Customer Reviews

C.K.

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With songs penned by Prince, accompaniment by the likes of Stevie Wonder, the late Miles Davis, and George Benson, the one-and-only Chaka Khan displays her magnificent range and emotion on this eclectic blend of various styles, from funk to jazz to pop standards.

The best cuts are a cover of Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", an obvious attempt to recycle the sales of her earlier "I Feel For You", and the two jazzier numbers "End of a Love Affair" and "I'll Be Around".

One of life's (or at least the music industry's) "mysteries" is why this was not a bigger seller for the singer. Her label just didn't appreciate the talent that it had, obviously opting to push younger, and, without a doubt, less-talented artists.

She, and all of her fans, deserved better.

Track listing and times:
1. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours - 4:48
2. Soul Talkin' - 4:18
3. It's My Party - 5:12
4. Eternity - 4:03
5. Sticky Wicked - 6:57
6. The End of a Love Affair - 5:12
7. Baby Me - 4:06
8. Make It Last - 4:47
9. Where Are You Tonite - 4:56
10. I'll Be Around - 5:20

What does a 16 year old know anyway? Well, what my dad told me about Chaka Khan and Rufus...so deal okay? :) I liked this album, personally I thought it was a teensy bit better than "I Feel For You". "CK" ushers in some huge talent like Prince, Miles Davis, Brenda Russell, Stevie Wonder & George Benson among others to contribute to this underrated album. My favorite track off of this album will have to be "End Of A Love Affair" Chaka belts this one out beautifully and George Benson backs up wonderfully. "It's My Party" is well.."party like" while Stevie's "Sign, Sealed, Delivered" is fresh and witty. The Purple One, Prince makes two "guest" apperances on "Sticky Wicked" and "Eternity" (which I liked- I also heard Sheena Easton did it before Chaka). "Soul Talkin'" is soul driven with some scat by Bobby McFerren (I liked this one as well). "Where Are You Tonite?" has a jazzy feel to it with a soul twist and "Baby Me" has a rock vibe to it with some sultry lyrics attached. This is a good album to own and to listen to any old time, Chaka never dissapoints me and this little number didn't dissapoint.

Its a shame this album didn't catch on in 1988 because it has some great tracks and great musicians. In 1988 the New Jack Swing era had just begun and this album got lost in the shuffle. Notable guest appearances from Stevie Wonder (on harmonica), Bobby Womack, Bobby McFerrin, Prince, and Miles Davis. The killer tracks are Its My Party, Sticky Wicked, Soul Talkin', and Baby Me. The album's centerpiece is the haunting Prince tune Sticky Wicked which features Miles Davis on trumpet. This song tells the tale of a drug addicted mother who is so strung out she doesn't recognize her own daughter.

After the overkill production of 'Destiny' Chaka Khan knuckles down with a leaner,smoother and therefore funkier set
of songs.On the Prince pend horn funk of "Sticky Wicked" Khan tries her expert hand at rap and on a cover of "End Of A Love Affair" she tries to pull off Billie Holiday's beaten,defeated
vocal style yet comes off much nicer.And on cuts like "Soul
Talkin'","Make It Last" and the grooving "It's my Party" she
shows as savvy that proves even during Chaka's own personal
crisis with coming off of drugs and dealing with a teenage daughter her independant flair still comes off nicely.

...I must be a true Chakaholic. Want evidence? Well, I can tell you how great this album is not just 'cause of yvette stevens' background overdubs, but it's the only thing I know of with both Prince and the late great Miles Davis on one track--"Sticky Wicked(t)"; the songtress extraordinaire Brenda Russell lends a hand in penning "Baby Me", the Isleys w/ Angela Winbush does a Rufus-ish "Make It Last", there's Stevie's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" where it's eerily like the original (Khan on background when Stevie originally did it...? If she was there, she ain't tellin'..), and the top 20 hit "It's My Party"--no, not like the Leslie Gore one. Then, last but not least, the Paisley One joins our heroine Chaka again for "Eternity". At the risk of sounding like a cyberstalker, suffice it to say I love the woman. She's simply addictive.

This is a very, very good cd. Chaka has some heavy weights guest starring on this one. George Benson, Prince, Miles Davis, Brenda Russell and Bobby McFerron. She covered two jazz standards and they are very nice, especially I'll Be Around, which I believe is a dedication to Billie Holiday. Chaka's grandmother listened to that song when Chaka was a lil' Chaka. What a beautiful interpretation she does! I also like Soul Talkin' and Where are You Tonite-it showcases Chaka's ability to sing in a lower register than she normally sings. I don't think this cd sold well, but trust me, it is worth purchasing and it stands the test of time.

