Raymond v. Raymond

Usher | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 30, 2010)
• Original Release Date: March 30, 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: La Face
• ASIN: B002RAREAK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,767 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

2010 release, the seventh album from the multi-million selling R&B artist. Following the success of his platinum selling 2008 release Here I Stand, Raymond v Raymond takes you on a journey through the dichotomy of man. Raymond v Raymond opens up another chapter of Usher's coming of age as he tells the story of balancing the challenges of day to day life as an evolving man while jumping back on the scene as a sex symbol and fearless superstar entertainer. With the help of some of the biggest producers in music including Polow Da Don, Jim Jonsin (Lollipop), Danja (Sober), and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Raymond v Raymond is sure to paint a vivid portrait of growth, triumph, defeat and happiness.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 59 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars "AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS..... April 2, 2010

By DA THRILLA

Format:Audio CD

Where do I begin with the expectations I had for "Raymond Vs Raymond". After the grown man sound of "Here I Stand" and two albums removed from the classic "Confessions", I expected a good combination of the two. With Usher going through a divorce and this supposedly being a return to his roots, this album was built up to be great. I should have paid attention to the signs. (The album being pushed back, the lack of record company support) These should have been red flags to me when thinking of buying this album. But of course I ignored them because I am a fan and enjoyed the last two albums. Now I'm confused.

"Here I Stand" showed Usher's maturation into a respectable singer, not just a performer."Raymond Vs Raymond" is Usher's return to being the entertainer he once was. This album is heavy on dance songs and low on R&B. The will.I.am produced song "OMG" is horrible.(I don't know how this guy keeps getting work). I'm not into the techno-dancehall thing so "Monstar" is not for me. And it seems Usher forgot how old he is on "So Many Girls" & "Pro Lover", save those songs for Chris Brown or Omarion. But all is not bad with this album. The single "Hey Daddy" actually had me hyped to hear this album. "Lil Freak" ft Nicki Minaj is another banger produced by Polow Da Don. "There Goes My Baby" is a smooth mid tempo track. The JD produced "Foolin' Around" is solid. But for an album called "Raymond Vs Raymond", the only song referring to his divorce is the lead single "Papers". (Now Usher says the title is about the battle within himself. Kind of like T.I. vs T.I.P.) So the title is very misleading.

Maybe it was my expectations that made this album a major disappointment. Maybe I held Usher to a higher standard than where he needed to be. He was on superstar status but now he is struggling to stay relevant in the male R&B game. Usher should have made a decision on this album. He should have gone either all dance or mature R&B. Instead he made a collage of different sounds that don't fit well together. Its sounds like a rushed album even though it was supposed to be released in December. I'm still waiting for him to be consistent with his style. I thought he was on the right track with "Here I Stand" but now he has taken a huge step back and made his worst album to date.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good CD November 14, 2010

By C. Ballard

Format:Audio CD

Ok I know that alot of people are mad at Usher right now because of the state of his music. I can honestly say that I think there are some issues with the direction of his music. He seems to be headed for the techno/pop sound that his protege Justin Beiber has going right now (and who by the way, is getting really famous from). However, I dont think Raymond v Raymond is that bad. I actually dont mind that I brought the album, whereas if I had brought Here I Stand I would have been upset. The reason is because there are quite a few songs on this cd that I actually like.

Monstar, Hey Daddy, There Goes My Baby, OMG (guilty pleasure :), Mars vs Venus, Pro Lover, Okay, and Making Love (Into The Night) make this CD worth buying for me. I can listen to those songs repeatedly and not get tired of them. They are in my opinion the best songs on the CD. That being said, yes, there are some questionable songs here, and yes it is not as good as the Confessions CD. I think that Confessions was to Usher what Thriller was to MJ. I seriously doubt he can make another Confessions. But I can accept this CD as it is because he did have some really good songs that I like. I guess the same goes for others: everything depends on how you view the songs, some will like them and others wont. For that reason, I am giving the CD 4 stars: not the best, but its still good. I would say give it a chance. It is a good CD.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars pop January 28, 2012

By Lily

Format:MP3 Music

I just bought this Cd so far so good. I am glad that I bought it. This is a cd that when you bought it or download its worth the money.