Customer Reviews

It Must Be Magic

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

1)Her voice!!!

2)Her voice!!!

3)Her voice!!!

I absolutely love Teena Marie..She is my favorite singer (beside Minnie Riperton)..Im 21 years old and I just happened to discover Teena at the age of 12..From then on, no one could tell me that she wasnt one of the greatest singers, if not the greatest, in the world..Her voice is so full of raw passion and emotion, its a rarity not found in music anymore..But anyway, to review the album, you know the album is incredible..My fave tracks are Revolution, Where's California, 365, Square Biz, Pourteguese Love, Yes Indeed and the last two songs that she performs live..Yes Indeed is worth the money alone..That song, she just kills it..She tears it apart with her vocals..I put that song on repeat..And I've seen Teena three times in concert, so the live performances bring back memories of when I've seen her..The way that she holds notes, oh my gosh, I just love her..I encourage anyone to pick up not just this album, but every other album that she has...If you dont know her name, you need to look her up...She's simply bad!!!

Back in 1981 at age 11, I started buying records with the bit of money I'd get from my allowance and my paper route. My opinion of everything else that I've ever listened to is in some way affected by what I learned by listening to "It Must Be Magic" - first album I ever bought. There are so many magical moments here - the jubilance of the title track, the perfect heartbreak of "Where's California", the feel-good love of "365", the razor-edged funk "Square Biz" (a groove that just won't quit!), the sumptuous Latin-tinged sensuality of the epitome of The Quiet Storm, "Portuguese Love" (now, HOW many babies have been conceived by THIS track? *grin!*) and "Yes Indeed" the utter beauty of Lady Tee wearing her heart on her sleeve yet again, hoping and holding on. I think this is Teena's finest masterpiece - the musicianship featured on this CD from the onslaught of Tee's music, lyrics and arrangements to the band to the background vocalists (including a pre-1999 Jill Jones, Mickey Boyce-Hearn and The Temptations) compares to no other. I would give this CD ten stars if I could. You might be inclined to call her a Diva, and she is that, but above all Teena Marie is a genius full of soul and love. Thank you so much, my Piscean sister, for filling my life with such beautiful music, brimming with so much love - and hope!

Teena Marie is truly deserving of the title "diva" and no better representation of her artistry can be found in 1981's "It Must be Magic". This disc features six of her most intricately soulful compositions: "Square Biz", "Portuguese Love", "365", "Cradle Rob and Me", the title cut, and the awesome tribute to John Lennon, "Revolution".

The addition of the previously unreleased tracks, along with the 12-inch instrumental version of "Biz", are just added to placate contemporary listeners who feel that longer is better.

The album was musical perfection without the "extras".

OK, i am a fan, in my early 30's but i recall my mom had most of her music, I recall one chritmas I asked my mom to buy this album for me. I was very young, but played it over and over again. Yes Indeed ...The words alone are GREAT, and then she sings the song that makes you feel it too. To add to all this the MUIC is Amazing. EVERY SONG on this CD is GREAT, she received her first Grammy nod for this Album, but did not win. Pick it up she got some funky jams, and slow ones too. A classic!

Unfortunately this is Teena Marie's final Motown album and is as fantastic a follow-up to 'Irons Of Fire' as she could make.There are two differences-she relies less on jazz here and the lyrical focus is more on social commentary and less on romance.A bi cross-section of the music featured on this album is uptempo funky R&B-soul as patented by Rick James-the title cut,the socio politically inclined "Revolution" and "365" all sport that style with great grooves,rhythms and excellent lyrics.On "Where's California" Teena finds herself searching out her influences overseas on a poetic piano ballad.On "Square Biz" the slamming beat and horn packed arrangement finds her singing and rapping about corn bread,filet mignon and the name calling she'd endured over the years."Opus 111" has an oddball Christian message while the smooth "Portuguese Love" again finds her in a percussive latin mood.The entire affair ends with another ballad "Yes Indeed",an instrumental version of "Square Biz" and elongated live versions of two of her classic early songs as bonus cuts.
Speaking of 'It Must Be Magic' as a whole Teena Marie makes her musical intentions again all too clear-she has no intention of allowing issues of musical genres,artistic control and especially skin complexion be any problem for her and unfortunately these are the issues that she faced quite alot while with Motown.But with the help of Rick James's band,a guest spot by the Tempations and her own musical and artistic savvy she was more then able to get over the hump and produce this entertaining but also meaningful work of art.As with 'Irons Of Fire' very highly recommended.

