Customer Reviews

Comin From Where I'm From

5 star:		(177)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

this is just the music I was looking for in my life,
and to add to my music collection,every song is good
and some are great, and some just make me get up and
dance and feel good.'mama knew love' the perfect song
to start this cd off, 'cornbread & fish' track 2 keeps '
the cd going and track 3,4,5, get you ready for track
6'which is why I got this cd, he sang this on tv and
blew me away with it, I have'nt seen someone sing with
so much soul and passion sence I cant remember who?

'Comin from where I'm from' is just a great song ,
track 11' was the next track which took my breath away
and got under my skin, I mean this is a great cd, song
for song this guy sings his heart out and puts all his
soul into each song, just like it should be, Anthony
Hamilton is going to bring back soul music to all of
us , there was a void in my music life ,a space missing
and thanks to this cd I have reason to get excited again about
music , thank you anthony,

The truly great soul singers have the ability to draw you into their music by revealing their pain in their records. Their power is unbridled, and you find yourself trying to recreate their raspy delivery all day everyday. There have been a handful of talents with this power, Sam Cooke, Al Green, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Rahsaan Patterson, and yes Anthony Hamilton.

This is real music too, not a whole lot of sampling and interpolating going on here. The one notable sample on the CD however is the clever usage of Jay-Z's "Momma Loves Me" which set's the tone for the CD's first track, "Momma Knew Love". After your head stops bobbin and you take time out to experience the lyrics and the delivery you realize there is a story teller at work. 12 songs later you emerge from his world, his upbringing, his biography, enlightened and educated about one man's struggle to grow up, live learn and love. It doesn't get any better than this. I will own 6 copies of this one, just as I do Rahsaan Patterson's first two offerings. I cannot wait for his sophomore effort. Thanks for the music Mr. Hamilton

Music affecionado that I am, I'm surprised to have stumbled on this effort unintentionally because most of what I find, I'm looking for. And I use the word effort loosely because Anthony Hamilton seems to exert NONE, I repeat no effort whatsoever, to pour out his soul in such a way to take one back to the day of pure unadulterated heartfelt music. I have not heard an artist sing from the soul like this in TOO MANY years. There is no "matrix" here: no tricks, no magic (except for the magic that seems to emanate from the man's very soul) ... If you don't know, YOU BETTER ASK SOMEBODY and that somebody is me. If you DON'T obtain this, you are missing out on one of life's greatest musical experiences, a classic that will go down in music history, and if it doesn't, the world's gone crazy! Get it: beg, borrow ... whatever you have to do. If you want the REAL, this is truly it. If your heart CAN'T feel this, then call the coroner, cause your pulse has ceased!! A big shout out: thank you, Mr. Thomas, for leading me down the right path!

I know he has a newer album out, but I am still obsessed with Anthony Hamilton's "I'm a Mess," from 2003's Comin' From Where I'm From. And here's why:

There's just something about Anthony Hamilton's voice. Its rough, gravelly quality smoothed out with a bit of molasses betrays a long history of pain, of rough times, of love lost and found. His voice is instantly recognizable: gruff and gritty, yet tender; strong and earthy, with a thin undercurrent of emotional fragility just below the surface. And while the very timbre of his voice is a play on opposites, one thing is for certain: Anthony Hamilton sings the truth, chile.

The song begins with Hamilton's belting out a loud and soulful "Oh." But it's not just any "oh." Oh no. Immediately, this "oh" hints at the despair, the frustration, and a bit of hopefulness that he's feeling. And this "oh" leaves you smoldering. Guts wrenched out. Get ready for what's coming up. Anthony's got a story to tell you.

He's split up with his lover, his best friend, his soul mate. Any breakup is painful to some degree, but this particular kind, the kind I like to call the "no call, no show" tactic, has got to be one of the worst:

You could have called, you could have wrote, you could have tried
I'd rather you slit me `cross the throat so I can die
Instead of leaving, no explanation as to why
You don't want me no more

Anyone who's been dumped in this way immediately understands the bewilderment; the betrayal; the endless questioning of self; the indescribable pain. Oh Jah, the crippling pain:

I'm a mess right now, I can't eat, can't sleep
Bills are piling high, ain't worked in three weeks
Ain't bathed, can't shave, `cause my heart is so tender like living in a blender
I'm shaken and I'm stirred

Hamilton's sorrowful pace is relentless. The listeners get no reprieve from the emotional journey he takes you on. In fact, after the second verse and chorus, the backup singers sing the following:

Call me, write me, love me
Come home

You think it's going to end at two repetitions, but no. It becomes the song's coda and becomes a seemingly endless pleading for the loved one's return. It's an emotional request from the spurned lover whose level of loneliness increases with each increasing octave. Call me. Write me. Love me. Come home.

If you're a sensitive bitch like me, I dare you to not be able to identify - or to not cry, even - singing along to this part. As the pitch increases, your throat and vocal cords tie themselves into knots - but does your throat hurt because you're not that great a singer and are having trouble reaching the notes, or is it painful because each repetition brings that all-too-familiar ball in your throat, as if you were holding back the tears? And at the same time the pitch increases, the coda takes you to a deeper level of pain and desperation: This visceral reaction is almost as if it was you, in fact, who was left behind by a lover who disappeared without a trace.