At this point, it's probably safe to say that it's damn near impossible for Chaka Khan to make a BAD album, and I don't want people to think that I'm saying that about this album, because I'm not. However, it does come as a bit of a letdown following the greatness of "I Feel For You" and "Destiny" which are probably two of the most robust soul/funk albums of the 80s, as well as arguably being Chaka's two most worthwhile achievements. While it does have its share of OK songs, the heart and soul of Chaka just doesn't seem to be in it the way it was before, lacking a solid, sensual slow jam like IFFY's "Through The Fire," and the uptempo numbers don't quite pack the same vocal punch the title track from IFFY, or Destiny tracks "Love Of A Lifetime" and "It's You." She does show a smoky, jazzy sensuality on "The End Of A Love Affair" and "I'll Be Around," but unfortunately, those two songs don't sound at home alongside the other material on this album. Not a terrible album, but there are other, better places to start if you want a truly satisfying helping of what this great lady of soul has to offer.

I was excited when i actually recieved this album and got the chance to listen to it fully. I think this album is excellent and some of the best work that she's done yet. Sticky wicket was awesome. It's my party is a pretty good funky track as well. I watched an interview on youtube when chaka was talking about this album she stated that she didn't know why this album didn't sell as well. She said that consumers might have thought it was too diverse. And I agree i think that Jazz ballads really don't mix well with Prince type funk music. That's why i gave this 4 stars instead of 5. I think it's good but certainly not her best. Overall, this is an extremely enjoyable album.

Chaka Khan is unique in that some of her albums have a sub-theme of one certain genre of music. 1986's "Destiny" could be considered Chaka's "rock" album; 1984's "I Feel For You" could be Chaka's "dance" album. 1988's "C.K." would then have to be considered Chaka's "jazz" album, not only because there are two jazz songs on the album, but because of the general sound of some of the songs on the album. Not every song is jazz influenced, but many of the songs feature jazz elements. Through the songs "Eternity," "Where Are You Tonite," and "Soul Talkin,'" the harmonies are dissonant and instrumentation is scarce. Two of the songs ("End of a Love Affair," "I'll Be Around") are Billie Holiday classics, but Chaka made them her own with her "blaring" voice and special guests such as George Benson on guitar and Miles Davis on trumpet.
Me not being much of a jazz fan, the jazz cuts are not my favourite. I love the 1980's R&B and Pop songs that became hits on the R&B chart--"It's My Party" and "Baby Me." "It's My Party" is not a cover of Leslie Gore's hit, but an original song written by Linda and Cecil Womack. The percussion is instantly catchy during the choruses. "Baby Me" is the sexiest on the album, featuring a longing bass line; it sounds like it could easily been played on Quiet Storm stations. "Soul Talkin'," featuring Bobby McFerrin, was also a single, though it did not chart on the R&B charts. It takes a while to grow on you, as there's not any one certain thing that really jumps out at you. The instruments and the voices eventually come together to produce a semi-memorable if not catchy song. Chaka's cover of the Stevie Wonder classic "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" updates it for the '80's, featuring Steve on harmonica. I just wish Chaka would use better diction when she sings.
The only dud on the album is Prince's nearly-7 minute "Sticky Wicked," once again featuring Miles Davis on trumpet. It's not catchy, it sounds weird, and it goes on too long for my taste. ("Eternity" was another Prince composition, but was previously recorded by Sheena Easton. It's far better, with a mysterious melody and a sensual beat.)
This is generally a more subdued album by Chaka, but one of her better ones. Largely forgotten on the pop charts, it has a certain credibility that other more commercial albums lacked. It once again shows the diversity of Chaka Khan's music that many other artists don't show as easily.

Just look at Diana Ross' or Aretha Franklin's discography: when a great Soul/R&B singer names for the zillionth time an album after herself, chances are that a bomb is gonna come.
It's sad but true: even a hugely talented and gifted vocalist can fail if the material she's offered to record is - to say something nice - mostly ordinary. Chaka Khan rarely writes her own songs, and she's not always lucky enough to receive fine material to work upon. A team of top producers - including Prince and R. Titelman - and a lot of machines and silly synthesizers give birth to a strange, DATED video-game alike sound that otherwise makes the songs in this album sound like the soundtracks of low quality cartoons. One of the best tracks here is opener `'Signed, sealed, delivered - I'm yours'', a cover of Stevie Wonder's classic (with him playing his fine harmonica here too) which, despite of the silly programming and Tiny Toons arrangement, received a very powerful, expressive vocal arrangement from Chaka, full of her typical colours, melismas and superposed vocals. But remember: it's still a 70's STEVIE WONDER song, and it could not be that bad anyway, although it's not one of her best performances. Two covers of standards (''The End Of A Love Affair''*, with Chaka's superb, flexible vocals and `'I'll be around'') find themselves out of place in the record, and the rest of the tracks is made of so ordinary fillers that even Chaka's phenomenal voice wasn't able to rescue them. To be avoided, unless you are a Chaka completist. [*also included on Chaka's hits compilation `'Epiphany''].