Customer Reviews

Open Letter

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

i always thought that he was an amazing singer, but this cemented my beliefs and made me realize why i like him so much. usually he has a few hot songs and a few misses but this record you can play all the way thru. he is one of the few artists that sing really sweet love songs that you can cuddle up to by a fire with that special someone and listen to. i love this cd so much.

"missing you" is an amazing song, and since i first heard it on the nutty professer 2 soundtrack i knew it would be an instant classic if it was released, and it has, and it is. case really shines on that track and the vocals are amazing. even though the song is tight as hell its not the best song on the album. that would have to be "no regrets" followed a bit to closley by "even though", "sex games" & "wishful thinking".

but case gives some amazing dance tunes (well sort of) with "shine" a great song with a positive message and "crooked letter" which i didn't understand to well but the beat was amazing and the lyrics were kool too. "drivin" is a phat love song too as well as "a song for skye" an amazing song dedicated to his daughter. other hot songs are "conversate", "love of my life", "already have" & "not your friend". if your lucky too on your cd you will get "missing you" (bedtime remix) which is the song in a beautiful ballad form.

this cd is absolutely amazing and is really hot. the last 2 R&B cd'z released from def soul (musiq soulchild is neo-soul not r&b) were this one and kelly price's mirror mirror which was another five star effort. i love this record so much that i can't express it in words but i highly suggest anybody to RUN out to stores and cop this record because there is no such thing as unsatisfactory to be found anywhere on this record. i can only hope that you take my advice and listen up and get this record which is what you should do. peace ya'll

one of the very few artists now a days that can really sing a good love song, case doesn't disappoint any fans with the release of his highly anticipated third album -Open Letter-. do to the material that has been released on other case albums, one may have been reluctant to purchase this release, but its completely unneccissary to feel this way. case really shows much maturity and improvement from his self titled debut & his sophomore follow up personal conversation.

he shines on "missing you" the album's elite first single. the dance beat on "shine" is well accepted, as is his dedication to his daughter on "a song for skye". the ballads are amazing, especially "driving", "sex games" & one of my favorites "already have". "wishful thinking" is a more up-beat type of track and its a quick favorite. the albums best tracks though are "no regrets" and "even though", two amazing ballads.

through the good songs though, he does slip up a little, a very little. he misses on tracks like "crooked letter", "conversate" & "love of my life". he shows little promise on the mediocre "not your friend" in which he tells his girlfriend a tale of a girl hounding him, and also is the album's second single. he doesn't show times of slipping up anytime soon though so don't take these problems to seriously.

basically i'm really feelin case's newer material and i think that maybe he can really push himself forward, ahead of all the newer r&b talent that is dropping now because case has the talent and voice to shine above them, but now he finally has the tracks. before case's weak writing teams kept him from showcasing all of his talents, but thats not the case anymore and it will be nice to see where hes headed.

After two CD's under his belt dropping such hits as the classics Touch Me, Tease Me w/ Foxy Brown, Faded Pictures w/ Joe, Happiliy After You.. Case drops his third and his best CD of his career thus far.. Open Letter is a 59 minute 59 second smooth, soulful, romantic, sincere musical ride.. From the opening track Missing You to the Closing track Eventhough.. You will be entertained and mesmerize with the smooth grooves, the sensational ballads which are truly the gems of the CD.. Among the highlights on a sensational disc.. Missing You one of the most sincere piece of work in a while.. The Old school vibe of Shine and Wishful Thinking both of these songs have a Stevie Wonder vibe to them.. A Song For Sky a beautiful song dedicated to his daughter " Skye" being a single parent myself i can certainly feel this song.. Driving, Even Though, Conversate, Not Your Friend.. The real highlight of the CD is the sensational ballad " No Regrets" featuring Charlie Wilson of the legendary Gap Band on the background vocals.. I have to agree with reviewer " James H2000" . This is the best slow song i have heard Case done.. This song could easily be on the best slow jams ever .. I have to say i have no idea what the reviewer that rated this Cd one star was listening to but it certainly wasnt this CD .. This is a very nice CD .. Keep doing what you doing Case .. Hopefully after his third Cd he will finally get the recognition he deserve.. Pick this up folks you will enjoy this

