Customer Reviews

I Feel For You

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Why are the reviewers bagging on Chaka's amazing, underrated cover of MY LOVE IS ALIVE? As produced by Arthur Baker collaborator JOHN ROBIE, MY LOVE IS ALIVE is MY favorite track on the entire CD, even better than I FEEL FOR YOU - Why? Robie's brilliant, minimal, Soulsonic Force-style grooves/edits provide TENSION against the fiery, fierce vocal ab libs of CHAKA - simply put, CHAKA HITS NOTES THAT AREN'T IN THE BOOK!!
In an age when most singers get by on flat, breathy lip-syncs, this CD harkens back to the old-school days when singers SANG! What is sad today is that most talented, influential singers like Chaka wouldn't even chart now! Other tracks shines also in a similar 80s electro/funk mode, THIS IS MY NIGHT, EYE TO EYE, and more - I got this LP when it FIRST came out and wore it out DJing at high school dances - two decades later, it's one of Chaka's most consistent, ground-breaking, most purely LISTENABLE albums she's ever recorded - Chaka has great taste in producers (Green Gartside of Scritti Politti, Arif Mardin, et al.), but WHERE IS A NEW CHAKA CD FOR US FANS? Please please please - let's not wait til 2005!!

Chaka...the voice of an era. When people actually sung, and even with this electronic masterpiece her voice is number one. If you're not grabbed by "This is my Night" somethings wrong with you. All the songs have some form of scratching or sampling, and a lot of clean early hip-hop elements. They all fit very well with the Stevie Wonder blow you away harmonica solo on "I Feel For You" A lot of people complain that this record has not held up too well, but I think it has because the fact that it is an early digital recording proves that a 20 year old CD can still out "bump" some newer music. I listened to this 12 years ago while raiding my parents tapes...i reveled in the Donna Summer, Whispers, early Madonna, Rufus, Queen, Invisible Mans Band, and Teena Marie for years. I finally decided to get my favorites on CDs, and was lucky to find all or most of them in my local Rasputin Music (the best used store EVER!) I found this bad boy brand new for $7.50. I was blown away by how clean and well transfered it sounded, and how well it had aged. I still cant get over how well done this CD is. If you're lucky enough to discover it, be sure to. I'm only 17 and it's one of my all time favorites. This is the kind of hip-hop I like! Go Chaka!

This album was basically a work of art from one of the best female vocalists of our time. Chaka's voice on classics such as "I Feel For You", "Stronger Than Before" and "Through The Fire" simmers with passion and fire. She is truly one of the most underappreciated artists in music history. The recent use of "Stronger Than Before" on Showtime's mini-series "A Girl Thing" during the lesbian love scene between Kate Capshaw and Elle McPherson really showed the intensity and spark of that classic love song.

Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You" was more or less her comeback as a solo artist, as her four previous album, 1982's "Chaka Khan", failed to produce more than a moderate hit. Essentially, Chaka hadn't had a major hit since 1978's "I'm Every Woman", besides some of the Top Ten R&B hits she garnered in the early 1980's, and "Ain't Nobody", the hit she had with Rufus in 1983. Chaka herself says she was surprised when "I Feel For You" broke into the mainstream in a big way in 1984. This is not Chaka's best album, but it is full of all the things that make Chaka such a great artist: slick material, innovation, and of course her powerful voice.
The album spawned three hit singles: the title track, "Through The Fire", and "This Is My Night". ("Eye to Eye" was a single in the U.K.) "Through The Fire" is the only bona-fide ballad on the album, and sings of a powerful love with heavy percussion and intense melody. (I often think that this song is the way God would speak to me, and the choruses would be my response to Her.) The last high notes from Chaka in the song are the icing on the cake. To me, it's more than a pop song. "I Feel For You" is great in the sense that it is a hybrid; the song itself was a previous R&B hit for Prince, a little classic Soul is thrown in with Stevie Wonder's harmonica, a Rock guitar, and a Pop beat. Let's not forget the rap by Grandmaster Melle Mel. So many elements are mixed and produce a memorable song, a feat Chaka has accomplished many other times. "This Is My Night" is a standard '80's dance tune, with just about all sounds being synthesized with the exception of Paul Pesco's guitar. Even so, it's great ear candy that simply makes you feel good. The swinging "Eye to Eye" is another great song, with a choir on the chorus and a mournful melody. It's a touch of New Jack Swing years before that style came into play.
The non-singles are not of lower quality than the others. My personal favourite is "Stronger Than Before", covered a year later by Dionne Warwick and written by Burt Bacharach, Bruce Roberts and Carole Bayer Sager. It is quietly sorrowful and needy, and once again the high notes at the end drive the song home. "Hold Her" is catchy, with a heavy beat and is ultimately infectious. "La Flamme", "My Love Is Alive", and "Chinatown" are almost pure synthesizer, and suffer from a certain shallowness. They all have their moments though, specifically the syncopated beat on "La Flamme", and the techno-ish "My Love Is Alive." The only weak track on the album for me is "Caught In The Act,"--simply predictable and unintersting. (Ironically, this is Chaka's favourite on the album, as stated in her book "Chaka!: Through The Fire".)
If you're looking for deep material and something of real weight, the only thing I believe this album offers is "Through The Fire". Otherwise, it's mostly ear candy, perfect for a nightclub, or simply just listening. This isn't for musical purists, but it is a great introduction to the voice of Chaka Khan.
One last note: Anne Field's illustrations on the LP liner jacket and back cover are simply breathtaking.

