Customer Reviews

Rhythm of Love

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sometimes the hardest act to follow can be your own. And with albums like "Rapture," "Giving You the Best That I Got," and "Compositions" under her belt, Anita Baker understands this concept better than anyone. So when "Rhythm of Love," her fifth album, was released after a four-year hiatus, expectations were high. And Baker came damn close to yet again hitting a home-run.

The title track kicks off the project with a slick midtempo groove and a sultry spoken intro. Despite the fact that this track basically has no hook it still manages to seduce. Her jazzy rendition of "The Look of Love" boasts one of Baker's most easy-feeling vocals and stellar piano by Joe Sample, and "Body and Soul," the album's first single, was a gospel-flavored love song that ranks among her best recordings. Elsewhere, Anita dipped a toe in the waters of hip-hop with the sultry "I Apologize," tried on Carly Simon for size with a fantastic remake of Simon's "You Belong to Me," and finally gave many fans what they'd be hoping for when she tackled a standard, "My Funny Valentine"...all of which were perfectly executed and showcase Baker's smoky alto as well as anything she's ever recorded.

The album wasn't without error, however. "Plenty of Room" and "Wrong Man," a ballad and a midtempo number, respectively, were bland examples of pop/soul that got off to good enough starts, but never went anywhere in the end. And "It's Been You" could have definitely been left off altogether; even though Baker gives the track her usual, charming vocal, the composition is so close to the realm of "Rapture" that it sounds like she's merely trying to recapture that album's sound and success, something a singer of her stature obviously need not do.

Still, the majority of this record wins out and proves that Anita Baker will be around for the forseeable future. Musical trends come and go, but a singer with a one of a kind voice and near-perfect taste in song selection will never be out of style.

Anita Baker is a uniquely gifted artist. She produced this album, wrote many of the songs, arranged many of the vocals, and plays piano and synthetic percussion on some. Wow!!!

The title song "Rhythm Of Love" is a truly a sultry number. Anita's vocal has no boundaries. She is fantastic! "The Look Of Love" is a very mellow experience. Joe Sample is magical on the piano. Anita is totally inspirational on "Body And Soul"! Her vocal is gorgeous and she gives it everything she's got! "Baby" has a most unique vocal arrangement. Anita showcases her vocal range in this song. "I Apologize" with lyrics about a lover's spat has tones of regret amidst Anita's soulful vocal. "It's Been You" is a tour-de-force of a vocal. So smooth and so mellow...the subtlety takes over and then you're hooked. A slow-smouldering song, "You Belong To Me" has something special that no other singer has been able to duplicate! The emotion in this song is softly explosive! "Wrong Man" is a musical journey full of passion. "Only For A While" is a wonderful ballad that heats up with a great instrumental at the end. There's no love song that can compare with "Sometimes I Wonder Why". Anita adds her own special sentiment for this one. Joe Sample is superb on the piano. Deliberate yet passionate, Anita's vocal is like silk on "My Funny Valentine".

Other notable contributions (a who's who of musicians): Michael Thompso -guitar, Joe Sample-piano, George Duke-percussion, Steve Ferrone-drums, Barry Eastmond-piano, Michael Bradford-various instruments, Nathan East-bass, Dean Parks-guitar, James Genus-bass, Jason Miles-synthesizer programming, Ira Siegel-guitar, Everett Harp-alto sax, Jerry Hey-trumpet, Reggie Young-trumbone, Bucky Pizzarelli-guitar, Charnett Moffett-bass, Greg Phillinganes-piano, Andy Snitzer-saxophone, and Anthony Jackson-bass.

This album is timeless. Many cuts from it are still played on contemporary radio and smooth jazz stations across the country. Truly a classic jewel!

Rhythm of Love touches the heart of her music. The song Body &
Soul is my favorite from this album.Lady B, as always gives her best and shows her best in her videos. The lyrics descibes the
love that she has for her husband. When she takes time off to tend to her family, she is gathering material for her next song.
To me, the wait is worth it. Body & Soul tells the story of the
love husbands & wives should have for each other, when they are
away from each other. Love songs by Anita Baker are the type of
songs that artists back in the '50s & '60s sung with respect to
both the man & woman. Lady B gives me the songs that shows
that she feels love, to sing about love.

I've been a fan of Anita Baker since hearing her first album, 'The Songstress'. Her unique vocal styling and heartfelt emotional performances reeled me in and I'm hooked. If forced to rank her albums, I'd rank it fourth (ahead of 'Compositions' but after 'Rapture', 'GYTBIG' & the aforementioned,'Songstress').

The first single, 'Body & Soul' literally stopped me in my tracks. This is one of the most beautiful love songs I've ever heard and to this day is one of my favorite songs by any artist. The other standout tracks to me are: 'Plenty of Room' (beautiful sentiment), her off-the-chain remakes of 'You Belong To Me' (makes you almost forget the original) and 'My Funny Valentine' (not quite as enjoyable as Chaka Khan's rendition but..still excellent); 'Sometimes I Wonder Why' and 'Only For a While'.

