Customer Reviews

Pendululm Vibe

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

 

 

The above mentioned track is the best song on this masterful debut album. The rest of "Pendulum Vibe" is stunning as well, but the Dallas Austin produced "Sunshine...." is the crown jewel on this LP. I actually own the maxi-single version of this song and it features a 12-minute version that totally de-constructs the groove, the beat and that booming, hypnotic bassline revealing the true genius of Joi and her collaborators. I also happen to own a pristine, bootleg copy of "Ameoba Cleansing Syndrome" from 1996 that wasn't released, but would have surely kicked her competitors a**es back to music school! It's a lost masterpiece and the music world would have been a better place for it's existence. This mid-90's debut however is an ample sampling of her vocal brilliance ("Narcissa Cutie Pie") and lyrical gifts ("Fatal Lovesick Journey") and was probably too artistic for pedestrian, mainstream tastes, hence it's cult status, but for us music addicts, it's another hit of the good stuff. Go Get It.

THE ALBUM IS A CLASSIC SHE
IS THE MOTHER OF NEO-SOUL
SHE CAME BEFORE ERYKAH,JILL
AND MANY OTHERS WITH NO SUCCESS, JOI
HAS BEEN MISTREATED BY THE INDUSTRY AND IT'S A
DAMN SHAME,GO COP THIS ALBUM
IT IS THE SH*T.

Tennessee Slim is the BOMB because Star Kitty had her Revenge. And while the Amoeba cleansed the Syndrome, the Pendulum was Vibin. So starts the creation of one of the greatest Funkateers of the era who came when the world was not ready for her. Stange in her way of the time of this CD she was lost among the more popular sounds but not to be ignored by those who do not follow the sounds of the norm.

I loved this creation back when it was first released. Im so glad that i found it again. "Memories" take you back to a place that u thought u might have forgotten, when in all actuallity you forgot to forget. However if u did forget then what have actually may happened was that u never knew. Find yourself lost and found again with the beautiful sounds of "Fatal Lovesick Journey" and then come out to face the "Sunshine & the Rain"

This is a tru work of art for those that love the sounds of Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Outkast, Goodie MOB,- people of that nature. we all know who they are. It's kinda sad to kno that such great artistry is ignored. They would exist now, but would they be who they are without the STAR KITTY?

In a musical era when it seems that R&B relies on the same old beats and formula, this debut album stands as one of the most fresh and original releases in the genre over the past few years.

Joi has a crystal clear voice capable of an impressive range, and her talents don't go to waste on this album. If you know anything from the Pendulum Vibe, chances are it's "I Found My Niche" - as far as I know the only song to be released as a single. This song deserved far greater radio airplay than it ever received - it has a jammin' groove to it and Joi delivers the vocals with all the elation the title implies.

Other notable songs include the old school style "Memories", a bouncy number that is complimented by some JB's style background horns, and another old school slow jam - and my favorite song on the album, "Fatal Lovesick Journey".

The first time I heard "Fatal Lovesick Journey" I felt like I had put on one of my James Brown's Funky People CDs. It has a killer horn riff in the background and Joi's beautiful vocals make you wonder how this album slipped by without making her a big star.

Another favorite is the haunting "Adoramus Te Christe"...a layered acapella cut that sounds Medieval and displays the wealth of Joi's vocal range. Despite the description, it does fit on this album, which plays around, but has a cohesive feel as a whole.

This album deserves a wider audience, and it is one of my favorites from the last decade. Friends told me of a demo for a new album...let's hope it is on the way!

JOI IS BRILLIANT, I'M A FAN FOREVER AND WILL ALWAYS LOVE JOI AND HER MUSIC!FATAL LOVESICK JOURNEY IS THE BEST SONG FOLLOWING MANY OTHERS!

I must admit that I never heard of Joi or this fantastic CD THE PENDULUM VIBE. My intro was through a song called "Freedom," which was covered by the top black female vocalists in the 90s for the movie theme of "Panther"(Panther: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).

