Customer Reviews

Come And Get It

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

 

 

During an era when every year or so there seems to be someone mining the retro soul movement there doesn't seem to be any room for any new and innovative stars in a genre where by it's very nature innovation it's almost a contradiction in terms. Standing out in this area largely depends on the personality of the artist in question. And here in Eli 'Paperboy' Reed we have an artist and performer with plenty to stand out about. Nevermind he already had a very impressive debut with Roll with You but there are absolutely no chances of any sophmore slump here at all. In fact,if the cards are set where they seem to be we're dealing with a serious contender here with a lot of possibility. What makes Reed stand out is not the fact that he's recycling a music whose time has already come and gone simply to cash in on a trend or to misinterpret it's intentions. He's also not especially interested in making condescending nods to contemporary dance and/or hip-hop music just to up his credibilit among media cliques. The production style he's chosen for this album is simply incredible for another thing. More often than none retro soul albums either rely on a collection of samples or a small rhythm section. Much as with his similarly themed contemprary Robin Thicke,Reed believes strongly in actually producing his records with the horn and rhythm section blending beautifully with strong percussive touches on songs such as "Name Calling","Just Like Me",the amazing title song and "Young Girl". These are the type of productions and songwriting I haven't honestly heard the likes of much outside of people such as Motown's "Corperation" (songwriters for the Jackson 5) or the Hayes-Porter writing production team at Stax. Not only that but modern digital production allows Reed to be able to exercise his talents as a musical craftsman. Another thing is that Reed is an absolutely incredible guitar player and vocalist. On both ends he manages to mingle sensativity and blunt intensity with a strong sense of elegence and sophistication. This comes through most obviously on the urban bluesy styled soul of "You Can Run On" and the old Atlantic style soul ballad "Pick Your Battles" where he showcases a mature and open stance on romanance and interpersonal relationships as opposed to something too confrontational or goody two-shoes. The album ends on an explosive,JB styled drum break led funk jam of of "Explosion" where Reed's growling,crooning and shrieking vocal range flies into overdrive for ultimate effect. I am not sure at this point if this album will have the same kind of commercial viability that Amy Winehouse had with Back to Black or something like that but it's a different sound-a different kind of album than that and one could easily assume from hearing this and other albums like it that the future of the retro soul sound could be a move towards the streamlined,sophisticated productions that allow all high quality music to have real staying power.

The best way for me to describe this CD is up beat, alive, hip, cool, awesome, out of sight. Yes, those adjectives give you some idea as to my age. I enjoy hearing new titles performed with finesse using modern recording techniques. This package has it all. It has a clean, bright sound with a R&B retro feel. The horn arrangements are tight. The singing is right on. I wish this young man all the best!

I decided to give this CD a try after watching Mr. Reed perform "Take A Number" when he was a guest on an episode of Daryl Hall's "Live From Daryl's House" webcast last year.

I was not disappointed.

Sure, he's a mining a vein of classic R&B/soul music that was a mainstay of AM radio back in the 60s, but Reed's songs are fresh, extremely catchy, and not at all self-conscious given the debt owed to his predecessors.

The arrangements are sharp, and his vocals have an authentic quality--perhaps tinged with a certain emotional innocence--that draws me in and makes me want to believe. He holds my attention throughout, and each song has become like an old friend.

In fact, I've ended up listening to this recording more than any other I've bought in the last couple of years.

Yep, as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Reed is the real deal.

I learned of this artist after he was profiled by a major trade magazine for his previous CD, "Roll With You". I mush prefer that CD to his latest effort, "Come and Get It".

Yes, it's still Eli but everthing on this new CD is...well, more. More instruments (including strings), more backup singers, more volume, more electrification. Eli's vocals are mixed "front and center" while Eli is part of the music (and band) on "Roll With You". One wonders if this major style change is being driven by Eli's new mainstream record label.

The sonics of Eli's vocals are curiously bad on several of the cuts. I don't know if it's intential but the distorted sound quality resembles that of a small speaker beinging grossly over-powered.

