Colour Me Free!

Joss Stone | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B002QR5XN4
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,052 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Free Me

2. Could Have Been You

3. Parallel Lines - featuring Jeff Beck and Sheila E.

4. Lady

5. 4 and 20

6. Big 'Ol Game - featuring Raphael Saadiq

7. Governmentalist - featuring Nas

8. Incredible

9. You Got The Love

10. I Believe It To My Soul - featuring David Sanborn

11. Stalemate - with Jamie Hartman

12. Girlfriend On Demand

13. Mr. Wankerman (Bonus Tracks)

Editorial Reviews

EU pressing of the 2009 album from Neo-Soul vocalist. Written and recorded at Mama Stones, Joss' mother's live music venue in Devon and produced alongside Jonathan Shorten and Conor Reeves, Colour Me Free is an eclectic mix of Pop, Soul, R&B, Funk, Hip Hop and Gospel sounds. Highlights include the lead single 'Free Me', a Pop song with an infectiously catchy chorus while 'Incredible' possesses a raw Funk sound. 'Could Have Been You' captures urban influences and 'You Got The Love' carries strong Gospel undertones. With guest appearances from Jeff Beck, Sheila E., Raphael Saadiq and Nas. 13 tracks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stone on a Roll..., November 2, 2009

By 

Nse Ette (Lagos, Nigeria) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Colour Me Free! (Audio CD)

The original album art for "Color me free" had Joss Stone as a mannequin tightly trapped in a small cage, a visual depiction of her discontent with her record company. Suffice it to say, her record label declined and what we get is this plain purple cover instead.

Thankfully, the music inside is rich and colourful, a continuation of the retro Soul sound on her last CD, and her emoting is more soulful (she did tend to overdo things a wee bit earlier in her career). Opening is lead-off single "Free me", a slice or Retro Soul. Similar is the delightful kiss-off "Could have been you" (which reminds me a wee bit of "Walk on by"), while the bouncy and the enchanting "Parallel lines" features Jeff Beck and Sheila E (and some wicked guitar playing and nice percussion). One of my favourites.

Other standouts include the ballads "Lady", "4 and 20" and the piano ballad "Girlfriend on demand". The upbeat "Big ol' game" features her rumoured boyfriend Raphael Saadiq. "Governmentalism" is a sprawling socially conscious epic featuring a rapped bridge from NaS. "You got the love" is a horn-peppered remake of the Candi Staton song (also recently covered by Florence & The Machine). "I believe it to my soul" is a Blues/Jazzy number featuring David Sandborn.

Standout, in my opinion, is "Stalemate", a duet with Jamie Hartman which appeared on his band Ben's Brother's album in 2008, explaining why he sings the first verse. His voice is soothing yet raspy in a Rod Stewart way, perfectly contrasting with Stone's Joplin-esque firepower taking over and making the song all hers.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A welcome return to form for the British songstress., November 20, 2009

By 

bollywood (Leeds, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colour Me Free! (Audio CD)

The 22 year-old British songstress is back after a two-year break with an interesting album.
Delayed for a year by a label with whom she has fallen into dispute, "Colour Me Free!" represents a return to the retro-soul style of Joss Stone's debut following the ill-advised attempts to squeeze her into the R&B diva mould.
With her previous offering "Intoducing...", Joss turned into a wacky hippy chick with a weird dress sense and an even weirder transatlantic twang. And then, to make matters worse, Amy Winehouse stepped it up a gear and stole her thunder. Well, watch out, Amy, because Joss has returned and she wants her thunder back!
Interesting to note, too, that the album's title (COLOUR...) keeps its British spelling on both sides of the Atlantic.
Joss's original front cover showed her curled up and contorted, behind bars - her not-so-subtle attempt at saying record label EMI are trapping her.
"Colour Me Free!" is classic Joss. In other words, it's jam-packed with retro R'n'B numbers that sound like they are being sung by a tortured soul singer from Detroit, rather than a 22 year old from Devon.
Her voice sounds less likely to cause her damage, her material is (until some saggy bits towards the end) strong and her choice of guests (Nas, Shiela E, Jeff Beck and Sanborn) very good.
Vintage celebrities are wheeled out: Jeff Beck's nimble fluid jazz funk licks lift the slight "Parallel Lines", while David Sanborn's saxophone showboats all over "I Believe It To My Soul".
She also totally rips it up on her funky cover of "You Got The Love" and the smooth "Stalemate".
The voice is on fine form, rich and sexy, especially on her recent single "Free Me", the tunes are a mix of defiant, uplifting and heart-wrenching and R'n'B rumbler "Big Ole Game" is another highlight.
The fact that the songs were written and recorded in such a short space of time - a week, reportedly - gives "Colour Me Free!" an attractive vibrancy in its actual performances, but the lack of any truly standout moments renders it far from exceptional or memorable : despite the brilliant playing of her band, the album lacks the dark excitement of Amy's "Back To Black" or the bluesy pop thrills of Adele's 19".
My favourite tracks: "Free Me", "Stalemate", "You Got the Love" and "Big Ole Game".
Just to wrap this up: the album is a mixed bag.
But give her a chance, buy it and you may like it a lot!
Introducing Joss Stone
Back to Black
19

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the last!, October 24, 2009

By 

Vanessa - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colour Me Free! (Audio CD)

I listened to this whole CD and enjoyed every track on here. Joss has a soulful, beautiful voice, that she really lets shine on this CD. It's rare to see such a young artist present themselves with such class. Joss has a timeless voice--this is a must have!!