Customer Reviews

Libra Scale

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Libra Scale" apparently narrates different chapters in the lives of three black superheroes inspired by Ne-Yo's love of comics and sci-fi. Put all that aside and what we have is an album that is an improvement on his last "Year Of The Gentleman".

Opening is the uptempo R&B dance song "Champagne Life" with echoes of Michael Jackson. Shades of Jackson show up again in the finger-snap driven ballad "Know Your Name" and the upbeat "Cause I Said So". "Crazy Love" features Fabolous, and with its languid feel and quivering guitars has echoes of Lauryn Hill.

Other standouts are the midtempo "Makin' A Movie" and "One In A Million", the StarGate-produced swirling trancey Dance number "Beautiful Monster" (a UK no.1 hit) with lovely layered harmonies (reminiscent of Rihanna's "Russian Roulette which he co-wrote), and the beautiful falsetto-sung ballad "What Have I Done?" (think "I Can't Help It" by Michael Jackson. There really isn't a bad track here, and Ne-Yo's singing has acquired more depth and passion than was present in his other albums.

Ne-Yo is a pure gentleman with this album and I love it! You definitely have to have an appreciation for this talented young man to come out with an album where you can tell he puts his all into each song. It would've been awesome if there was a download of videos and behind the scenes footage available for sale to come along with the album. I love seeing musicians at work, from the beginning stages, to making their ideas come to life, and the final, finished product. Keep doing you Ne-Yo, and thank you GOD for not being damn near naked in your videos, keeping things light & fun, and not constantly talking about what can be done in bed.

There are VERY few new school R&B artists that I'd buy a CD from without listening to it first. Too many are trying to be singing rappers and not doing a very good job of it, but I can always depend on Ne-Yo to bring the heat. I was a little concerned because I didn't care for "Beautiful Monster." It was that techno, pop, dance sign I usually avoid, and the chorus was annoying. However, I thought "Champagne Life" was a sexy song. Then I heard the rest of the CD. I'm not a big Fabolous fan, but he snapped on "Crazy Love." I love the beat and the snap rhythm to that song, and I enjoyed Ne-Yo's voice, but Fabolous' line about Geico cracks me up every time. Great song! It's definitely my favorite. Some other songs that kept me rocking back and forth were "Makin' a Movie," "Know Your Name" (beautiful, romantic song that's great for that late night get-in-the-mood deal) and "Telekinesis." I used to think "One in a Million" was cool, but I'm tired of hearing it and seeing the same performance over and over again. "Genuine Only" and "Cause I Said So" are all right, but I don't play them too heavy. "What Have I Done?" reminds me of Michael Jackson, and I have mixed feelings about it. I like it when Ne-Yo has his own feel, but every once in awhile I'll catch him doing a song that reminds me so much of MJ that it's hard to picture Ne-Yo singing it (I felt the same way about the end of "Lie to Me" on the "Year of the Gentleman" album). Either way, I'd recommend this album. I wish there were more than 10 songs, but if you get it during the $9.99 sale, $1 per song isn't bad.

You would think artists get progressively worse with time, but it's vice versa with Ne-Yo. This guy just keeps getting more imaginative/ creative by each passing year.

Loved everything from the MJ vibe to the great collab with Fabolous to just about everything a solid R&B album needs in order to be a success. Almost all songs on this CD are fantstic and bass so good that it sends shivers down your spine. You can tell Ne-Yo poured his heart and soul on this album, it really shows.

Great stuff Ne-YO, thanks for reviving the R&B scene. Definitely a contender for my top 5 albums of the year.

I enjoyed this record! I could not stop listening to this record!
This is a monumental concept album that tells the story of the rise of R&B's first superhero squad, The Gentleman, a trio of garbage men who are granted all that they have ever wanted-special powers, money, fame, women-after encoutering a mysterious figure. Inspired by Michael Jackson's cinematic videos of the 80s and early 90s, He dreamed of creating a 45-minute mini movie to be packaged within this album. He decided to release a series of extended music videos, which will run from 7-10 minutes. It's ambitious, he acknowledges, but well worth the creative and financial investment. Elaborate concepts and visual aside, at its core Libra Scale is vintage Ne-Yo: sophisticated songwriting, beautiful melodies and a voice that's as supple as it is powerful. This album should be go Platinum!

Ne-Yo is one of the most talented and maybe even underrated singers of the new generation. He's a phenomenal writer having penned many hits for himself and others. He's a true performer in that he can dance and dance very well. He does not rely on gimmicks to sell his album or his talent. On top of that he has one of the smoothest voices around that shows shades of the great Michael Jackson more often than you would like to admit. Not to mention he has a sound that is unique to him. However, he never really gets put in the upper echelon of singers and it's a shame.