I was 16 when this album came out. Brings back great memories. This is my favourite Chaka Khan album, with This Is My Night as my favourite track. Eye To Eye, written by Michael Sembello (She's A Maniac) is my second favourite. Other highlights are of course I Feel For You and Through The Fire, written by David Foster, which closely resembles another classic balad "After The Love Has Gone, which he wrote for Earth, Wind & Fire. This album is typically 80's sounding because of the heavy use of early analog Synthesizers and 8-bit samplers and drum-machines, thus making it an 80's essential. Some tracks are dull, but overall there's some slick and inovative stuff on this album, especially for that era. If you are looking for that typical 80's groove, then this is a must have album.

"This Is My Night" opens this timeless collection of incredible vocal performances which is a pulsating Chaka Khan masterwork that is one of the finest vocals from the eighties and actually for all time for those of us who love funky & riveting songs plus wildly soulful vocals! Chaka can then go to a fine & sublime power ballad with complete ease and the Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager original for Ms. Khan "Stronger Than Before" becomes a classic with Chaka's brilliant and gorgeous vocal that is the finest! "My Love Is Alive" is a funky rocker which has a great driving rhythm that is infectious while "Eye To Eye" is sophisicated and the arrangement builds brilliantly on layers featuring a loose and soulful amazing vocal from Chaka that is fascinating. A funky grinder "La Flamme" goes off it many directions with Chaka's great voice all over the place to great effect...a true classic "I Feel For You" is a legendary Chaka performance that needs no explanation as we all know that this is one of the greatest things ever recorded thus making this incomparable singer a legend...oh that voice from the heavens is the effect on the opening of "Hold Her" and a cooking rhythm drive this great song that showcases that amazing voice in a glorious way.

Every so many years a great ballad comes along and this classic "Through The Fire" with music by David Foster/Tom Keane and lyrics by the legendary Cynthia Weil is the finest from the eighties and given a stellar vocal by Chaka that is one of her all-time greatest and once any true music lover gets into this amazing masterwork that repeat mode will be used over and over and over...Chaka is a marvel on this one...Bravo Chaka!!!

Funky and fine is "Caught In The Act" with brilliant rhythm changes & features fine vocals that fly from so many levels...closing "Chinatown" is another rhythm riveting soulful work-out that feature another vocal from The Diva that is amazing! "I Feel For You" is a rare vocal masterpiece that is a must have for anyone who loves really awesome & great vocals plus rocking and riveting masterworks!!! Bravo Chaka...you really did it all this time and these vocals are some of the greatest ever recorded!!!

Thank you for this rare magical and riveting musical masterpiece...the greatest!!!!!

Creo que es el mejor disco que he conocido de Shaka Khan, "I feel for you", escrita por Prince, le da un toque fenomenal.

Si lo vas a comprar no te arrepentiras.
Saludos

My dad turned me on to Chaka Khan during one of his "why don't you listen to classic music instead of *NSYNC" rampages. This was around the time I started appreciating the greatest music around of the 70's and 80's (thanks dad, but I still love *NSYNC). "I Feel For You" was the 1st classic album I brought and I love it to this day! Pretty soon I found myself downloading Rufus and Chaka Khan hits and burning them on CD's and I have to say they are one of my favorite oldies groups! "I Feel For You" is not Chaka's best but it has some golden moments including her comeback hit "I Feel For You" which has a bit of rap and hip-hop in the mix of R&B/pop mix. "Through The Fire" is beautiful along with my favorite "Eye To Eye". "Stronger Than Before" is mystical and demanding along with the heavy hitting "This Is My Night". Some flat moments are the annoying "My Love Is Alive" and the weird/ bizarreness of "Chinatown" (which to this day I still don't get). Nonetheless I still like this album and I still think Chaka is the greatest.

I had this when it was only available in an album. I wore out the grooves because I played it so much. Chaka Khan has a tremendous voice!

I, like some other college students, had my mom tell me about Chaka Kahn. My mom was like she's so famous and back in the day she was it.I was like are you serious? I hadn't really heard about Chaka until Kanye West covered Through the Fire and she sang on MTV. I hadn't realize, how well known some of her music was until MTV highlighted it. Then I was like,oh that's the lady who sang some of those songs. I had my zune account recommend me "I feel for You" and I honestly could not get enough of this song. It's not overly upbeat like a Janet or Michael song but it's not very ballad like either. It's good mix of beats and rhythm. When i first heard it I couldn't stop listening. I was like wow,this is really amazing for pop music fans. I disagree as this being her most well-known music. Some of her stuff with Rufus and Every Woman are pretty much songs most Americans recognize. As for some other tracks, This is my night, is also very excellent, and the video is very funny. The R & B classic through the fire is amazing. It really captures your attention,and it's one of the best ballads that was ever written, in my opinion. A lot of her other albums and stuff with Rufus are very good as well. So I wouldn't exactly call this her stand out album, but this is certainly my favorite album ofhers.