I remember when the "Nutty Professor" was about to hit the theatres back in the summer of '96. There was the infamous video "Touch Me, Tease Me" with Foxy Brown and a little known singer called Case. I didn't even know he came out with a debut album at the time; it wasn't until "Happily Ever After" played on the airwaves, along with other hit singles, that his career launched. His lastest album, "OPEN LETTER", is an excellent showcase of his talents and arrangements. I'm very touchy when it comes to certain music nowadays; it tends to fall into the classic case of a quick dollar scenario for commercial gain. But honestly, I haven't enjoyed a CD like this since SWV's "A New Beginning", Brian Mcknight's "Anytime" or Keith Martin's "It's Long Overdue". Here's my run-down of each song:

Missing You - The perfect song about missing that special someone. Nice lyrics, a smooth groove...no complaints here.

Shine - It definitely has that Stevie Wondersque quality. If you didn't know Case was singing, you'd think it was Stevie himself. Another great song, very honest lyrics...

Song for Skye - I can't think of too many artists who would take time to dedicate a track for their daughters. But Case did, and it's great. Very inspirational. When Skye gets older, she'll be very proud that he did this for her...

Not Your Friend - Good song, but one of my least favorites...

Driving - Usually loving takes place in the bedroom, but Case decided to take it to the open road. Perfect for riding or driving too...

Sex Games - Perfect slow song for well, the obvious.

Conversate - I seem to find something new everytime I listen to this track. Although the beat is simple, it's very hypnotic. Rarely do you find a R+B track talking about the basis of relationships which is communication. Another decent and honest song...

Love of My Life - Another track almost duplicating Stevie Wonder. At first, I didn't like the beat but I've grown to appreciate his approach of orchestration in this song. I can personally relate to this song. Good story-telling...

Wishful Thinking - Another track almost duplicating Stevie Wonder. I could see this on Original Musiquarium. Another excellent song...

Crooked Letter - Most artists, especially R+B artists, seem like they gotta have at least one fast, hip-hop influenced track to break the momentum. But I'm not very fond of this track either. The album could have done without this throwaway...

Already Have - Another flawless song. They say honesty is the best policy, and it works on slow jams. Why not tell the one you love just how much you love them? No drama, just purity...

No Regrets - This almost has the same vibe as "Conversate", not saying that's bad. Just plain good. Strong lyrics, good all around...

Even Though - The lyrics are so simple yet complex. A nice way to end an album, being able to move on from a breakup knowing that someone just may be still thinking about you. Perfect for a compilation of songs for the summertime. I'm sure anybody can relate to this song...

11/13 is my score for "OPEN LETTER". Each song approaches love in a different way. Did I mention hardly any guest appearances or cameos? Just a talented singer. Nice job, Case. With 2 good CD's before him, "OPEN LETTER" is even better. I can't wait to see how he picks up from this greatest effort. I'll be listening...

Most of us were introduced to Case Woodard when we first heard the song that he had on the Nutty Professor 1 soundtrack: "Touch Me, Tease Me w/Foxy Brown. His first CD was a nice debut and the CD was hip hop influenced with some nice slow songs as well: "More To Love", "Don't Be Afraid", "Crazy" and "The Day Til I Die" were favorites of mine from his debut CD. Before he released his 2nd disc, "Personal Conversation", Case had a song on the "Rush Hour" soundtrack with Joe, the classic "Faded Pictures". This was and still is my favorite Case song. When his 2nd disc was released, although he had the songs "Happily Ever After" and "Think Of You", "Personal Conversation" didn't stick to the same formula as his debut. It sounded like Case was trying to cover all of his bases on one CD like he did on his debut but everything didn't gel together this time around. With "Open Letter" though, Case has gone back to old fashioned r&b. This is why I say that this is his finest work to date. This CD starts off with the a 2000 r&b classic, "Missing You" that was featured on the Nutty Professor 2 soundtrack. This has become my 2nd favorite Case song behind "Faded Pictures". The rest of the CD has a few uptempo and midtempo songs and an array of slow jams. The majority of the production is handled by Tim & Bob, Ray Watkins, and Redhead.....yes Redhead Kingpin, the one that was "Doin' The Right Thing" back in the day. The overall presentation of this CD is better than what Case was able to accomplish on the previous 2 CDs. The lyrics and the music have Case at his finest. The gems on this CD are "Conversate", the Shep Crawford produced "Already Have", "Love Of My Life", "Wishful Thinking" and "A Song For Skye". I have to agree with reviewer "Tony", because on the Redhead produced "Shine", Case sounds like Stevie Wonder a little bit when he describes how a young woman is trying to make it out on her own. The best song on this CD, in my opinion, is the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced "No Regrets". Charlie Wilson from the Gap Band does background vocals and believe me, even if you aren't a Case fan, you will love this song. This is the best slow song that I have ever heard from Case. "Open Letter" is a nice CD. If you are a fan of Case's singles from the past, you will enjoy this CD.