This album is excellent almost every song was a hit. This is one of those albums you need to be with a sexy man and a glass of wine. The songs Yes Indeed,Portuguese Love,Where's California and of course Square biz alone is worth the purchase. How about it took a long time to find this on cd. I still have my vinyl copy of this album. Teena Marie is an understated artist often over looked, this cd should convince you other wise. Did you know Patrice Rushen did the piano solo on Yes Indeed? Yes indeed

I recalled hearing her fast songs and duet with Rick James and jamming to them but not hard. Then I at a high school basketball and a friend of mine had her Walkman on. She was listening to Teena's "Robbery" cassette specifically "Casanova Brown." She let me hear it and I fell in love. It's taken me over the last 10 years to get all of her music on CD. My favorite song has always been "Yes Indeed." I had it on cassette but broke it due to extensive playing. So I was so glad to finally get it on CD and know the story behind it that Patrice Rushen played on it, too. Teena...what can I say? The magic really is in her music. The way she holds those notes and incorporates relationship into the other music genres from latin to jazz to classical to soul. No music collection should be without this woman's music. And there's one more song I love that she did with Rick though it got little airplay. It's called "Happy"

I originally bought this on cd when it was first put out on the 2 albums on 1 cd gimmick Motown did when cds were first issued in the mid 1980's. It didn't matter that some of the tracks were in single form rather than the FULL length versions found on the original lps. It was Teena Marie and that is what mattered. Well I guess you can't go wrong with 1 cd featuring Irons In The Fire and It Must Me Magic now can you.

This cd is a reissue with 3 bonus tracks. The Bonus tracks are the Instrumental 12" for "Square Biz" (6:40) and a live interlude of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free" and her own "Deja Vu (I've Been Here Before)" that are from 1981. All three of the bonus tracks are worth hearing for the Teena freaks.

Now onto the original reason for buying this cd is to get the FULL version of the 1981 classic Gordy lp It Must Be Magic on cd finally. When it was issued in mid 1981 it hit number 2 for 8 weeks on the Black Album charts and 23 on the Pop Album charts and for someone that has still never crossed over to white audiences that means a lot. The album as a whole begins and is mostly remembered for the dance tracks on the cd by single releases. "Square Biz" was issued about 5 months after "Rapture" by Blondie and in the liner notes Teena describes how she had heard Debbie Harry rapping and loved it but thought she could do it better. Well that still is up for debate coming from a Debbie Harry freak but to me "Square Biz" more than holds its own and to me is one of the earliest raps that features a female boasting about herself. The track hit number 3 on the R&B and number 50 Pop and features a guest from Rick James. The second track issued from the collection was the title track "It Must Be Magic" that reached number 30 R&B. This is one of my all time favorites from Teena. It is just pure joy from beginning to end and features the vocals of Motown legends The Temptations.A++++ song. The third track issued was the stunning "Portuguese Love" that reached number 54 on the R&B charts. This is a Teena lead duet with Rick James like "Fire & Desire " was a Rick led duet with Teena. It is a mixture of latin percussions, flat out jazz and steamy r&b with both singers sexing up the song by the end of the track. At 7:17 it is the longest track of the lp and is now featured on some dance compilations in Europe.
But for most fans the lp is remembered for her ballads like "Where's California" , "Opus III" and the best track on the cd "Yes Indeed" with Patrice Rushen on lovely piano. The other up tempo tracks are sheer joy with "365" and "The Ballad Of Cradle Rob & Me " which was written by Prince protege Jill Jones , who needs to make more music. The track "Revolution" I still think is so complex still today it would win a Grammy for it's arrangement.

So if you are a new fan or an old one like me this remastered edition of It Must Be Magic is a must for the collection of great albums put out by Teena Marie. A++++

I would just like to say that I'm so glad that this album has finally come full circle. I have the vinyl and now I'll have it in cd form. Long, long awaited. This is truly one of the best experiences of all of her music to date. Don't get me wrong. All of Teena Maries' music is great, but "Cradle Rob And ME" and "Where's California" and last but not least "Yes Indeed". I considered those songs heaven sent because there's not too many who don't or haven't or won't sooner or later relate to the words.I can't wait for her latest release. Come on Lady Tee, we're waiting for you.

Hi all I just wanted to let you know that I bought this album when it was originally released way back when. I had the album, cassette, and cd. I wore the album and cassette out and someone stole my CD. But this, this Re-mastered cd sounds Absolutely wonderful. I don't remember the original sounding that good. I'll review the new material first, song 11) "Someday We'll All Be Free" short but wonderful, she hits a note that sends chills up and down my spine. Song #12) Deja Vu (I've Been Here Before) oh my god, oh my god it is over 12 minutes of pure JOY!! It's HEAVENLY, I can honestly tell you all that you haven't lived your lives properly or fully until you've heard this woman sing live..... #3 Where's California just too pretty, #5 the amazing Opus III, with the longer fade out, pure Heaven, #9 "YES INDEED" is the song that made me fall in love with her. I can only say that there ought to be a law against a singer/songwrite this talented who just doesn't get her props. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU BUY THIS ALBUM I've been playing the live songs for my co-workers and they say "No wonder you love her so much".