Customer Reviews

Can't Never Did Nothin

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The industry might have found refuge is Joss Stone's revival of sweet soul stemming from a couple of decades and withering away when popular music started to take itself too seriously. The thing is, Joss Stone's covers and album and debut both deliver soul music that treads safely between genre lines without being to forceful.
Enter Nikka Costa, a Joss Stone before there ever was one. Costa's interested have always been in soul and never meandered into radio-pleasing territory. Even when she unwisely opened for Britney Spears to promote her insurmountably funky Everbody Got Their Something, she admits that the difference between them is like "day and night."
Now catering closer to her fan base as the opener for Lenny Kravitz, Costa is back with her vintage funk and bottomless soul on Cantneverdidnothin'. Dropping the loud "I Don't Think We've Met" from her track list after an early internet leak, the album still is unhurt by this discard. Starting out with the equally thrash "'Til I Get To You," where she alphabetically cites all her lovers until she gets to...you guessed it. Then she continues this heavy rage with the title track before slipping into the more soulful "Fooled Ya Baby."
The album never dwindles, but there are definite standouts. In this case they came following each other. "Happy In The Morning" is an cheery little soul ditty that steals the show and "Hey Love" is a gloomy lullaby that exudes pure emotion.
Other tracks include the lonesome "I Gotta Know," where Costa fuses simple lyrics with a lingering melody, and a rendition of Nina Simone's "Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter" with adequate use of a sitar.
"Around The World" starts out sinister but then delves into a groove and refused to be filler considering it mid-set location. The lyric "Don't let it get you down, baby" stands out in sincerity."
Costa rounds off this amazing set with a heart-wrenching patriarch on "Fatherless Child," which then becomes the bonus track "Sugar In My Bowl." This perfectly closes the album and proves Costa is a talent of our times. Even as Joss Stone marvels in her fame, the true soul crown goes to Costa, who, unlike her counterpart, does not sugar coat anything. This is a must for anyone who have a greater appreciation for soul or funk music.

Wow.. it's taken Nikka Costa a LONG time to bring us the follow-up to her 2001 break-out album "Everybody Got Their Something". Who can forget "Like a Feather", that irresitable dance-along from that album. Nikka Costa, a funkier version of Janis Joplin, took her time, and with good results.

"can'tneverdidnothin'" (11 tracks plus 1 "hidden" track, 45 min.) can generally be divided up in 2 sides: the harder, funky tracks, and the slower 'ballads'. The album starts off with a blast, "Till I Get To You" (first single), and follows with an equally blazing title track. "Fooled Ya Baby" is a great ballad. Things kick up again later in the second half, with "Swing It Around", and even better the all-out stomper "On & On". The album closes with 2 'ballads', including the great "Fatherless Child". The hidden track is a departure from the rest of the album, just a short, jazzy-feeling song.

It amazes me that this album has not gathered more attention than is has (which is basically none) since its release now almost 2 months ago. I suspect that the absence of a readily radio-friendly track similar to "Like a Feather" plays a big role. What a shame. This is a fine album. Maybe not as great as "Everybody Got Their Something", but still better than, say, 90 percent of albums released these days...

Seperate from that, Nikka Costa is an awesome live act. I've seen her in concert once, and she electrified the audience, giving her all. If you have a chance to see her live, don't miss it!

Forget mistermaxxx's review. Teena Marie is not someone Nikka Costa is trying to be, she has always been her own artist and it shows in this album, featuring a wide range of styles that a lot of artists I feel are lacking these days. If you want heartfelt, it's here. There's passion, there's pain, and if you want rock, you got some of it here. I for one to not feel she is trying or struggling to be someone else, for she is herself and you can hear it here.

I'll say it again. Wow. I dunno how I missed this girl - but I've got an excuse...

After gorging on free music during my very own High Fidelity period (circa 1991 - 1998), I purged myself of most of my CD collection and swore off buying any new albums over the intervening years. I discovered that even a few hundred CD's are a pain in the butt to pack and move, and - crazy - the damn things are EXPENSIVE. I won't listen to the tripe played on the radio, and other than the odd gift of an album here and there, I never really thought I'd get back into music.

And then my girlfriend goes and gives me an iPod for Christmas. Man. That quick, and I was addicted again. Thought I'd kicked the habit. Guess not - Since the end of December I've crammed that little gizmo with about 2500 songs.

So - to Nikka Costa's can'tneverdidnothin' (and I might as well include her first CD, Everybody Got Their Something, too, since this has become more of a recommendation than a review). On impulse, after reading the rave reviews posted here, I bought both discs. Can't really explain why - I rarely believe the hype about anything. And besides, the cover of Costa's first CD (where she's in a skimpy skirt, posing, swishing her butt and her swinging her head around) was just waaay to Britney Spears for me, and the cover of can'tneverdidnothin', with her wind-blown hair, wasn't any better. The thing has freakin' butterflies on it. Butterflies! Oh, Man. Seeing these CD's on a rack in a record store would not have led me to impulse buys.

