Customer Reviews

Rebel Soul Music

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ahh, and here we're offered up another guitarist with Jimi and Prince on their mind. Nice. This cat comes fully loaded, even doing a stint as The Roots guitarist for a hot second. A very nice 2nd offering from this brotha. Standout cuts are "Daily Bread", "Lust" the rock infested "Rebel Soul Music", "Ms. American", the clever "NYCG", and "Muse Sick Dreamz." A very solid CD to add to your collection.

Okay, I am not going to write a state of the art review here. I don't need to, for those who have commented on this CD prior to me have done it justice! Plain and simple, this cd is BAD AS HELL!(there, I said it!) Talent on top of talent! I picked it up because I heard Martin Luther's "The I.R.S." on "Rock 'N' Roll Reparations, The Black Rock Coalition continues 20 years of collecting" (another fantastic compilation, by the way)that said, I had NO idea that this CD was going to be this good! Buy it, don't sleep on it! The influences are many, from Gil Scott Heron, EWF, Parliament to Confunkshun, Jimi Hendrix, The Isley Brothers, Fishbone and hundreds more including Hiphop, punk, jazz and then some. I suggest you take a listen to the snippets to wet your appetite, then wait anxiously to receive your copy. You'll be quite satisfied, of this I am certain! I truly hope this becomes mainstay in the future of rock/soul/music.

I have been waiting for an album like this! I put it on and settle in for an amazing ride. The songs each have a unique movement to them, as if they are alive and anxious to connect with anyone listening. ML is able to comment on love, life, lust and politics without coming off preachy, boring or already-been-done. I'm a fan of the entire experience, but I do have a few favorites: Growing Pains, Lust, The I.R.S. and Ms. America, just to name a few.

If you would like to hear some honest music delivered straight from the soul, with infusions of funk, rhythm and rock, you should pick up this album. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because I really love explosive, attention-grabbing intros, and I feel like Mr. Luther could've given it to me, but fell a little short. I was a little disappointed by that. Don't get me wrong, I love Daily Bread, I just think that Home, the 2nd track on the CD would've been a better opener. But, I know that's just me being picky, so definitely give this man a chance!

The San Francisco Bay Area has long been a hotbed of R&B and hip-hop-talent, from Sly Stone to Raphael Saadiq to the Hieroglyphics rap crew. Joining the prestigious hit list is Martin Luther, a singer, songwriter, and musician who was named after the civil rights activist. On his stellar sophomore disc, Rebel Soul Music -- the follow-up to his overlooked debut, The Calling -- Luther follows in the tradition of Jimi Hendrix and Lenny Kravitz by eschewing genre lines to create a distinct blend of funk, rock, and soul. This is especially evident on the politically charged "Ms. America." Backed by fierce guitar licks, Luther spins a tale of an America that does not promise liberty and justice for all. Similarly, he pays homage to his hometown on the melancholy "No Place Like Home," on which Luther depicts the seedier side of a city better known for the picturesque Golden Gate Bridge and the bohemian Haight Street. Slowing down the tempo, Luther showcases his softer side on the melodic and uplifting "Rise," which serves as a wake-up call to a generation lost: "What's happening, little brother / Are you still getting by / On the corner everyday, you like the pay / Are you still getting high?" A member of the Roots' okayplayer family, Luther does what few of his contemporaries have successfully done: He offers an informative and entertaining mix of social commentary and boundary-pushing music. - Rashaun Hall

I stumbled on Martin Luther's name while I was searching for Eric Roberson and to my surprise I have found another gem! This project is tight! Funky, soulful, and surprising great! I would recommend any neo-soul lover to purchase this album. A+

Martin Luther is what the music industry needs. A musician who does not conform to the cookie-cutter music that is popular on the airwaves today. Take your time LISTEN to what he's saying and the music he's using to convey his message. If you don't look for the 30 sec (video)gratification...think and process what you hear, you'll be a fan also.

It must come with the name; like the civil rights leader he's named after, Martin Luther has a dream that one day; his music will be judged not by the amount of hos that let it get hit from the back, niggas that get killed and brand names he drops per line, but by the content of the work's character. His march on Washington has been quietly assembling with artists like the lukewarm received Cody Chestnutt, the celebrated Mos Def, Andre 3000, the slept on Van Hunt and, to an extent, Lyfe Jennings in tow. Martin Luther's crusade is to be at the helm of a rock and soul movement that threatens to expand the range of black music beyond the constricts we are all too familiar with. Rebel Soul Music's title to appropriately titled.

