Customer Reviews

I Learned The Hard Way

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings appeared as backing musicians on much of Mark Ronson's "Version" and Amy Winehouse's "Back to black". Their sound is similar to both; retro Soul with lush strings, darting horns, and Jones's stirring vocals, a cross between Candi Staton and Betty Wright.

Listening to their fourth disc "I learned the hard way" is like a trip back to the sixties. The title track could have sprung from the vaults of Motown. "Better things to do" is a funky live-sounding jam, while the soulful ballad "Give it back" has a beautiful wall of harmonies.

The groovy "Money" finds her lamenting "money, where are you hiding" and "why won't you stay around?", sentiments some of us share now. :-)

"The reason" is a horn driven instrumental, the swinging "She ain't a child no more" has jangly guitars and rich harmonies, "I'll still be true" is an incredibly beautiful organ/horn-drenched ballad, while "If you call" is a melodramatic Blues ballad with chiming guitars, organ, and explosions of horns. "Mama don't like my man" is more stripped back showcasing the harmonies and powerhouse vocals.

This CD is a much needed breath of fresh air, and while I doubt it will trouble the charts much, I highly recommend it. For those who love real music.

I know its only April but this is hands-down the album of the year! I've been following Sharon & the Dap-Kings for years and its great to finally see them getting the attention they deserve! Coming off 100 Days, 100 Nights, I was wondering if they would be able to step-up their game and man did they deliver! This is how soul/r&b should sound - Sharon's voice is strong and pure and the production quality is unreal. What the Daptone crew can deliver out of that house in Brooklyn is amazing.

I'm always torn as to whether or not I want my favorite (secret) artists to make it mainstream, but I can honestly say I'm happy for Sharon and the gang as she deserves it! From performing on Michael Buble's new album to the Up In The Air Soundtrack its nice to see credible artists making it! Do not miss the chance to hear this record!

Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are a refreshing new CD. They
bring some fantastic vocals on each tune as Sharon sings some
great songs along with the musical back up of the Dap Kings.
The voice of Sharon musically blends in with all the
instruments that the band uses to create a true harmony, raw
feelings - high energy and some great sounds. These are songs
that you will play over and over as you enrich your musical
enjoyment. Sharon and the Dap Kings are in rhythm with each
other - allowing the group to elevate their game.

Wow what more can I say - now I want to see Sharon Jones and the
Dap Kings live in a performance in New York City.

Sharon and the Dap-Kings are now on their fourth studio effort, I Learned The Hard Way, and they've done it again. Unlike other bands that mined an older sound, I haven't been able to bust these guys once on ripping off a specific song or riff. By this time, they are certifiably the real deal.

Kicking off beautifully with "The Game Gets Old", the Daps lay down a rousing, horn and string drenched 12 seconds of pure rhythm and blues bliss, a riff as good as "Keep On Looking" from 100 Days, 100 Nights. Both of these songs give the riff up sparingly, never outwearing a welcome. Sharon is now incontrovertably one of the great ladies of soul, and the band gives her the welcomes she deserves.

On "Money", we find out again how they flaunt the timeless/timely lyric with Sharon speaking about our undeniable need for money, the president, the economy, and all realities past, present, and future.

As on 100 Days, this release has fewer hard, up-tempo funk exercises that were delights on the first two albums. Little is compromised, though, as the harmonies have become more gorgeous than ever. The Daps even get an instrumental in the mix. Still, I'd love to hear something with the punch of "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" or "My Man Is A Mean Man". Sharon's still at the height of her powers, and if you see her live, she's a juggernaut who can tire you out just watching and dancing in the audience.

"I Learned The Hard Way" ends sweetly with "Mama Don't Like My Man", a charming Ruth Brown-styled number. These cats need to stick with Sharon, she seems like a much better time than other singers they've famously backed.

Classy, earthy, natural, I can't recommend this enough. It feeds the soul. Still, the first two outings are the better bets.

As far as I'm concerned, the Dap Kings are the real deal, and, much like the era of the big bands, Sharon's work is completely dependent on the talent and skill of Bosco Man, the bassist, writer, engineer,and driving force who has captured the heart of the music. Sharon is a great, great performer -- and her interpretative chops are with the best of the ladies who ever sang 40 and 50 years ago -- but too many people forget that the music has to be there to be sung, and Bosco Man is the guy who creates it. Great, great album. A group which truly deserves all of the good things that have happened and will continue to happen.

Sharon Jones and the impressively bigger sounding Dap-Kings are back, now with backup singers and a solid, soulful album that should make us burn anything else currently claiming to be pop music. This proves it: Sharon Jones is the true Queen of Soul and her funky Dap-Kings are, well, the Kings. just in time for summertime crusin' play, I LEARNED THE HARD WAY is a perfect album.

Like a breath of fresh 1968 air, here is THE GAME GETS OLD leading off the best soul album in decades. If Ms. Jones and band don't nail a Grammy, there ain't no justice. Any fan of real Philly soul will flip.

Personally, I bought the vinyl and they give you a site to download the digital version, but there is an ambient sound from a record that is sweetness, and timelessly magical. Sharon Jones and Dap-kings are recorded on real tape in the analog style that makes this all... authentic.

I'm not just listening, I'm blown away by this brand new 2010 release; you will be, too.

Previous Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings albums have gotten by on the concept--a raw soul singer backed by a band of cratediggers--and the passion and precision with which they executed it. Because they're record fans, the Dap-Kings perform an appealing slight of hand, assembling soul tunes from parts that were separated by years and miles, patching together a Stax horn line with Willie Mitchell's drums and Motown vocals on one song, then the Muscle Shoals rhythm part and a Lee Allen sax part for another. That it all comes off as organic is a tribute to their affection for their influences and their attention to detail. The albums' strength was also their weakness, though. The songs sounded like the third or fourth-best songs on albums by soul greats; you loved the voice, loved the groove, loved the vague familiarity, but you loved other songs more.

On I Learned the Hard Way, the songwriting takes a giant step forward. The songs are more melodic, which gives Jones more to work with, though by the end of "Give it Back," she channels Otis Redding in an outro that's an exercise in rhythm. On "The Game Gets Old" and throughout the album, the songs immerse you in Jones' world of love and heartbreak (with more of the latter) instead of nodding toward the ones that inspired them. The improved songwriting makes any quibbles about retroness irrelevant; I Learned the Hard Way would have been as good a soul album in 1968 and it's a good one today.--OffBeat Magazine, June 2010 issue

I had never heard of Sharon Jones and Tne Dap King before even though they've been around for quite a while now.I really like their message,sound and overall presentation of these seemingly 60's blues numbers.I'm glad that I perchased this CD and all my friends want to know who is this talented group.I truly think that you will like what they have to offer.

An instant classic! Great brass, great vocals, great hooks, all great tunes.

All the praise and rave you see in the collected reviews is absolutely and totally justified.
This is an excellent choice to add to your collection, to anyone's collection.

Simply put, there is not a bad cut on this CD and there are many, many, stunning cuts.
Cuts you will want to hear again and again. Buy the CD. Play the CD. You will love the CD.

You's did it again! another Amazing LP and what a great gift it is. Anyone that has any interest in Soul music, ya just gotta wing it & pick this & all their CD's up cuz this band is as good as it gets. Woooooooooooooooooo!