On his 4th album, Libra Scale, Ne-Yo continues to hone his craft into something worth enjoying and experiencing for many years. The album is groovy and smooth. At ten tracks deep, some may gripe about the length of the album but I find it to be a perfect pace and values the quality over quantity. I like it more when artists make a conscious effort to release an effort that is focused with an overall theme rather than try throw a bunch of songs on the album just because they've been recorded. Libra Scale is said to have a storyline but I don't really hear a clear story line throughout the album and if it's there I think it's really loose interpretation of the word story. Maybe this story is better told through videos.

There's a lot of "sexy" songs on this album including One In A Million, Crazy Love, Know Your Name, and the incredible Champagne Life. There are 8 great songs on this album as I don't really care for the number one single Beautiful Monster because I think it's wack. As many know from my other reviews, I'm not too fond of the whole obligatory European night club techno song that has invaded R&B and Soul artists' albums. Even though I do find the video to make the song better, I find the actual song unnecessary and forced. When a talent like Ne-Yo can create Champagne Life then he doesn't need Beautiful Monster. That right there is my opinion on the matter. Also Cause I Said So is not a great track either.

Ne-Yo's Libra Scale is an album that is definitely worth adding to the collection. It's well produced, written, and performed and the songs are highly enjoyable. A few missteps prevent this from being a classic but as it stands it's still an extremely good album. If you've liked Ne-Yo before then there should be no hesitation regarding this album. You won't be disappointed one bit. 4 Stars.

**The Deluxe Edition comes with a DVD, which features all 3 videos released so far and a 15 minute interview/BTS with Ne-Yo. It's nice to have, well done, and worth seeing at least once in my opinion but it's nothing essential. **

December 11th, 2010

Libra Scale (Deluxe Edition)

ONE: CHAMPAGNE LIFE -> I like the extended version of this already great song which comes on the album. An exceptional celebratory song. Cheers to life! B+

TWO: MAKIN' A MOVIE -> This track really flows well too. Production by Derrick White is absolutely top-notch. One of my absolute favorites. A-

THREE: KNOW YOUR NAME -> Laid-back as hell. Dreamy production by The NeXmen and Paul Dawson and has Ne-Yo stretching and giving his vocals a workout towards the end of the track. A-

FOUR: TELEKINESIS -> This song has Ne-Yo sexing a ladie's body and mind. Another great, great, laid-back track. B+

FIVE: CRAZY LOVE (feat. Fabolous) -> This one is good but not great. It features the often missing-in-action early 2000's rapper, Fabolous. B-

SIX: ONE IN A MILLION -> An absolute breezy mid-tempo. I love the African drums. Great lyrics and marvelous flow to it. A

SEVEN: GENUINE ONLY -> This is a excellent (and underrated) track to switch things up just a little. It has a lot of bass and the hand claps just fit. A love song of sorts, but it's also somewhat upbeat. My new favorite track on the album. A+

EIGHT: 'CAUSE I SAID SO -> My least favorite track of them all. Doesn't quite feel like Ne-Yo but still OK. Just not the greatest. B-

NINE: BEAUTIFUL MONSTER -> A dance track and Ne-Yo's lead off single. A number one hit in the UK and on the US Dance chart. Otherwise, not a favorite but growing on me. B-

TEN: WHAT HAVE I DONE? -> A track of self-reflection about doing someone wrong and turning them into a monster emotionally. I have a feeling some won't appreciate this great track. I especially love the bridge. A-

This album is quite spectacular. One of the definite greats of 2010. Ne-Yo (as usual) took the time to co-write all of the tracks present and the songs fit his voice. The harmonies on many of the songs are bananas and most of the time, he seems really into what he is doing. You know, engaged in the material.

I bought and have heard his first two albums in full and they just don't compare to this one. 2008's Year of the Gentleman was probably a good release too seeing as I heard about half of those tracks and liked most of them but so far, this is the album of Ne-Yo's career.

The main disappointment, even with the deluxe edition's extended versions of the music videos for "Beautiful Monster", "Champagne Life" and "One In A Million" is that there were no bonus tracks to help make this album feel a bit more fleshed out and us, a little less ripped off.

Now don't get me wrong, the album feels complete and very cohesive but 10 tracks just isn't enough these days when I'm paying 12.99 for the download at iTunes. The videos were great but I would prefer extra tracks.

All in all, a great purchase and the tracks are quite worth it. But some just won't be able to get over the fact that no matter what edition you get, you only will have 10 tracks. However, if you can get past that, this disc/collection of songs has VERY HIGH replay-ability and I am very, very proud to say that I purchased this album.

"A-", 4.5 stars or a 9/10.