Anyway, that powerful song stayed with me throughout the years that I used it in a senior thesis project for college in 2003. Fast-forward to now and I discover that "Freedom" was a remake and it originally appeared on this CD. So I had to get it.

And I was blown away by Joi. She has such a beautiful and clear voice that rings and the songs on THE PENDULUM VIBE are a mix of jazz, funk, and street beats. My favorites are "Sunshine & The Rain," "Find Me," and "Fatal Lovesick Journey."

The song "Adormaus Te Christe" really shows off Joi's range as a singer, bordering on opera/classical music.

I was a little disappointed in the aforementioned song "Freedom," however. The producers decided to use a filter on Joi's voice, so it sounds like she's coming through a radio station that's full of static. It would have been OK if this was an extra-mix or dub, but it really detracts from the power of her voice and the lyrics. They should have left her voice alone. She could have sung this song a-cappella and it would have been fine. It's not bad, just distracting.

And though this CD is out-of-print you can buy it cheap from Amazon third-party sellers. It comes with a fold out mini-poster with pictures, song credits, and the lyrics.

Edit:
There's an extra track that's not listed called "I Found My Niche" coming in at track number 4. It's another groove hitting song.

this cd deserves to be called a classic. its so much different than all of the other r&b cds out there. the lyrics are great, the bass is tight, and i love her voice!

Joi's approach to the neo-soul, hybrid-hip-hop musical arena is both eclectic and entertaining. Her lyrics are political, spiritual, sexy and poignant; her music inspires and informs while it incites you to dance. This is a brilliant debut that sets her apart from miscellany of ingénues who heavily rely on their physical appearance, rather than artistic content. This album provides much-needed shelter from the incessant downpour of mediocrity and cliché that is saturating contemporary women's urban music.

JOI WAS/HAS BEEN LOOKED OVER FOR YEARS
SHES HAD RECORD COMPANIES SIGN HER
AND TELL HER THEY'LL RELEASE HER MATRERIAL
AND DONT POINT BLANK.THIS ALBUM WAS OVERLOOKED
SHE IS/WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO REALLY INVENT/USE
THE THE NEO-SOUL FORMULA ON HER ALBUMS/MUSIC.BEFORE
THERE WAS A ERYKAH THERE WAS JOI.ALL THE SONGS ARE GREAT
I KNOW I SAY THIS AL OT AND I MEAN IT THIS TIME IT DOESNT DISAPPOINT AT ALL.+JOI WAS SUPPOSSE TO RELEASE HER NEW ALBUM TITLED TENNESSEE SLIM IS THE BOMB ON JAN.25/2005
BUT DUE TO ISSUE CONCERNING THE ALBUM IT'S BEEN PUT ON HOLD.
[...]

I was so very happy to get my hands on a used copy of this disc since I'd developed an appreciation for Joi as an artist. She is definitely underrated and unappreciated - she is creative, original & talented and unfortunately didn't get the chance to breakthrough like other similar talents, Erykah Badu & Kelis.

This debut shows what a beautiful crystal-clear voice she has and along with Dallas Austin's creative production, they really created a superb debut.

My favorite tracks are: SUNSHINE & RAIN and I FOUND MY NICHE - both feature very funky arrangements that allow her voice to shine; MEMORIES - melodic yet accessible arrangement while Joi sings at the top of her range giving the song an almost ethereal feel; FATAL LOVESICK JOURNEY - the musical arrangement is very Isaac Hayes to me, very atmospheric & I absolutely adore this track!; ADORAMUS TE CHRISTE - beautiful acapella and I DON'T MIND - I like the musical arrangement, it's almost like they were just vibing in the studio and accidentally taped this.

I'm really glad to have gotten a copy of Joi's debut because it allows me to hear how she sounded starting out and compare it to where she is now as an artist. It is really sad how the industry shuts out creative artists like Joi though because I can imagine how hard it must be for her to continue her career in these times but I am a fan and will continue to support her!