Customer Reviews

Louder Than Words

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

 

 

I personally have stopped liking most modern R&B because of how cookie-cutter that it has become. Acts like Destiny's Child, post-2000 Janet Jackson, and Olivia have severely degraded a formerly great style of music.

However this CD does not fall into that category and in fact is miles and miles above the garbage that makes it to the radio and the charts. This album is intelligent, deep, and soulful even if a bit sappy at times but I don't mind a little sappiness. :) My favorites are "Ordinary Girl", "Paradise", and "Lovers At First Sight". The rest of the album is absolutely amazing as well but the songs I mentioned are the highlights. It's sad that this album was overlooked and will never get the recognition that it deserves. :((

This CD is a definate must-have.

After a turbulent decade long hiatus Lionel Richie returned in 1996 with one of the best R&B albums of all time entitled "Louder Than Words". R&B music still was good during this time and this marvelous and provocative masterpiece is a shining star in the genres last days of being a great genre. This is intelligent, classy, and absolutely emotional music, something that has been completely absent from R&B in the past five years. A great variety of songs and a sense of cloudy day dreaminess propel this album to what I consider masterpiece status. The booklet though, like a previous review said, is ... and somewhat cumbersome with its 'open up into a poster' design but at least the lyrics are present and all is forgiven. Mature, intelligent, dark, yet bright at the same time is how I describe this album.

"Piece Of Love" is a beautiful opener. It's a sentimental song with a mid-tempo mood. "Still In Love" is a soulful song with a beautiful blend of R&B, jazz, pop, and some 12 string guitars. Richie sounds incredible on this track, just like the rest of the album. "Wanna Take You Down" is an upbeat song with an old-school hip-hop vibe with production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis while they still had the ability to produce good music. This is a fantastic song. "Can't Get Over You" is similar to "Still In Love" but I like this one more. It starts off with gorgeous guitars and builds into a mid-tempo Quiet Storm mood song with a very late 80s or early 90s sound to it. "Change" is the most upbeat song on the entire album. It's a marvelous blend of jazz, R&B, old-school hip-hop and soul. "Change" is a fun, upbeat, and absolutely fantastic upbeat song. This could as well be my favorite song off this album. "Nothing Else Matters" is another gorgeous Quiet Storm-oriented ballad similar to "Still In Love". "Ordinary Girl" is one of my favorite R&B mid-tempo songs of all-time with it's odd chord structure, haunting mood, mixed with a semi-danceable beat, this is one of my favorite R&B songs off all-time and this is coming from someone who has long since turned his back on this formerly wonderful genre of music. "Say I Do" is definitive R&B with the perfect blend between the old-school R&B balladry and modern R&B production and comes off as a wonderful aural pleasure and a haunting mood to it. Fans of classic R&B will likely enjoy this one. I love the eerie somewhat spacey fadeout at the ending. "Paradise" is an astonishing mid-tempo song with a lovely and cloudy evening or misty morning mood and a tapestry of beauty, depth, and melodic punch. The lyrics and the beats are wonderful as well. "Don't Want To Lose You" is a wonderful and upbeat song with a blend of R&B, Jazz, and even a bit of Big Band in some places. This was the only hit off this album as it was the only song that made it to the radio from my knowledge but I have great memories of this song during its heyday. "Lovers At First Sight" was an instant classic the first few seconds after listening to it for the first time. It's a fun, upbeat, yet mature, sophisticated song with a dreamy mix of R&B, jazz, and as the song plays along, it builds up into a Big Band song with a classic jazz mood before it fades down into a dark dreamy song during the last 20 seconds of the song. "Lover's At First Sight" is a work of art and one of the best R&B songs that I've ever heard. My hats off to Richie for this song. :) "Climbing" wraps up this masterpiece. It starts with a haunting mix of echoing voices in the distance and a loud blast of melody comes in and becomes a marvelous tapestry of textural beauty and soul. It's actually hard for me to explain this song in words but it does tend to morph into different moods throughout its 6 minutes and 26 second playing time. I would almost call this progressive R&B. "Climbing" closes out this masterpiece on top.

I would say that the music on this album surpasses a lot of pop music from the ten to fifteen years preceding this albums release. The slow songs are gorgeous, lovely, deep, and powerful while the upbeat songs are danceable, upbeat without sounding like computer-generated, DJ oriented dreack and are just plain out fun to dance to even if they aren't like `party music' songs. Not too long after this album was released, R&B would simply go down the toilet. R&B's descent into gender-bashing, sex-drenched, cookie-cutter and mentally insulting garbage is probably the greatest musical tragedy in the history of music. It's so sad that this has happened to such a formerly great genre but Lionel Richies "Louder Than Words" though was one of the best albums in the genre and I would consider it R&B last laugh before it would go down the drain. I haven't heard "Time" or "Renaissance" at the time of writing this review so maybe they're worthy albums too. Buy this because its probably the best modern R&B album ever made and truly holds up after all these years. For me, give me the beauty and sensuality of "Paradise", "Say I Do", and "Ordinary Girl" anyday over "Thong Song" and "Survivor"! I give my hats off to Lionel for creating an R&B masterpiece.

