Customer Reviews

Lewis II

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At the heart of Taylor's work, beneath the admittedly thick veneer of soul, is a certain way of subverting tradition. It's not the synthesis of disparate sources like you would hear in David Bowie, it's more like the amalgamation and reconstruction of influences as you would hear in the work of Tricky and Scott Walker.

And it works brilliantly. Lewis II is one of those albums like Tricky's "Juxtapose" which becomes more rewarding with each listen, full of intense sexuality and dense musicality. The comparisons to artists like Marvin Gaye and D'Angelo are understandable but they essentially miss the forest for the trees - the sound vocabulary of these artists has been co-opted and reapplied in unimaginable ways. "I'm On The Floor" builds up very slowly to an almost unbearably beautiful ocean of harmonic tension before ending abruptly; the title track starts with the lead vocal laying out like drying bones only to be richly fleshed out over its course.

It's all the more amazing when you realize almost all the backing tracks were recorded by Lewis himself - with suberb musicianship, especially on guitar. He has an uncanny talent for compelling basslines as well and his vocal range is inarguably impressive. The wedding of talent and excellence is rare enough in any era that Lewis II would stand out, but in this age, when so much of popular music has been reduced to hollow genre exercises, Lewis II is a splendid foundation-shaking wake up call to both senselessly agonized alternapop and joylessly sexualized R&B.

A DJ Krush mix tape was where I first heard of this kat. Underground radio was playing "Blue Eyes" and "Satisfied" but I never knew who the kat was. Not until I bought the CD did I find out this kat was white. Compared overseas to the style of Marvin Gaye (not quite.....but can sing!!) Lewis Taylor could go very far with this CD if only it was promoted in the U.S. THE RIGHT WAY. The man has madd vocal talent and the crisp production behind him makes this CD a must in my kitchen of chefs cooking up nothing but the best soul food for my ears.

oNe

I have been trying to get my hand on this album for years. Some of the best music out there is impossible to get your hands on, and Lewis Taylor's second album is no exception. This is a truly solid effort from start to finish, for if no other reason than that Taylor is such an experimental artist. You never get bored hearing on of his songs, or feel compelled to skip, because with each track you can find something interesting. If you enjoyed his debut alum, this project will only make you more a Lewis Taylor fan.

... and he is simply brilliant. Amazing vocals, great guitar playing and wonderful songs, whatever kind of music you're into.
He lets a lot of his influences show, but when you produce material this good, it's just colour to the mix. And get his first album while you're at it...

I think the album is amazing, with enough sonic playfulness to keep me entertained until Lewis Taylor decides to release more new material (hopefully it won't take 4 more years). "Party," the opening track, is a surprise the first time you hear it, as it takes cues from the solid funk Mr. Taylor displays on the b-side "Got Me Thinking All About It," from the "Lucky" single. My favourite track (as I understand, the track Mr. Taylor wants to be the single) is easily "You Make Me Wanna." Starting with a deliciously wicked bassline, it delivers an amazing sense of soulful tension until the drums kick in, and then the chorus jumps into an emphatic bridge... very cool stuff. The next song, "The Way You Done Me," is the one that still mystifies me since it breaks away from standard pop syncopation and the whole concept of 4/4 time. If anyone can tell me what the time signature of this song is, I'd be very appreciative. The song otherwise reminds me of a more aggressive version of his first album's "Whoever." The track "Never Be My Woman," for whatever reason, sounds an awful lot like something that could have come from D'Angelo's last album, stripped down and bluesy yet quirky (those slightly-off-rhythm vocals). I also really liked "I'm On The Floor" and "Lewis II." I have the Japanese import version of the CD, and it contains TWO bonus tracks: a cover of Jeff Buckley's "Everybody Here Wants You" (which I have a tendency to skip over) and a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland" (very Muzak sounding -- seemingly too clean & too straight ahead for a proper Hendrix cover, but it succeeds in its lush production quality and harmonies).

This one is a keeper! Check this out. I was pointed to Lewis Taylor by Aaliyah in an interview on MTV stripped and she was so RIGHT about his skill and voice. Lewis Taylor and Lewis II are amazing! Check him out. This is the music America is missing.

I thought I couldn't love any album more than Lewis Taylor's first, but they keep getting better and better. I have multiple copies of it- just in case. His journeys in to r&b are uniquely his, and they live happily alongside my D'Angelo, my Marvin Gaye, Maxwell, you name it. "Satisfied" is the gem of this one, no doubt.

Lewis Taylor has done it again! This little genius has produced an album so layered, warm and reflective that it's difficult to fault it. All I can say against it is that it isn't as good as the first, but that's a small quibble. The opening track [Party] has a bass line to die for; you know straightaway that this is to be a funky delicious groove, and you are not disappointed. Shall I tell you more? Well all I will say is that the track 'Lewis 2' is one of my all time favourites. Do yourself a favour - check this album out!

Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Wilson, Todd Rundgren. A couple of heavy names to start with. All of them Giants, Geniuses & Groundbreakers. ;-) Lewis Taylor is all of that. He is not, however, a giant -- yet...

Lewis II follows naturally in the tracks of his self-titled debut. Where "Lewis Taylor" is a dark affair (though a clear 5 star) "Lewis II" is a more extrovert and "commercial" item. However, this doesn't make this album less sophisticated. On the contrary. Lewis' eclectisim with his surprising chordchanges, uneven songforms, uneven meter (7/8 on "The Way You Done Me"), Marvin Gaye-ish vocals, Prince-and Hendrix-ish (!) guitar work and "home-studio" productions all adds up to a precise, accurate and completely original sum. You feel like it couldn't have been done in another way.

I feel there's actually too much to say 'bout this record and the man himself so I'll spare you... Just buy, plug in and listen to a should-be-and-must-be giant. Lovely! (Actually one of my favorite items!)

I won't write much other than to say that just when I had resigned myself to admitting defeat on trying to find some inspirational music these days, a true dream appears in this album. My favourite artists are Marvin Gaye and Brian Wilson and well this guy has just left me speechless, Outstanding stuff and I am rushing out now to buy his first, can't wait!!