Customer Reviews

Rebelution (W/Dvd)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just about 2 and a half years ago Tanya Stephens returned from her self-imposed musical 'exile' to Sweden to drop the finest album of her career, Gangsta Blues. GB caught many people by surprise and set Stephens in rare air as a complete female dancehall artist, who had yet to crossover, but could still sell albums. For a dancehall album, on an indie label (VP), Gangsta Blues did amazing, reportedly selling over 100,000 copies.

The now eagerly awaited Rebelution has caught no one by surprise, and it more than lives up to the sickly high standards set by GB. Rebelution is very similar to Gangsta Blues in terms of the vibe, with the only main difference being that Rebelution takes a more cultural vibe in its duration, however, musically the two are very similar. Stephens and her manager/producer, the brilliant Andrew Henton work the boards and the minimalist production here makes Stephens' greatest talent, the real star of the album.

Tanya Stephens has a very different style for reggae. She is somewhat in the same veign of Lieutenant Stitchie or Papa San (minus the fast chat) in that she is a pure story teller. All of her songs are about SOMETHING, there is a message to be found in each one of her verses and while she isn't as active as some of her peers, her fans would seemingly have no problem in waiting longer for her to craft such gems of music.

The best song on Rebelution is probably the wicked wicked first US single, These Streets. These Streets an admonishment to her lover who spends much time which rides a slightly revamped version of Marley's No Woman, No Cry riddim. Instead of going out again, she suggests he "keep your lips pon me like your marijuana". The song is lyrically BRILLIANT and its not the only one here. You also check the wicked Do You Still Care a tune about acceptance and discrimination (and I would suggest those of you who are going to flock to Beenie Man or Vybz Kartel's latest cd to talk about homophobia to flock to this one to talk about Anti-homophobia), the way that song is put together: From a white racist dying of liver failure being saved by the liver of a Black man to a homophobic ghetto youth being saved by a gay passerby after being shot.

(See how easy it is to review a 20 track cd when all of the songs are about SOMETHING).

Also check Come A Long Way, an ode to Black leaders of the past. Come a Long Way is one of the main tune which emphasizes the differences between between Rebelution and Gangsta Blues. Also check the opener, Welcome to the Rebelution, a spoken word style piece which NO ONE in dancehall could have written besides Tanya Stephens and it sets the album off on the right foot.

Then you get to the other side of Stephens. Both Put it On You and Don't Play are 2 of the smartest sexual tunes you will ever hear. And she is a lady, so she doesn't just come out and say things (usually!) but she uses metaphors such as in Put it On You when she says, "Mi dun book a room ova di Hilton, like Paris mi nah get embarrassed so yu free fi bring di still cam!". Don't Play is my 2nd favourite tune on the album as it follows much the same vibe as the excellent Boom Wuk from the Gangsta Blues album. Also check the wicked Who Is Tanya, which is also quite similar to Wi a Lead from GB.

VP has spared no expense in producing Rebelution. The wonderful packaged disc comes inside a holder which is wrapped and then the case underneath is still wrapped like a typical cd. Also, in the package is a (now becomming more and more common in reggae) dvd. The DVD includes videos from the big hit from Gangsta Blues, Its a Pity and the first JA single Warm Dem. It also includes a private performance Tanya held in NYC for several of the tracks from the album; However, most interestingly, it includes interviews in the studio with Tanya and others. Perhaps the most interesting being when her own producer, Andrew Henton and the producer who discovered her Barry O'Hare discuss her lyrical ability, with Henton summing it up best as "we figured if you make music with no point, then whats the point of making the music?"

Overall, this is one of the best releases of the year, nearly all of the 20 tracks (including the interludes, Sunday Morning is MASSIVE, and Saturday Morning aint that bad either!)are winners, even the ones I didn't mention, Cherry Brandy (combined with Saturday morning) a story about (trying to) overcoming alcohol; The Truth, talking about how hard it is to get over an old lover; Home Alone, squite similar to These Streets in the same vibe, but lyrically maybe even stronger. They're all top notch, the album is top notch.
AMAZING! GO GET IT!

This CD is simply wonderful. As a young black caribbean woman, it is gratifying to have music that does not depict us [women] only as receptacles for men's penises. Tanya always brings powerful messages. I grew so tired of the same old lyrics used by a lot of reggae artists today, (i.e. homophobia, violence and oral sex). There seems to be so much more to the human experience and I am glad that we have someone like Tanya to represent this. Don't get me wrong, Tanya can get a little raunchy but it does not permeate the entire album. She is the quintessential female reggae poet. I love almost every song on this album and the rest are growing on me rather quickly. Song #8, The Truth, is my favorite (for now!). I also love "These Streets" and "Home Alone". Please go get this album as you will not be disappointed. Big up to Tanya for a job well done! Another "Big Up" to Bramoi, amazon reviewer, for his insightful and wonderful review.

This is her best work what so ever. The songs on this CD are real. I give this a 10

With the logo/subtitle "A Movement of Truth without Denial or Regret", Tanya Stephens's album "Rebelution" is particularly noteworthy for "Do You Still Care", a song that confronts issues such as racism, homophobia, heterosexism, gender roles, and even conflict in the Middle East. Given the recent public outcry against the homophobic and violence-condoning lyrics (and comments) of other Jamaican Reggae recordings artists such as Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Capleton, and T.O.K., among others, and the overwhelming homophobia ingrained in Jamaican culture, the willingness of Tanya Stephens to confront this issue is nothing short of courageous, and perhaps revolutionary.

REBELUTION consists of 20 tracks, comprised of 16 songs, 2 interludes, and an intro. The packaging consists of a clear jewel case inside a cardboard sleeve, which is identical to the CD-case artwork. There is a second disc, a DVD with 2 videos and an acoustic performance. Booklet includes song lyrics, several photos, and song credits. Most of the songs are produced by Andrew Henton.