This is a brilliant collection of songs from Richie, after much time away from recording and performing, and many changes, some of them hard...in his life. The CD has smooth and lovely ballads, with two great jazzy numbers in the beginning and end. The opener, "Piece of Love", is my favorite, with a great lyric and melody, and a superb vocal performance, as well as musicianship from the band; it's the only song on the CD not written or co-written by Richie, but fits in perfectly with his compositions. The other song with a strong jazz influence is "Lovers at First Sight", and "Change" is another strong number. "Climbing" is an interesting song, with its many time shifts, and almost classical feel.

Better late than never, though I had heard him (it was impossible not to in the '80s), this is the first Lionel Richie CD I've repeatedly listened to, and his artistry is impressive, as a writer and vocalist, with fabulous phrasing and musicality.
This CD was certified "Gold", and unfortunately it didn't spawn any hit singles; it should have done much better, considering the excellent quality of each track.
The insert, which folds out like a road map, has all the lyrics and recording info, and a few photos. The sound is terrific and total time is 61'23.

After 1992's "Back To Front", Lionel Richie went on a four - year hiatus. In 1996, he reemerged with his old sound (and a new haircut)with the album "Louder Than Words", his best album since 1983's "Can't Slow Down".

"Louder Than Words" begins with the haunting "Piece Of Love". This tack and the following "Still In Love" show that Lionel still has it. In fct, these two songs are worth the price of the cd alone. "I Wanna Take You Down" changes the mood greatly. A hip - hop kind of number, Lionel tries to catch up with the modern soun but gets lost in the beauty of his classic ballad talents, and that's a good thing. The tearjerking "Can't Get Over You" is probably my favorite song on the album. It's not so much the song itself but the emotion Lionel conveys in his voice. "Change" is a bit of a weaker song, but the album gets back on track with "Nothing Else Matters". "Ordinary Girl" a great love ong, co - written with Babyface. "Say I Do" is a beautiful a wedding number as "Endless Love". "Paradise" is nice, but is a little long (or maybe it just seems long. "Don't Wanna Lose You" was the album's single; it only reached 39 on the charts. It's the song most in vein with his older material, especially the arrangement. "Lovers At First Sight" is MOR soft rock at its best, and the eerie closer "Paradise" is 6 minutes of pure Lionel.

"Louder Than Words" is a classic album. Lione's music still sounds as fresh as it didin the 1979s' and 1980s'. If you love Lionel or are a serious music fan, buy "Louder Than Wrds" when you get the chance.

I like to call this CD "The Return of Richie" because Lionel had not released anything new for quite some time. After being one of the most popular entertainers in the business throughout the 1980s, he was noticeably absent from the music scene from 1987 to 1992 due to personal issues. In 1992, he re-emerged with BACK TO FRONT, but that was mostly a greatest hits compilation with a couple of new songs thrown in. Four more years went by, and finally LOUDER THAN WORDS materialized in 1996.

For those people who complain that Lionel never did anything "soulful" after his departure from the Commodores, obviously they missed this CD, which is contemporary jazz and R&B but no one paid any attention to it. Urban radio largely ignored it, merely BECAUSE it was a Lionel Richie CD, except for a couple of songs that showed up on the Quiet Storm radio format. Pop radio thought it was "too urban" or not commercial enough for them. Either way, it is a shame, because this was probably the best CD that Lionel ever released after he split from the band and it was an obvious move to recapture his old R&B audience. Of course, Lionel covers his pop bases with tunes such as the country-pop feel of "Still In Love", "Can't Get Over You" and the grandiose ballad (and almost over the top) "Climbing", but this is overwhelmingly an R&B CD - and a good one, at that.

The CD starts off with the jazzy R&B ballad, "Piece of Love" and it's smooth sailing from then on. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who have produced Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, New Edition and others, do some good work here, along with the famous Richie lyrics (he wrote or co-wrote all of the songs except one). The sexy "I Wanna Take You Down" is Lionel's attempt at a hip-hop groove, and surprisingly, it works for him. It's reminiscent of Marvin Gaye's classic "I Want You" with an Ohio Players sample as the base. No, he's not spitting out rhymes like a rapper - he's not trying to go there - but merely using his speaking voice as a seductive instrument...and you want to LISTEN! Another track, "Don't Want to Lose You" is straight old-school soul - the old Commodores' hit "Just To Be Close To You" comes to mind right away. This is an extremely strong cut and although it was the single from this CD, it should have done better on the charts. "Say I Do" is a gorgeous, warm and beautiful contemporary R&B ballad that should have also gotten major airplay.