So, am I riding this cat's jock? Well, I could not resist the challenge of seeing a brother younger than Prince go at it with a buzz saw-distortioned guitar ablaze. Lenny Kravitz goes there, sure, but ol' boy leaves me hollow these days... His offering has solid moments: "Daily Bread", has a controlled, lazy Kravitz (early Kravitz, like during his Romeo Blue stage). The melody is made for convertibles with the top down on a cloudless day.

"Home" goes into the inner city struggles of the west coast. His soulful ramblings mesh well with the guitar chords, either jarring or delighting surprising the listener when he kicks up the tempo. "Rise" stays more meditative and also represents his raspy falsetto-tinged love of the `hood. As if satisfied that he has shown you that he knows who he is, Luther sharpens the attack with brittle chords of "Sleep Walking." Sly Stone is reborn in Martin Luther in his horn and vocal arrangements, though his chord changes (ala "Liquid Sunshine's" chorus) can be a chore to follow.

His scattered ramblings of different subject matter is more of a kaleidoscope of thoughts you'd expect from Cameo during their punk-funked, "Alligator Woman" phase. Cameo did it better, but Luther's still a young blood. He dips back into the funk with the sexy "Lust" with singer Omega, a Funkadelic-dipped cut where Ernie Isley's solo style is channeled at the end here (and in the pleasantly horny "Truth or Dare") so deeply you want to tie a bandana over your head and wear bell bottoms listening to it. "Ms. America" intro dips into Jimi Hendrix territory, but distinguishes itself with Luther's unique brand of social commentary. His angle may take a while to figure out... sometimes too ambitious, other times too spotty or figurative. It's like meeting a grown ass cousin for the first time, not knowing exactly how they turned out as spacey as they did, but willing, since they're family, to keep your mind open. Philosopher David Thoreau stated that "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." I can envision where his creativity is headed. Rebel Soul Music is an impressive portrait of black music with no boundaries, not perfect, but well worth it. I can be like that with this fellow artist; we family like that.

This is post-civil-rights-i-am-somebody-and-always-knew-it-so-ya-better-make-a-space-for-me-'cause-i'm-entitled-and-will-clear-the-room-if-necessary kinda soul. In other words, it's that music that hits every diverse mood, emotion and thought you have in those moments when you vacillate between lovin' yourself a little too much, hatin' yourself a bit too intensely and finding the middle ground that sustains you. It is funk, soul, rock, new wave and gospel ('cause he truly tells the truth through his lyrics, but doesn't preach it) blended then put through a sieve and pushed out pure. IT'S THE BOMB. Buy it. You will listen to it over and over and over. This CD has been in heavy rotation in my player for near a year now. My favorites are "Daily Bread," "Home," "Rise," "The I.R.S." and "Prodigal Sun."

I own both cds! My fav tracks on "The Calling" are Butta Fly Love & Soul Assassinator! My fav tracks on "Rebel Soul Music" are Rise and Daily Bread. Lust followed by Truth or Dare on "Rebel Soul Music", is best described as pure, unadulterated mental intercourse between your mind and the words, with the music being like foreplay!! The Truth or Dare interlude is extra spicy for me, because I can actually picture that entire situation in tantalizing detail!! Great job Martin!

This one has a song for vastly different, yet relatable situations, put to great guitar riffs!! If you like Jimmy Hendrix, Lenny Kravitz, and Price, then you'll LOVE MARTIN LUTHER!

I first heard Martin Luther at a Roots concert and for the brief time when he performed, he stole the show. I finally bought his CD a couple of days ago and every track is a gem. He has got to be one of the most slept on brothers in the industry. To try to categorize his music would do him an injustice. His originalitry is above and beyond. Unfortunately, the public seems to be content with a lot of the mediocrity, empty hooks and formulaic artists of today, whether it be rap, R & B, or almost every music genre. Tracks such as "Daily Bread", "Growing Pains", "Ms. America" and the title track are standouts, but you can tell he put "his heart and soul into this y'all". A true masterpiece that should not be overlooked by anyone who appreciates GOOD MUSIC. Martin Luther... you made me a believer.

Peace