Embrya

Maxwell

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 1998)
• Original Release Date: June 30, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000007T1A
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (216 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #680 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #3 in	Music > R&B > Neo-Soul
  #10 in	Music > R&B > Quiet Storm
  #27 in	Music > R&B > Contemporary R&B

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The bass line of the opening track is the first sign, and the smooth funk of the second track confirms it: On Embrya, Maxwell has done it again. Sophomore efforts don't always fare well, especially when an artist is still riding high on the accolades of a debut, but Maxwell has managed to take the exquisite soul of 1996's Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite and, without sacrificing any of its verve, turn it into something far more sophisticated. Not only is Embrya a sublime summer soundtrack, it's a groove masterpiece from start to finish. "Luxury: Cococure," the first single, like "'Til the Cops Come Knockin'" before it, is only the slightest taste of the treasures waiting to be devoured. If you're looking for lush ballads, skip to "Matrimony: Maybe You," the haunting "Know These Things: Shouldn't You," and the sensual slow jam "Gravity: Pushing to Pull" (and yes, nearly all the tracks are subtitled like this). They may not be as yearning as those that detailed his weekend-long tryst on Hang Suite (Maxwell knows better than anyone just how far a little restraint can go), but these tracks are gifts on their own. Put them together and you have an album that does nothing but elevate Maxwell's impeccable reputation as the man who breathed life back into the soul of R&B. --Rebecca Wallwork

Spin
[Like Smokey] Robinson, his way of stroking and stoking a keening ballad is smart, emotive, and tripping over with the light fantastic. His interpretations are just corny and horny enough to twist naked longing into tenderness without sacrificing male pride.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Embrya, January 1, 2004

By	K. J. Bryant "peachycream" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Alot of people thought Maxwell lost his touch, but I didn't. Maxwell is alot like Erykah Badu...he is often misunderstood. Meaning when he does something different (which on this cd he did), people get bend out of shape. As a result, people didn't really buy this cd like they did his first one. But in my opinion, this cd is more deeper and much better than the first one. I think this cd is grand. Get it now.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maxwell's House: Good to the Last Drop., September 8, 2002

By	The Groove (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

"Embrya," the followup to Maxwell's "Urban Hang Suite," is a traffic-stoppingly beautiful collection of soothing soul that's as much a masterpiece as his debut. The album plays like a dreamy sequence of moods and events, all woven together by relaxing rhythms, seductive vocals, and well-done arrangements. Most sophomore albums disappoint by lazily rehashing formulas that already worked before. Not Maxwell's. "Embrya" is a confident step forward, and while the sound is definitely his own, the vibe is much more mellow and laid-back this time around. Tracks of note are the lush and elegant "I'm You: You Are Me," the sensual love jam "Submerge," and the hypnotic ballad "Know These Things: Shouldn't You." In my school of music, "Embrya," like its predecessor, gets an A.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My guilty pleasure, April 23, 2006

By	A.S.I (Maryland, USA & Lagos, Nigeria) - See all my reviews

First off, I take it as a personal insult when this type of music is classified as soul or neo-soul or whatever. In my opinion, it defies genre. It is what it is, by itself, alone and unmatched.
If you've been been like me, getting by materially and haven't had much by way of luxury, then this cd is for you. It is like bathing in melted chocolate, milk or pearls. Yes, it's that decadent.
I scarcely know the lyrics to the songs but Maxwell's employ and arrangement of the drums, bass guitar, trumpets and other instruments is very richly textured.
All the songs sound different from one another but they segue fluidly into each other. Major standouts for me include tracks 00, 01, 02, 03, 09. Don't let that fool you. The other tracks are still powerful. The entire cd is sensual, stylish and spritual all at the same time. 'Embrya' is pure, avant-garde genius. I dont blame anyone if all other Maxwell albums pale in comparison to this one or if Maxwell himself can't top this. Recordings like these only come once in a lifetime. They cant be copied or repeated. They are inspired.
You will enjoy it to the very last drop.