But I listened to y'all; listened to a couple of the posted samples, and took a chance. Let me say, I don't quite get the Joss Stone comparisons that are flying around. I know, I know - they're both young white girls belting out what is traditionally black music, but that's as far as any similarities go. Their style's and chosen music genres are completely different. Stone is oriented in more traditional soul and R&B reworked for the teen set; where as Costa is the wild child -- a '70's blend funk and rock; some crazy mix of the Mary Jane Girls and Janis Joplin, sprinkled around the edges with some AC/DC. If I had to compare the two, I'd say that Joss Stone's voice is the purer instrument - I'd much rather sit down and listen to her stand there and sing, boring stage presence and all, but her good-girl image just ain't my style. It's Costa's balls-out funkalicious grooves that get me going.

It's something like taking the sweet homecoming queen to the prom, and then secretly getting seduced by her crazy, hot older sister after the party.

If you've been hemming and hawing about ordering this album, trust us. Really - would we lie to you? Go on, buy the disc. You know you want to. All I can say is that I'm jealous of those of you who've seen Costa live, and thank God for my iPod. Now I don't have to choose between discs - I can combine both of Costa's albums and plug the 'Pod into my car stereo, roll down the windows and do the white-boy headbob while I groove all over town.

"Can'tneverdidnothin'" is a surprisingly great album. I put off listening to her album for months because I feared that Nikka would fall victim to the sophomore slump that seems to nab most artists. She hasn't. What's better is that she perfects the eclectic mix of rock/funk/and soul style that she and her Australian hubby initiated on her first solo album.

Every song on here is good and will have you either singing along or dancing. Not only that - her lyrics are fun, gritty, sexy, honest, and at times humorous. I really could relate to this album. At times, I felt as if she were singing pages out of my own life. "Happy in the Morning" reminds me a lot of the old time soul/funk (and Prince's style) that would play in the early 1980s. (Prince contributed and produced some of the songs on this album btw.) I also loved "Swing it Around," "Fooled Ya Baby," and "Can'tneverididnothin'" The only song that's been ruined for me was the first one, "Till I get to You," and only because CBS decided to use it for the commercials of Jenna Elfman's new show. Now I can't listen to that song without thinking of her stupid dancing. Beh.

Nikka hasn't gotten her just dues as an artist. I love Joss Stone and I believe she's highly talented. The only thing that really saddens me is that Nikka who superceded Joss on the music scene earlier received little, if any notice. I agree with a previous reviewer who stated that Joss' first album (of remakes,) were good, but were "safe" choices compared to the artistic chances that Nikka took on her own record. Both singers are soulful, but whereas Joss is limited to a softer, soulful edge in many of her songs, Nikka's range of expression is dynamic.

Nikka's a powerful singer and sings in the same vein as Janis Joplin did. Mind you she doesn't SOUND exactly like Joplin, she just has a similar style. Nikka can do so many musical styles well, it's mindboggling. Not only can she do rock, funk, soul, and the blues well, she mixes them to create a unique, individual style. If you prefer singers lean toward r&b/soul/pop/ softer edge, then Joss is for you. If you like someone who can hit the notes harder, then Nikka's for you.

But to be honest, maybe if Nikka stays "less popular" she'll remain a good artist. And perhaps, she won't fall victim to the curse of commercialization which seems to ruin the creativity and individualistic spark that remains in true artists.

So, Nikka Costa can sing. As in "Kelly Clarkson and X-Tina eat your hearts out" sing. She emotes, she wails, she occasionally shrieks, she pours herself into every note. She's funky, she's soulful, she's sexy, and she takes no prisoners. Although she does melancholy well, I like her best when she's joyful, which is why "Around the World", "Happy in the Morning", and the exuberant opener "Till I Get To You" are my favorite tracks. I'm smiling. My ass is shakin'. I'm feelin' you, Ms. Costa.

Nikka and her band & producers kick a**. It's easy to set out to do a great R&B/Funk/Rock album, but it's very hard to achieve what Nikka has achieved in her previous album and this one. The fact that they wouldn't release it until it met their high standards speaks volumes. I really hope she gets the attention she deserves. She may be hurt somewhat by the fact that her style doesn't necessarily fit into FM station's tight cautious playlists. But other acts have made it to the big time without the aid of radio. Since the word is she's mind-blowing live, that may be all she needs. Excuse me, I'm now going to kneel down and pray that Nikka breaks big time -- good music has to win in the end, doesn't it??

I didn't know people were still making music like this.
If there were more smart people in the world,Nikka would have all the Grammy nominations that are bestowed on silly girls like Gwen Stefani & Mariah Carey.Til I Get To You actually has a drum solo-which right there tells you this is not your average everyday record.And Nikka Costa is not your average everyday singer.I dare any of these so-called divas of today to be able to sing a song like Sugar In My Bowl (which is a hidden track).
Funkier Than a Mosquita's Tweeter has one of the best horn arrangements I've heard in awhile.And I dare you to listen to the "Love Will Be Your Soldier" part of Around The World without your eyes getting a little moist.

When I first bought this CD, It seriously blew me out of the water! "Till I get to you" is a spectacular beginning to this album while "Swing it Around" and "On and On" takes it home But really, all of the songs rock! All Hail Nikka!

The album, most of it is fun and rocky. She still keeps the R&B sound going with the singing which is an unique combination. Although my father did not die, I can relate to the whole family disfunction thing and how hard that is. There is that song in which she screams and sounds like a little girl. It was cool because she sounds like a rock star. The only thing that is wrong is the title. What kind of grammar is that? Her other CD too had a similar grammar thing going. But overall, I thought this is actually the best album, very cool, fun.