The only two songs that do nothing for me even to this day are 'Rhythm of Love' & 'Wrong Man'.

Overall the production and vocals on this disc should satisfy any fan of Anita's music as this ranks right up there with her more popular albums. Although for any newbies, I'd recommend 'Rapture' to dip your feet into her music first.

This is my favourite Anita Baker Cd. The songs are great and her voice is superb. Waiting four years was absolutely worth it. But where's the next release? Anita, do not keep us waiting much longer!

I want to "Apologize" to Anita Baker for anyone who did not by this album. It ranks up there with her previous albums. "Apoligize" has got to be the best song on the album. The way her sultry voice pleads with her man to forgive her brings me to my knees. I wish I was her man. I would have forgiven her hearing just the first notes of the song. Keep it up, Anita. I'm waiting on the next one!

This was my first Anita Baker album, it knocked me over, it moved me to tears, "I Apologize" touched me so deeply and thoroughly; "Body and Soul" welled me up with the emotions of the tenderness in the unebelieveably powerful expression of love in the most honest fashion, undeniable...This is an album that unleashes the heart like a tidal wave, if you try to judge it with the ears of a seasoned Anita Baker expert, rather than with your heart of someone who have loved and lost on the album's own merits, then you do the album grave injustice...this is an album near perfection, every note and rhythm so natural and buttery smooth. It's been a while since I first heard this album when it first came out, and it still moves me like no other album or music I have ever heard, and I have a pretty wide spectrum of musical taste. I ordered the "Rapture" album based on the supposedly informed suggestions of the Anita Baker experts' reviews here, but I don't listen to my music with the intention of becoimng an expert on any artist, I just like being awed by beautiful music, no matter how they compare to previous accomplishments as per the so-called experts on the artist, whom I perceive to listen too much with their critical mind rather than their heart like the music was intended for, and I grant the possibility that the "Rapture" album may be a stylistically purer work than "Rhythm of Love", but "Rapture" simply didn't pack the emotive froce of this album, again, I listen with my heart, not a critical and analytical mind, and in this respect, "Rhythm of Love" is in a scale of its own. This is an album that every track is absolutely sheer magic and beauty! your heart will simply surrender to its divine richness, it will leave you powerless against its truthful renditions of the faces and bodies of love...if you are willing to listen with your heart, rather than study it with your analytical mind.

"Rhythm of Love" was the last and perhaps least heralded (by the critic anyway), release (1994), by Anita Baker before she dropped of sight to reportedly concentrate on raising her family. The following tracks were included on the CD:

1. Rhythm Of Love
2. Look Of Love
3. Body and Soul
4. Baby
5. I Apologize
6. Plenty Of Room
7. It's Been You
8 You Belong To Me
9. Wrong Man
10. Only For A While
11. Sometimes I Wonder Why
12. My Funny Valentine

I reviewed Ms. Bakers Rapture not too long ago, and said this about her: "The album cover of "Rapture" reveals all you need to know about Anita Baker and her music: soft, sweet, sultry, colorful, inspired, breath-taking in its size and delicate features. Beautiful to behold, and a treat to ears and mind to listen to, Anita Baker is the quintessential female R&B and Jazz crooner. She was the voice of romance in the mid eighties to mid nineties, when she dropped off the musical map to start a family. But once heard, her voice can never be forgotten, so unique in it richness of depth, and soothing in it's soulful caress."

The same hold true for "Rhythm of Love", all the element that were present in prior Anita Baker offers are certainly present here.

And while the CD starts of a little slow with the title track "Rhythm of Love", I feel in love with track three "Body and Soul" after the very first time I heard it. Anita's voice rises and falls not unlike the an ocean wave pulling a surfer along; its beautiful in tone and inflection, never to high and never to love, and always awesome to behold!

The rest of the CD floats by on the same tenor and theme; never to high and never too low, but just right for what ever you happen to be doing. That is not to say that there are not points where the CD lags, most notably at the beginning, but the end is classic Anita; her rendition of "My Funny Valentine" makes you wonder why it wasn't always done this way!

When originally released in 1994, this CD was wrongly criticized by many as (allegedly) being overproduced, overarranged and less inspired than its predecessors. I must state, however, that such gorgeous gems as "Baby", "It's Been You", "The Look Of Love", "Plenty Of Room", "Wrong Man" and the spine-tingling "My Funny Valentine" are all as good as anything on Baker's "Rapture" CD. The other songs are not as strong but are still quite good. Don't miss out on this album if you are a fan of REAL music--please!!!

Anita has been gone a long time and we miss her beautiful voice and style. While we understand her necessary hiatus, her fans can't wait to "hear" from her again!