I'm a pretty big R&B fan. I recently listened to all of 112's new album and I thought it was pretty good. After I listened to Case's new album, 112's paled in comparison. There really isn't a bad song on this album other than crooked letter (I don't know where the hell he got that one from). All the other songs are either good or great. It's packed with melodious R&B. I thought that the only worthwile song would be Missing You which is an instant classic; but there are countless other songs on this album. No Regrets is a great ballad, Shine is a funky song, Love of my Life and Wishfull Thinking are nice songs as well. This is definitely the best R&B album i've heard in a while.

This album is probably the only Case album worth picking up. I absolutely love this one because it has some r&b gems on it. Check out "love of my life," "even though," and "conversate" (even though conversate is not an actual word - the correct term would be converse). This music is not for the immature or people just wanting to hear some music. In order to appreciate this album, you have to have been through some things in relationships. You have to have to be able to understand where he is coming from in order to apprecaite the seemingly simple lyrics of most of the songs. Case is not your plain old R&B singer...he sings love songs. If you don't like love songs, then this album may not be for you. Otherwise, you can put this album up there with Brian McKnight and Javier.

This cd gets better as it goes along; that is to say, the last songs are much better than the first ones. The main hit, "Missing You," has a beautiful chorus with great lyrics, but poor Case sounds like he is singing Karoake. His Oooh-wooo-wooo-wooohs are ineffectual. On the second song, "Shine," he tries to sound like Stevie Wonder. In fact, complete with a short and mediocre harmonica solo, the song sounds like "That Girl" with the notes rearranged. The lyrics, "If she could find the time to get her look just right, then, maybe she could be mine," are just dumb. Once we get past these two, however, the cd really begins. "A Song for Skye," written for his daughter, brings tears to my eyes. Then, with each song, with the exception of the throw-away "Crooked Letter," the songs get better and better. "Driving" and "Sex Games" are both hot and sexy. "Conversate," "Love of My Life," "Wishful Thinking," "Already Have," "No Regrets," and "Even Though" are all intelligent, and sound great for relaxing, working, road trips or romance. Case is not the best singer around. His voice is high and not the strongest, and he often overdoes his ad libs. If you want the best voices and singing style, purchase the new cd's of Mary J. Blige (No Drama) and Jaheim (Ghetto Love). Now, these two can SING! Case, I think, is an average guy. Not a singer, but he does poor his heart into these songs, and if you can get through the first couple, this cd is worth a listen.

I always knew he had it in him. Quite frankly, I wasn't all that impressed with his first 2 CDs. He showed promise as a singer, but both albums were weighed down by too much filler. Still, I kept my eye on him until, one day, he would make The Big Record. Now, 5 years following his debut, it's like...BOOM! This record is great! You can listen to it from start to finish without hitting that "next" button. His last 2 records went only gold, but this one definitely deserves to hit platinum. It just goes to show what happens when you stick with an artist and not write him off after just his first album.

I just wanna say that case is the best new r&b artist ive heard all year. Songs that are epecially good are driving, shine and not your friend. everyone should go out and buy this cd!!!!!!! its da bomb