Do It is essential in anyone's collection, whether they think so or not. It's strange actually because the first time I saw the video on MTV for Fill Me In (the first single) I didn't like it. Then I saw CNN's Worldbeat do a segment on his unique sound and still I refused to pay any heed. Than one day I was skimming through the Virgin Megastore by my house and gave in to listening to it. Fill Me In came on first and I stood there expecting to move away at any moment, but lo and behold! the song just struck me confounded. I suddenly felt like moving my body to the infectous grooves. Than I skipped it to track two, Can't Be Messing Round, and found myself liking that even more. So by the time I reached track three, Rendezvous, and officially my favorite song, 7 Days, I took the headphones off and immediately bought it. Now I'm forever grateful for giving Craig David a second chance. I think the UK's idea of 2-Step-Garage is ingenious. Craig David fuses this sound with traditional R&B of course, but the song Rewind is a perfect example of this style with the constant intervening of drum 'n bass. If you like this concept than you should also check out these other bands which delve further into this sound rather than just sampling. Wookie and Artful Dodgers are prime sources for this new, refreshing sound. If only all R&B could sound even remotely as good as this. It would make a fan of me yet!

Other favorites include Walking Away, Time To Party, Booty Man, Once In A Lifetime, and, well.... I'm pretty much naming all the songs here so...

BUY IT!

Thank you.

Craig David is probably one of the finest artists they have in U.K...Born To Do It, his first album, won't certainly disappoint r&b fans..His music tackles more on relationships, parties,sex and uh, himself..(I read an article about Mel B commenting on his "Born To Do It"..She said that he always mentioned "Craig David, Craig David" on the album..He was self-centered alright, but his music counts)

So here are my fave tracks

1) Fill Me In- This is one of his nicest hits..It starts with a cool guitar playing and moves to a groovy beat.

3) Rendezvous- Sort of a slow jam..I love the chorus! Really cool track

4) Seven Days- The guitar playing is awesome..Great tune, interesting lyrics

5) Follow me- This is my fave love tune on the album

7) Walking Away- Wow, his vocal chords was impressive here.. Nice song about not minding the past and have to go on.. The track was kind of short though. (Barely 4 minutes!)

8) Time To Party- Good arrangement of the keyboards and the beat

12) Rewind- My fave track! Although at first, I can't understand the chorus, like, Ree-wind when the crowd say bo, selecta(?)...The Artful Dodger- Craig David team is a masterpiece.

I was starting to think that I'd never buy a CD again worthy of the title "CD I'd bring on a deserted island." He might be young, but he is so very talented. I don't think it is possible to be disappointed with this purchase. I've had the CD since 10/01 and I still can't stop listening to it.
Finally, something worth listening to!

Craig David's "Born To Do It" is definately an album that you can "re-ee-wind." Once I heard "Fill Me In" and it's garage-style beat/vocals, I had to scoop up the cd (based on that one song alone). And I wasn't disappointed. Craig David has a style all his own, and the funny thing is, he's a mainly a hip-hop artist. He's sort of like a British Usher or Chico DeBarge, and just as good. I didn't have to skip one song. It's amazing how you can pair a song-writing/singing 20-year-old with a sweet producer and get a such a solid album. My top 5 are very hard to call, but I'd say "Fill Me In," "Can't Be Messing 'Round," "7 Days", "Follow Me," and "Time To Party" (which is one of the sweetest uptempo numbers I ever heard. Craig shows he's not a shabby rapper also). And an honorable mention to the dj-esque "Rewind" (just what is an "inter selecta" anyway?). My complaints are pretty much the same as every one else's. First of all, he has a one-track mind, he mentions the same phrases quite a bit, and says his name at least once in every song (all of which are quite annoying). Also, the garage aspect of this album isn't too present on the album, but that doesn't bother me too much, because when I first bought the album, I didn't know what garage was. As far as R&B goes, it's one of the best albums I ever heard. This guy is a year older than me, and I think he's better than a lot of R&B acts on the radio today. And that's saying a lot. "Craig David... here's another one..."

Ever since I heard his awesome hit, "Fill me in", I was anxiouse to check into his album. For the most part, this album is filled with incredible party-style tracks with the incredible melody that only can be described as "Craig David style". The only let down is the consistency of the same sound with each song, and some songs sound a little incomplete, but only a few lack the spark of the other songs. If you loved "Fill me in", than this album, despite its slight downfall, is definitely worth the money! Some songs will give you goosebumps due to craigs funky cheery dancy background tunes with his unique melody. This album is definitely a unique, fresh style of hip-hop, and is worth picking up! Four stars, almost perfect, though a LITTLE-BIT incomplete ;)

Figured I'd expand my horizons and try something new. Mixed results.

Strengths: Craig David's voice is amazing, and the track "Fill Me In" is smooth. Many of the musical arrangements are terrific, as the acoustic guitar fits nicely on all the tracks. Clearly, David is talented. He is, as his album title states, born to do it.

Weaknesses: Lack of song-theme variation. In fact, it's non-existent. Every track is about Craig and the girl of his affections. Then again, when you're in your late-teens, you're not liable to talk about much else. Still, it gets old.

Also old is the "Craig David...one time" shtick. I only wish it were one time. It's more like fifty. Dude, I know who you are. Dropping your name like a hiccup chump is dumb, and it shows immense immaturity and even greater insecurity.

