Crayons

Donna Summer

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 2008)
• Original Release Date: May 20, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Burgundy S
• ASIN: B0016B6ZKG
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (171 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,501 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Stamp Your Feet

2. Mr. Music

3. Crayons featuring Ziggy Marley

4. The Queen is Back

5. Fame(The Game)

6. Sand On My Feet

7. Drivin' Down Brazil

8. I'm A Fire

9. Slide Over Backwards

10. Science of Love

11. Be Myself Again

12. Bring Down The Reign

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Queen is Back! Legendary singer songwriter Donna Summer is back with her first studio album in 17 years. In the thirty plus years that Donna Summer has been making music she has never confined her artistry to just one genre. Although Donna is, and will always be, "The Queen Of Disco" to many fans, her hits have spanned multiple musical genres from Rock to R&B to Inspirational and of course, Dance.

Summer helped to define the 70's pop music generation and Crayons has all the characteristics that made Donna an icon. Containing a potent mix of the up-tempo tunes and ballads, the new album showcases incredible new material that is written by Donna (who wrote or co-wrote the majority of her hits of the 70's and 80's). Working with Donna were renowned writers and producers including: Greg Kurstin (Lilly Allen, Pink), Danielle Brisebois (Natasha Bedingfield, New Radicals), JR Rotem (Sean Kingston, Rihanna), Evan Bogart (co-writer of Rihanna's smash "SOS" and the son of legendary record executive, Casablanca Records founder and Donna's mentor, Neil Bogart), and Lester Mendez (Shakira, Santana).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Donna Summer's Returned to Reign , May 20, 2008

By	Antoine D. Reid "80sforever" (Durham, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I must say that I was surprised and not expecting this great album from Donna Summer. "Crayons" is not an attempt to recapture the sound and music she's perhaps best known as. This album is meant to stand against big artists of today and to capture the pop/hip-hop/r&b vibe that's popular today. Not only that but after being known as conquering disco, Donna Summer reaches ahead and goes for the club-crowd. Does it work? In all, yes. "Crayons" is fresh, exciting, has funny lyrics, introspective lyrics and outright unapologetic and fun.

You'll like how upbeat the sound and tone of this album is. This is really a club record, testing out different styles (or perhaps crayons). The songs that work the best for me were the title track 'Crayons' that has a Caribbean/island sound and features Ziggy Marley. 'Stamp Your Feet' is a pop/inspirational song where Summers urges her audience to take a stand and to make their voices be heard. 'The Queen is Back' is by far the most fun, with Donna Summer obviously speaking of her return to the scene and not holding back on the 'diva' attitude we'd expect from her. The last track, 'Bring Down the Reign' features a choir of children and Donna Summer putting aside the club-vibe for something epic in sound and pulls off a quite moving song.

What you may not like is the at times over-processed vocals that render her unrecognizable on some tracks. This is the only area of the album that bothers me because so many artists, including Cher, Mariah and Madonna (mentioned in other reviews) have gone this same route as if it's the only way to compete with others in the business. It took away from some songs when I wished we'd hear more of her voice which we know is great and strong enough not to be picked apart by a computer.

In all, a great effort from Donna Summer. I'm sure it'll be one of the albums that'll break out this year to everyone's surprise. Give it a listen, you will not regret it nor will you be wasting any money on purchasing it.

41 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Donna's Best Since 1984, May 30, 2008

By	Jeremy Gloff (Tampa, Fl United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Length:: 3:52 Mins

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect SUMMER for the season and the year!, June 15, 2008

By	Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Even though we're at the halfway point of the year, 2008 may go down as "The Year of the Boomer," what with major releases from "seniors" like Madonna, Sergio Mendes, Al Green, Dolly Parton and septuagenarian Dame Shirley Bassey, all being well-received by critics and fans alike.

To the fray we can now add Donna Summer with "Crayons," a welcome addition to the singer's discography of hits and an ear-friendly hodgepodge for those of us that have loved the singer since "Love to Love You Baby" hit the airwaves three decades ago.

The new release, featuring twelve songs co-written by Summer and a variety of songwriters, allows the singer to poke fun at herself and celebrity ("The Queen is Back" and "Fame-the Game"), as well as hurl herself headlong into contemporary dance grooves with tunes like the tile cut and "Mr. Music." Summer gets a little nostalgic with the retro-disco sound on "I'm a Fire," waxes country with "Slide Over Backwards," and plays with a South American sound with "Drivin' Down Brazil."

The slower, mid-tempo numbers are just as good. "Sand on My Feet," "Science of Love," "Be Myself Again," and "Bring Down the Reign" allow Summer to show her softer yet highly effective vocals, something that she occasionally did on such classics as her concept "Bad Girls" and "Once Upon a Time" albums from the 70's.

Though some may call "Crayons" a comeback, I prefer to think of it as a "rebirth" to her minions of fans worldwide, as well as an "introduction" to the younger listeners that weren't fortunate to have experienced the "Queen of Disco" in her heyday.

Either way, both audiophiles will be pleased with this FIVE-STAR recording.