Or maybe you really are that person who was left behind, in which case, this song becomes an emotional post-breakup catharsis. And maybe through the sorrow in Hamilton's voice, you eventually realize that he will never call. He will never write. He will never love you. And he will never come home.

But you will get through it. Eventually.

Comin From Where I'm From is an amazing collection of work. Anthony Hamilton has a voice that makes you feel and lyrics that draw you into the detail of emotion and experience. In our current time with the worldwind of candy corn Pop music and an over abundance of those falsely using the Neo-Soul title, Hamilton displays the purity of his craft and gives a shining example of the Neo-Soul/R & B genre.

Hamilton's vocal range is equally enjoyable. He goes from rugged and gritty in "Mama Knew Love," to gentle and almost whispy in "Lucille." From beginning to end you are allowed a view into the the heart of this artist and shown his interpretation of the many facets of love.

I enjoy this CD immensely and recommend it to anyone who'll listen. Comin From Where I'm From is certainly on my top 10 list for great albums of 2003.

Enjoy!!

Never mind that the tracks are the typical uninspired cookie-cutter "soulful" pap that's being served up by tens if not hundreds of other artists...

The big reason to avoid this CD is its copy protection. You WILL have problems playing this in your car. You WILL have problems playing it on high-end CD players. You WILL have problems playing it on a non-Windows computer. Why bother?

Incidentally, if you buy this and the place you buy it from says that it's a "Compact Disc", return it. They are required by law (at least in the US and Canada) to accept it for a full refund. It does not comply with Philips' Red Book Audio CD standards and CANNOT be called a Compact Disc.

Oh my !! Anthony Hamilton's CD really moved me in more ways than one. When I was first introduced to this CD. My dad had called me upset he was sitting at home by himseld and 'Charlene " came on he called me and said he is so emotional by this song to go out and purchase it and let my mother hear it. I listened to the song first before giving it to my mother, I wanted to know what about this song could make my dad break down. After listening to the song "Charlene" , I called my mom Charlene and told her to come listen to this CD. She fell in love with the Song as well as the CD. Needless to say after 24 years of separation this song brought a conversation on between the two of them and they are very close friends now. My favorite would have to be (I'm a Mess Right Now ) ,Of course (Charlene) and (My first Love ). I love the rest of the CD. But those are my favorites. Anthony Hamilton's voice is so moving and relaxing you can't help but to enjoy good music like that. It reminded me of being back in Louisianna in the Bayou in one of the clubs with the straw roof ,with everybody dancing, sweating and listening to the jukebox. It took me way back. Surely a Hit for all generations.

If you are from the south and enjoy lazy hot summer day with the windows open and a tall cool glass of limonade this album is for you. I first heard Hamilton on the radio and enjoyed his raspy soulful voice. This is one of my favorite chill albums to listen too. Everything from his voice to the acompanyment is well mastered and put together. What I enjoy most is most of the tracks are done with live music. That is an element that is missing from a mojority of modern music today. Overall this is a great album.

I've read reviews on either side of the issue regarding this cd, and even a couple in the middle. What I have to say to all is that this cd is great, if only because of the vocal skills of the artist. Even songs that could otherwise be termed "mediocre" or "weak", Hamilton shines with his gritty, southern-gospel infused, gully style. The album comes off as honest and not-watered down. Hamilton seems to say what he wants to say without regard for the mainstream audience's preference for pop culture copycats. And to those who say he is just copying the styles of Stevie Wonder, Al Green, and Marvin Gaye, I say this: show me an artist that has not tried to imitate his/her heroes, and I will show you an artist without direction that is not producing at his/her highest level. Bravo, Anthony Hamilton. Bravo.

I was a little slow getting this disc but have to say that after a few spins, I love it. When I checked the grammy board and found that he'd been nominated for Best Contemporary R&B but lost to "Bouncy", I was surprised. CFWIF clearly outclasses DIL and someone with half a brain and ears should have realized that and awarded this man an honor that he so richly deserved. I was on another message board and someone stated that the reason she couldn't get into Ant's music is because (and I quote) "he ugly".
That commentary alone is what is so wrong with the music industry today - too many idiots buying music based on someone's looks - fortunately for me I got to grow up in a time when music was to be listened to and I care not to comment or spend MY hard earned money for discs just because a guy or girl is "cute".

Whew - away from the rant: like I said, on my first listen of this disc, I knew it'd become one of my favorites and stay in my cd changer on constant play. I love Ant's voice and the soulful delivery of his songs sets me off on music bliss. The standout song to me is of course the title song but also: Better Days, Float, My First Love, Charlene and I Tried.

I agree with a previous comment that stated if you're tired of R. Kelly's whining & Usher's moaning being touted as the r&b standard then you should give a listen to this voice of r&b/soul.