Overall, this isn't a bad disc. I was hoping for something a little more cerebral. Then again, this is an R&B album. If the goal is to "seal the deal" with that special lady friend lying on your bed, this is the ideal album.

I love this CD so much I had to get 2, one for my car and one for home. I know almost all the words to his CD. Without looking at the booklet ;) His voice is so unique and smooth. I've seen him in concert and you only get to hear %45 of his talent on the CD. He's so awesome in concert!
His voice is very unique, he can scat, sing, rap, very talented indeed. Here's my reviews.

1. Fill Me In - About fooling around with a girl next door when her parents are away. It's good but the radio has overplayed it. My fave.
2. Can't Be Messing 'Round - Resisting fooling around with another girl. Being faithful to his current gf. Makes you wanna get up and shake your booty :) My fave.
3. Rendezvous - A slower song about meeting a girl and daydreaming about what he's going to do with her. My fave.
4. 7 Days - Nice acoustics on this one. He meets a girl and talks about what they do over the week. My fave.
5. Follow Me - This one is a slow song. Not one of my faves.
6. Key to My Heart - Oh I really like this song, he sings about someone who left him and he wants her back because she has the 'key to my heart.'
7. Last Night - This one is a fine mix with a lil of his garage. About a girl he met the other night.
8. Walking Away - You just break up with someone? This is your song then. He walks away from all the troubles in his life. If you just broke up with someone then you can definately relate to this. Or if you're on the verge then you need to listen to this.
9. Time To Party - This one is ok, seems kinda pop but it's alright.
10. Booty Man - This one is unique, his voice makes me shiver on this one (in a good way.)
11. Once In A Lifetime - Did you fall in love with someone? Makes me reminsce about my first love or that 'once in a lifetime' love. Kinda like lean on me song showing you appreciate the other person.
12. You Know What - Takes a few seconds to get into this song. His voice continues to melt :)
13. Rewind - I like the mix w/ Artful Dodger. This is the first Craig David song that I fell in love with! Re-rewind and the crowd says bo selecta... ;)

Well I hope my review has encouraged you to go out and buy his CD! I would suggest you go see him in concert because he's amazing :)

"Craig David, this is how we do it. So come on!"

P.S. Usher has nothing on Craig David.. uh huh :P

A superstar in Britain, the elusive American popstar fame hasn't quite found Craig David yet. But don't bet on him staying unknown for long. His 14 track CD, "Born to Do It", blends all the components of traditional R&B with British 2-Step, bringing a new sound to America's ears. Craig is a teenage girl's fantasy- bad boy act ("7 Days", the second single from the album, talks about a week in the life of Craig- drinks on Monday to "making love by Wednesday" throughout the rest of the week), soulful voice and British accent. He's also a parent's least liked teenager (the song "Fill Me In" deals with next-door neighbors not approving of Craig and their daughter). This combination is obviously working in England, but will Craig find American stardom?? His CD, released in the summer of 2001, and current tour schedule (until late February-early March) hope to bring fans lining up to Craig's door.
"Born to Do It" is a cleverly crafted CD that covers all bases- gentleman, bad ...., player, lover, teenage boy, and more. Props to Craig for including "Rewind", his first big hit with the Artful Dodger, although the lyrics are hard to decipher, much less understand. While "Fill Me In" has recieved the most radio airplay, it's not the best track on the CD. Perhaps the songs that display the most appeal to listeners are "Walking Away", which deals with leaving someone you love, "Last Night", which is 100% smooth, "Rendezvous", and "You Know What". However, there is no song that truly makes the listener want to stop listening. They are all unique, and all have a distict sound and feel that screams "Craig David".
The only downsides to the CD are Craig's constant plugging of himself (yes, we know you're Craig David, and that you are a player, bootyman and cassanova), the use of particular phraes over and over (the word "Rendezvous", etc...), and the background music never sounds "live".
Despite these 3 problems, if you're looking for a CD you can play over and over again without getting sick of any song, and want to hear an artist before they become famous, Craig David's CD is for you.
2002 promises to be one of the most exciting years in this promising artist's life.

Craig David's debut CD is a good showcase for his undoubtedly fine voice,but I think his best is still to come yet. The singles Fill Me In ,Seven Days, Walking Away,and the Artful Dodger collaboration Rewind are definitely the strongest songs on this CD. This CD doesn't contain all that many garage tracks,instead posessing more of a light R&B feel to it,which I thought was a bit of a disappointment.I hope he includes some more garage-pop anthems on his next offering. Some tracks like Once In A Lifetime and You Know What can get a tad bit boring for my liking,but the brilliant Walking Away and the latin-tinged Seven Days display David's vocal dexterity at his best.Fill Me In is a catchy song with clever wordplay about how Mr.David gets it on with the girl next door. Rendezvouz is also a decent enough song showing the flexibility in David's voice. Bootyman is also a gentle track where David impresses with his vocal speed. Overall,a good album.I would actually give it 3.5 stars instead of 3.Its not hardcore R&B ,instead being an amalgam of various styles,which is just as well for me as I generally dont like R&B music that much.Not all the tracks are solid but nevertheless Craig David shows he has talent in abundance and hopefully should move on to bigger and better things.