DOWNLOAD:
"Genuine Only"
"One In A Million"
"Makin' A Movie"
"Know Your Name" &
"What Have I Done"

SKIP:
None

After I downloaded this album I turned up my Bose Companion 3 speakers and WOW! This album made me clean up my entire home. The beats of each song makes me feel like ridin down sunset boulevard with the top down, and its not even summer yet! On a couple of songs he kind of sings like Michael Jackson. I have no complaints about this album. Very good. If you are a fan of Ne-Yo you will like this album.

This is by far Ne-Yo's best CD to date. I bought it the day it was released and I can't stop listening to it. The collaboration with Fabolous is hot and the ballads are amazing. Ne-Yo has grown tremendously as a writer and this disc is evidence of that. It helps to know the story that is weaved throughout the songs beforehand; I recommend getting the Deluxe edition with the videos. I'm thrilled that he took the creative risk that he did with this album and I hope that it pays off tremendously for him. You won't be disappointed with this purchase!

The only reason NE-YO doesn't get a 5 is because this is his 4th album and he only gave us 10 songs. I was hoping to get a good 14 tracks, he always makes good music, so that was the only thing that disappointed me. Now on to the musical side of it.

Champagne Life....mid tempo groove, and it's very apparent that MJ was a big influence in his life because all of his songs have that Jackson flair. Let's toast it up! It's a feel good song, normally when a song that's been played on the radio or you've seen the video leads off, normally that's not a good cd, not in this case. I think he's getting you ready. 5 out of 5

Making a Movie...another mid tempo groove...playful song about his superhero group trying to get the ladies. Telling the women how cool they are, and they are going to make a movie. Nice song, creative. 4 out of 5

Know your Name....if this song doesn't remind you of a song that MJ would sing, nothing will. Another gem, real smooth in the delivery and it's simply Ne Yo approaching a lady and politely asking for her name. Again he's playing off the "gentlemen" role that he's set with the videos. 5 out of 5

TeleKinesis......Could be the best song on the cd. "Girl have you ever, had someone had someone who takes the time, to sex your body, but also sex your mind." The chorus alone is a beast, fellas, let's get inside of a womans mind, sex her mind and her body follows, brillant song! 5 out of 5

Crazy Love.....Think of Lauren Hill's "Sweetest Thing I've ever known" song, and the music, the tempo, the guitars the whole feel puts you in that state of mind muscially. I love Lauren's song, and Crazy Love is also a gem. He's comparing love and insanity, he says they are related in the way that they make you act. You know what, he has a point, love can make you insane, listen to the words and the music holds you. And Fabolous adds a nice little flow to the song, and it doesn't distract from the theme at all. 5 out of 5

One in a Million....Love the video, love the dancing, love the whole "the way you make me feel vibe", first time I heard the song, I saw the video and I was immediately impressed. Again he plays of the "gentleman" vibe and he's telling his newfound love that he's been everywhere and have seen a lot of different women, but she's the best. Classic 5 out of 5

Geniune Only.....Telling the tale to his lady that he hopes she's never alone. He's pretty much letting her know that they can weather any storm and that his love is geniune. 3 out of 5

Cause I said so.....Up tempo groove, it's like the introduction of the women that Ne Yo's character is falling for. In the song, with hints of MJ's "Oh NO, sound from Dirty Diana" Kindy of techno feel vibe and maybe everyone won't feel it, but I think the groove is infectious and it's a perfect lead to the next song, Beautiful Monster 4 out of 5

Beautiful Monster....A lot of artist are putting a sort of "Will.I.Am" song on their cd's, not all are good. This one, is great, not too long but the music in the song is great. The entire album is produced beautifully, the song is Ne Yo's character falling for the woman, he's trying to fight it but he can't. She's the one that he can't beat. He's giving up his powers for this woman, and he doesn't mind. 5 out of 5

What have I done...... A ballad finally. He finishes the concept album with a ballad that sounds like something MJ would sing. The synthesizing sound in the song sounds a lot like the beginning of "human Nature". The song seems to be questioning why he has chosen to take on the powers that were bestowed upon him and didn't follow the guidelines of what he wasn't supposed to do. He was supposed to rid the city of crime, live the good life(champagne life) and lastly, not fall in love, which is what he did. 5 out of 5

So you see, the concept album worked beautifully, not a bad song on the cd at all. Each song fits, the production was flawless, he gives you the best that he can do and he doesn't miss. He has elements of MJ and you can hear it in every song if you choose to do so, but I'm okay with that, Mike is gone, in my opinion, we need someone to keep some of the best things we liked about him alive, and I think Ne Yo does it very effortlessly. Libra Scale is a gem, I hope I was able to give a little more insight into a classic album in the time of a bunch of junk in the R&B world. Definitely must have in your collection.