This is a Reggae album. This is not Dancehall or Reggaeton. Tanya Stephens is not an MC (or "DJ" or "sing-Jay") like Lady Saw or Patra, or Sean Paul, for that matter (and definitely shares no similarities to singer Rihanna). She is more similar Bob Marley than Shabba Ranks or Shaggy. She is more similar to Tracy Chapman than Diana King or Grace Jones. She mostly sings (with a thick Jamaican accent and ample use of Patois), but also does do some chanting/quasi-rapping (but, again, no Dancehall-style ragga-raps). While much of the songs are poignant and/or political, there are some songs about sex and relationships.

The intro (track 1, "Welcome to the Rebelution") is a commanding monolog set to music. "The Message" is the seemingly obligatory voicemail/answering machine message skit. The other interludes are not the usual annoying skit or list of shout-outs: "Saturday Morning" (10) is an amusing a cappella (+ finger snaps) Doo-Wop-style ditty about waking-up next to a stranger; "Sunday Morning" (12) is a church-organ accompanied provocative monolog about wanting a "new religion" (which serves as a good intro for the god-is-everything-and-everything-is-god themed "You Keep Looking Up").

I found the album very enjoyable (and the bonus DVD is a welcome inclusion). Most of the songs are mid-tempo, so this isn't the album to which one can "shake that thing". One of my favorite songs is "To the Limit", with its old-school horns, but I also like "These Streets", with its sexual metaphors, the social critique "Come a Long Way", the spiteful "D--n You", and the melodic "Spilt Milk". (I was surprised that the album closed with the non-profound "Don't Play".) I particularly appreciate the inclusion of the song lyrics in the booklet. I like the music, I like Tanya's vocals, and I really appreciate her message. Join the Rebelution!

BONUS DVD consists of 2 videos ("It's a Pity", a song from the album "Gangsta Blues", and the low-budget "Warn Dem") and an acoustic performance, spliced together with interviews and studio footage, called "Stripped Down" (subtitled "Tanya Live and Revealed!" in the closing credits). Each song performance is accessible via the menu. The session was recorded at NYC's Knitting Factory on January 21, 2006. Tanya performs while sitting on a stool, accompanied by guitarist Rick Sabo and percussionist Delroy "Delly" Golding. The interviews included are with producers Barry O'Hare, Andrew Henton, executive Kymani Robinson, and Tanya. The disc appears damaged/distorted between transitions from performances to interview footage. The "Stripped Down" portion runs 43:06.

STRIPPED DOWN performances:
I Am Woman (from "Gangsta Blues")
Can't Breathe (from "Gangsta Blues")
It's a Pity (from "Gangsta Blues")
To the Rescue
Damn You
Cherry Brandy
Spilt Milk
Do You Still Care
These Streets

I wish there were more videos included and that the performance & interviews did not have the distortion, but I did enjoy Tanya Stephens's acoustic performances. She also speaks about how her experiences with racism cause her to be more aware of the harm caused by bigotry based on sexual orientation.

While this also contains the down and dirty dancehall style that Tanya Stephens is known for, it also contains several songs which provide social commentary for serious issues facing Jamaicans, women, and the world in general. One of my favorite Tanya Stephens albums thus far.

This Album is great!!!! I justed wanted to warn dem on the content. If you get this album be careful you will not stop listening to it. Tonya Stephens, I love you!

I love this whole album with the exception of the parts where Tanya decides to do skits or talk. I think she should cut out the skits and put more songs on the album. This CD is very very good and I love that she is spiritual without being preachy. I love the song that advises us not to look up but to look around. Her vocal skills are as superb as always. I definitely love this album.

I swear I don't work for Amazon, but Gangsta Blues and Rebelution are better together. "These Streets", "It's a Pity" and "Little White Lie" have become radio standards, but these CDs deserve to be heard in their entirety.

Listen to the political content of "Sound of My Tears", "Warn Dem", "Do You Still Care", Keep Looking Up", and "The Other Cheek" and the emotional honesty of "Damn You", "Cant Breathe", "Spilt Milk" and "What a Day".

Now, as I am a nice girl from Upper St. Andrew, there were many times when my neck snapped back of its own volition directing my unbelieving eyes to the stereo as if they could contradict what my ears had registered in the... aah.... explicit lyrics of songs such as "Boom Wuk", "Good Ride" and "Don't Play". But after I recovered from the shock I almost fell over laughing. This girl is funny.

But that is not why I praise her work. My enthusiasm extends way beyond Tanya Stephens' competence as a songstress and the outstanding musical quality of the songs of Gangsta Blues and Rebelution. Its the power of her pen that impresses me. Tanya Stephens has an exceptional mind; she's an original thinker. She boldly challenges concepts that are so ingrained in our culture that they are accepted as unchallengable "givens". There is no holding on to Bob's coat tails here.

I do have serious reservations about her work. I take exception to the self destructive philosophy which informs woman against woman lyrics such as "Still a go lose him" and "To the Rescue". And as I have no tolerance for Gangsta culture, and no intention of cultivating any, I am not amused by the lyrics of "Gangsta Gal". "These Streets" are vicious and ugly; it does us no good to romanticize them.

I will say this though, even though I often disagree with her premise, Tanya's reasoning is always linear.

Probably the best album from Tanya ever. The lyrical content is masterful, she is indeed a true wordsmith. Mixing hard core lyrics with smooth and insightful ballads plus a dose of culture to round it off. Every song is a story, has something to say, be it a lesson learned, a poignant observation, or just Tanya's hard core Rebelution! It all blends to perfection.

Excellent CD with numerous tracks with extremely conscious lyrics that I have come to expect from Tanya.