Customer Reviews

Real Thing

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Its no secret that I love Vanessa Williams in terms of her acting and music presence. I have seen her in concert twice and each time has been phenomenal. I have had the chance to listen to the album for a while now and here is my review!

1. Breathless.
Very sensual and romantic, with a catchy hook that keeps you humming breathless long after the song is over. Vanessa is known for her soft take on romance and this is a stellar track to open the album.

2. Hello Like Before.
Love this one a lot. I love jazz, and what made this song really stand out is the clear, pitch perfect vocals, along with the string arrangements and oh that sax! The lyrics are memorable and poignant, and Vanessa pours such emotion into the song, its hard not to reminance on your past loves.

3. Loving You.
Full blown jazz, that boasts great lyrics. I am not surprised Babyface penned this one. A sure winner at Weddings and smoky jazz clubs.

4. Just Friends.
Great song. Vanessa is stunning in the video and caresses the ear with her pristine vocal styling and charisma. Again penned by Babyface, the tune is memorable and should do well on the charts with the right promotion. Get it on the airwaves.

5. The Real Thing.
Vanessa loves to salsa. If you've been to her concerts, she always end with "Betcha Never" in full blown salsa splendor. This song is a hit. I was shocked at first when I realized it floated on a full blown spanish rhythm but immediately got sucked in with her perfect take on the Stevie Wonder written ballad. Again get it on the air, shrill it on Dancing with the stars, do a video for it. It's a solid track.

The remaining tracks "Lazy Afternoon" and "Come On Strong", lie on the jazz scale with the former being a soothing afternoon ode of jazz and cocktails with the latter paying homage to Wilhelmina Slater. Its campy and playful, much like her character which as we know, if you're going to come to Willy, you better come on strong!

"Close to You", to me is the most disappointing track. I like the song, but hate the arraignment. Vanessa sounds great, but the song falls a little flat because of its lackluster production. Its a shame because Vanessa looks downright sultry in the video.

"I Fell In" seems strange among this collection, sounding more pop than along the lines of Jazz or latin music. The arrangement do get too heavy at times, obscuring rather than highlighting Vanessa's vocals. It doesn't quite reach the standards of "Save The Best For Last", but then again, what song can ever match the classic.


October Sky, features a duet with Javier, whose second album I own. It was a pleasant surprise, though he's barely in the song vocally. Vanessa leads the way through much of the song, and thats fine because she sounds superb.

And finally closing the album is "If there is no song", Vanessa once again mesmerizes us with fine vocals in breathy latin vibes.

I must profess my excitement for Vanessa's return to music, it is much welcomed and very enjoyable. So fellow fans and music lovers, dig in and enjoy, all in all, the album is a solid hit.

I listened to this CD several times before I turned to Amazon.com to see what the reviews had to say about Vanessa's latest singing venture and was pleasantly surprised to see that the vast majority of the listeners felt as I did. This is a splendid album combing both jazz and salsa with a lot of romance mixed in. It is not a "pop" album like the latest Lionel Ritchie offering, which was terribly disappointing since he is such a fine singer. However, Vanessa does not disappoint in this CD. I have purchased and listened to everyone of her albums and she just gets better with age. Vanessa's vocal range continues to improve and her selection of songs are just outstanding. This is the type of music you want to listen to on a lazy afternoon as one of the songs suggests. It is music that truly sooths the savage soul within us. While there is no doubt she is one of the most beautiful women in the universe, a great actress, and an outstanding dancer, she completes her being with wonderful singing. She truly is one of our treasures and this album only confirms these observations. Don't wait any longer - go buy it and treat yourself - I promise that you won't be sorry you did.

Vanessa Williams returns with her first (non-Christmas) CD of mostly original recordings since her 1997 "Next" album. Produced by Babyface, Rex Rideout, Keith Thomas and Rob Mathes (her guitar player), this album is different from previous offerings in that this time around, VW ventures into Latin rhythms and jazz with a "Big Band" influence.

That's not a bad thing at all, since VW definitely has the voice and the talent for this type of music, and since most of her earlier albums contained at least one Brazilian-style or jazzy song on it (e.g. "Betcha Never"), this just seems to be consistent with her style these days. No, this is not "The Right Stuff" or "The Comfort Zone", this is "The Real Thing" so some fans may have a hard time diggin' this music. VW is now a mature, successful and accomplished singer & actress, so there's no need to make dance music sampling "New Jack" beats and Keith Sweat songs as was the case in 1988 when she had to compete with Janet Jackson, Vesta, Angela Winbush, Shanice Wilson and others to obtain a hit. To VW, these songs are more personal and emotional, not what's commercially expedient. Not to say that VW has abandoned R&B/dance music completely, it seems that's just not where she's focused at this point in her musical career.

This music is great for jazz-standard fans. Vanessa's voice sounds great, the band is tight and the music is soothing. But the downside is that some of the songs towards the end of the album are just not that interesting. These are not songs that you will be humming in your head all day long. This isn't a fantastic CD, but it's not a throw-away either. It's just a little different. If you're a die-hard VW fan like me, and if you like Latin-jazz, you'll enjoy most of these songs.