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds contributes his trademark sound to the mellow but upbeat ballad, "Ordinary Girl", and it is one of the best songs on the CD...why, oh WHY didn't radio give this song a spin? Another missed opportunity for a hit! Lionel's co-producer from his Commodores' days and early solo career, James Carmichael, collaborates with Lionel on the jazzy R&B jam, "Change", a tune about a cheating spouse. It is yet another slamming song that would have been a major hit if it was promoted.

The remaining tracks are just as strong: "Paradise", "Nothing Else Matters" and "Lovers At First Sight" (Lionel does a great job here with this outstanding jazz arrangement). On LOUDER THAN WORDS, he proves beyond a doubt he is STILL the soulful guy that led so many of the Commodores' biggest hits and if you REALLY want to check out some excellent R&B, then look no further than this CD. R&B artists of today -- LISTEN AND LEARN!!

Lionel Richie is one artist I've always had mixed feelings about. Like McCartney,Peter Cetera and others he has always had the frusterating tendency to be both brilliant and overwelming sappy,both apart and at once often enough. In the past there were times where all of that worked like a charm such asCan't Slow Down but by the end of the 80's I'll admit I lost both interest and track of him. When this came out I didn't give it a second thought.Frankly....it came into my hands via a used CD copy I picked up at a local second hand DVD/CD shop a few weeks ago. So tonight while painting I decided to slap it on and give it a listen. The date on it kind of scared me;the mid 90's could be a real wasteland for good R&B,soul and pop in the wrong hands after all. Now that I finished it I can say in all honesty this is actually pretty moving and clever stuff. It's definately as slickly produced,dramatized and intentional as any recent adult contempory album but even with the obvious syrup there's something very sincere about the "words";Lionel had taken a decade off from his last studio album Dancing on the Ceiling to this one and believe it or not there appears to have been some serious artistic growth. True there are no uptempo songs on this collection,nevermind any hardcore funk of the Commodores days (let's put that wishful thought to rest in the this case)nevertheless what is here are a very dynamic set of songs. The focus of course is primarily on his stock-in-trade ballads and for that we're given "Still In Love","Can't Get Over You","Nothing Else Matters","Say I Do" and "Don't Wanna Lose You". On "Piece Of Love" there's a jazzy feel too with sax solos and a late night touch.For my own purposes the lightly rhythmic midtempo tunes are the best of the lost from "I Wanna Take You Down","Change","Ordinary Girl" and the excellent "Paradise" with it's cool sensuality and tasteful,stripped back production really have a jazzy 90's R&B/pop edge,in some ways not too different from what you might find on something like the Isley's Mission to Please of the same year. The two songs that close off this are the most compelling."Lovers At First Sight" starts off as more or less a love ballad then turns into this high octane jazz fusion epic at the end and leads into....a hidden track called "Climbing",an almost classic sounding piece that,yes is a bit overdramatic but it works with the lyrics. So in the end you have Lionel's first full lengh that really comes closer to being a genuine album then a collection of pop singles and succeds at it's intention. Even if ballads aren't your thing when taken as parts rather then pieces of the whole you will find this a very blissful and provocative listening experience.

Well you are if you like Lionel Richie, or even good pop/soul. I can say pop/soul unashamedly because you know what Lionel brings to the table. Louder Than Words was easily his best since Can't Slow Down, and yes. it's good enough to be mentioned in the same sentence with the aforementioned gem. It actually gives "Can't" a good run for it's money if the truth be known. It is a fine, fine recording that probably will stand the proverbial test of time. Highlights? Take your pick really. I bought this when it first came out, and as soon as the first track started, Piece Of Love, I knew I'd made a wise decision. By the time I got to Nothing Else Matters, nothing else did. Good music is good music. There are still opportunities to add this to your collection. You may be pleasantly surprised if you choose to do so.

In a world of disposable music and other musical atrocities it is comforting to have music of this caliber.In this great homeland of America we produce some of the best music in the world yet sadly not appreciated.Cds of this nature are bought and later sold for pennies on the dollar like a cheap used car.Music is food for the soul,it should be eaten and digested slowly and savor like fine wine.LOUDER THAN WORDS is a masterpiece and will be historically, one of Lionel Richie best written, best produced album period.

This album is near perfect! A lot of today's artists ought to listen to this cd and take some serious notes. This is how R&B should sound. There wasn't a track on this cd that I didn't like. It's well worth your money. The one track that stole my heart for this album was "Say I Do". It is a beautiful song for lovers and a wedding if it came down to it. I don't know what personal problems he's had,but it didn't affect his songwriting and singing skills at all. GO LIONEL! :)

What can I say. An album for lovers. I especially love Ordinary Girl...it can bring tears to your eyes.