I think Eli's next CD will indicate which direction this niche musician is taking. I predict a movie (or reality TV) is already on the drawing board...

I first read about Eli "Paperboy" Reed in Billboard Magazine and thought he would be an artist I might be able to relate to as a listener. Sure enough, I purchased his third album Come and Get It!, and I was impressed with Reed's knack for soul music as well as the personality he exudes on album. Come And Get It is not revolutionary (it would be considered more an anachronism in this day and age), but it is a solid album and it does not rely on "gimmickry" like so much of R&B music does today.

"Young Girl" opens up the album exceptionally with nice classic soul production tactics in full effects (horns, piano, etc.) Reed's vocals are characteristic of soul in its finest. He sings the catchy refrain with a great burst of energy ("I'm gonna stop and give you all the love I've got young girl"). "Name Calling" is similarly great, finding Reed exhibiting great vocal prowess, especially where his falsetto is concerned. Again, songwriting plays a key role in the success of this track with a finely penned refrain: "you went from name-calling (name-calling) to calling my name/you went from school yard teasing to all night pleasing." Sure maybe it's a bit corny, but thinking back to classic soul/R&B acts, didn't they have their corny moments? The Supremes `tongue-in-cheek' style helped to make them the sensations that they became, right?

"Help Me," turns out to be the best cut of the album at this point, with the production propelling the success. Here subtle organ is mixed into the background, along with a guitar riff panned to the left in the mix - all channeling the classic soul sound, particular the sounds of say Stax Records (Isaac Hayes, etc.) Here, Reed shows off his consummate vocal skills, again the highlight being his masterful falsetto. "Just Like Me" finds Reed growling and running the gamut with intelligible vocal nuances while title cut "Come And Get It" features an addictive, driving drum groove a la Isaac Hayes' "Theme From Shaft."

"Pick A Number" slows down the tempo smartly, given the listener an assortment of instrumental sounds and colors to listen to. "I Found You Out" is another engineering victory, finding solid mixing work: one guitar, playing chords is mixed to the right while a rhythmic, lead guitar is mixed to the left with the bass mixed in the center. The track is simplistic in nature, but it may be the great simplicity that propels the captivation with this cut and the album in general. Again, there is nothing to complain about as far as Reed's vocals.

"Tell Me What I Wanna Hear" features a nice, up-tempo groove with a great baritone saxophone player taking the listers back to the late 60's, 70's soul sound. What I love particularly about this cut is the `New Orleans' vibe. "Time Will Tell" contrast the overt tempo of "Tell Me What I Wanna Hear," opting for a slower, deep-soul, gospel feel here. The production effects on Reed's vocals here (reverb) help to channel the sound of the past, something you feel like Reed wants to make sure is "locked down" on this effort. "You Can Run On" and "Pick Your Battles" are superb listens, if not the best of the album . Closing cut "Explosion" is extremely fun, finding the groove shifting to a blazing tempo (I'm sure that took some work!)

Essentially, 'Come and Get It!' is a solid "soul" album, more so than most `neo-soul' efforts. I appreciate and pat Eli "Paperboy" Reed for contributing so greatly to the preservation of true R&B music and more importantly soul. 4 stars.

Hard to believe this guy is as young as he is. This CD captured that Motown sound perfectly, though Eli is a hybrid of Jackie Wilson and others of that era. The most authentic soulful experience I have found in years. Want to get your groove on? Come and Get it!

If the Motown sound is your thing, this cd might be worth checking out. Bright and snappy yet mellow and smooth at times.

This guy has got a great voice and his singing style is excellent. He be a hit in the 1950's, never mind today.

This album takes me back to South Carolina beaches and shaggin. Great sound reminiscent of the Drifters and the Tams. Lots of energy.

Three of the four arrived intact. I'll keep the cracked one for myself. Had to rush to the mall for a replacement since it was intended as a gift. I realize better packaging increases the shipping cost, so it's tempting to gamble and hope. But I've gotten too many cracked cases from Amazon and its vendors. Seems the gamble isn't working in my direction.