Best tracks are:
Breathless (reminiscent of VW's signature R&B sound)
Hello Like Before (a light tango and a Bill Withers cover/composition)
Loving You (a Big-Band-Billie-Holiday-ish tune co-written by Babyface)
Just Friends (very nice mid-tempo song written by Babyface)
The Real Thing (a salsa w/ Latin-flavored horns, written by Stevie Wonder)
Lazy Afternoon (a jazz standard, although I prefer Patti Austin's version)
Close To You (very nice w/ a breezy acoustic guitar and violins)

Enjoy "The Real Thing"!

Vanessa Williams ranks high in my book; she has incredible talent and I'm very impressed. Vanessa always gives blood to make her performances shine; and this album was worth the wait! Vanessa tackles some pretty special numbers on this CD; and she always succeeds. She makes it all look easy; but it's her talent that carries her through. The quality of the sound is excellent and I love that artwork!

"Breathless" starts the album; and just as she sings about "candlelight and a glass of wine," feel free to do just that--kick back after a hard day at work and relax with a glass of your favorite wine! This is the perfect mood music for relaxation or a warm, unconditionally loving romance; Vanessa delivers this with panache. The music fits in perfectly with her vocals; this is all THAT good! Other numbers that stand out would include "Hello Like Before" with its jazzy, romantic flavor; "Loving You" with its strong, jazzy arrangement that charms me every time I hear it; "If There Were No Song" with its awesome percussion and flair--what a Latin flavor this number has! It's dynamic, to say the least.

Vanessa also proves she's still got what it takes with other songs like "Just Friends;" I really like this number. The texture of the song is quite appealing and Vanessa never lets go of a superfluous note, either! The piano arrangement is particularly sophisticated. In addition, "Close To You" features Vanessa squarely front and center--right where she belongs!

Vanessa Williams gives us a spectacular new album that shines bright and proves she's got the chops to do whatever she wants to do. I highly recommend this CD for her fans; and it even makes a strong starter CD for people just getting into the magical artistry of Vanessa Williams!

Great job, Vanessa! We love you!

Once again Vanessa Williams delivers an eclectic mix of jazz and salsa inspired tunes. With material from the likes of Stevie Wonder and Babyface, Miss V. puts her own spin on these tunes with her rich, seductive voice. One of the few real songstresses out there, its refreshing to hear this artist work her magic.

Anyone who has heard this disc yet is in for a treat!This new project she has done has already proved one thing,Vanessa Williams has huge talent and this new c.d shows the strength of her vocal range!I personally enjoyed the title cut myself,but all in all,I would strongly advise others to give this disc a chance.The fact that she got with Concord Records spoke highly to me.

It's been awhile since I've listened to new music from Vanessa Williams. This album was worth the wait as it's versatile, colorful and full of soul. Vanessa sounds better than ever on this one!



Greg

Jazzy and upbeat. Some songs you want to listen to with a glass of wine while others, you want to get up and dance. Nice combination of music and vocals. I cannot stand when the music is overpowering the singer. Vanessa seems to have gone back to what made her successful as a vocalist in the beginning.

In the liner notes, Vanessa says it took her two years to complete this project. Well, it certainly was time well spent. A good selection of songs and arrangements that excellently fit Vanessa's voice. You'll find a little bit of Latin, a little bit of big band, and a lot of coooool in this set that shows off Vanessa's maturity and growth as an artist. The duet, October Sky, with Javier Colon is one of my favorites, along with Breathless, The Real Thing, Just Friends and her remake of the Bill Withers classic, Hello Like Before. She's come a long way from her The Right Stuff days and while this one likely won't take home any Grammys, it's absolutely refreshing lyrically, musically, and stylistically.

It has been 4 years since Vanessa Williams came out with a great album. When her last album was released, 2005's Everlasting Love, it sadly and somberly was overshadowed by radio, and she was going through a tough divorce with her 2nd husband former basketball star Rick Fox. She also was dealing with the tragic death of her father whom was a school teacher. But, she always has a great deal of joy that does come in the horizon. That has shown with her comeback to acting on ABC's hit Ugly Betty, a role in the wildly popular Hannah Montana movie, and a honored star on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame. She definitely still has shown a graceful beauty heart and soul to her devoted fans. Now, she is back with a new twist to her voice, and it swoons the soul beautifully.

The Real Thing, Vanessa Williams first album in 4 years, really brings in a sophisticated and seductive appeal to her voice, by blending in a smooth and strong mix of Jazz, Quiet Storm, R&B and Latin rhythms very well. The album includes a lot of great songs including the seductive Breathless, the smooth standard Lazy Afternoon, and the soulful Hello Like Before, all into one unique package. While the album doesn't dissapoint for hard core fans, I honestly was hoping for a few more upbeat songs to tide me over. While Vanessa doesn't bring in the upbeat dance R&B vibe, as was the case with her first few albums, The Right Stuff and The Comfort Zone, Vanessa still reels in the songs well, with her sultry voice which has never lost its luster and shine after 21 years into her career as a singer, and strong and simple arrangements that are just great for a easy listening afternoon of pure blissful pleasure.

All in all, The Real Thing is honestly one of the best albums I've heard so far this year, and I definitely enjoyed hearing Vanessa Williams swoon her heart out. While this year hasn't actually brought out very strong records, Vanessa Williams still knows how to make great music, and sing a great high note. If you're a hard core fan of Vanessa Williams, or new to her music, than this is a great buy for your music collection. I absolutely recommend the album.

Album cover: A-

Songs: B+

Price: B+

Mastering: B

Overall: B+