Customer Reviews

Shelter

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Smooth old school grooves, neo-funk, eclectic and classical jazz, and R & B all wrapped up in one. What is there to say except that this group's musical genius brilliantly and beautifully brings all these genres off into a wonderful blend of extraordinary musical melodies that moves the soul, the mind, and gives the listener a higher plane of listening pleasure to their senses. The Brand New Heavies is truly a group that could be mused as "The Underdog", "Musical Sleeper", and even "Under-Marketed" and truly needs props for their much deserved fame.

True musical genius is hard to find in this day and time in the Musical Entertainment World with everything digitized, and singers who sound as if your ears deserved some sort of punishment for enduring their unearthly sounds which we classify as "singing" these days; whereas these artists are racking up undeserved fame that breeds that unending question mark in one's sane musical mind of "How?"

Not so with the BNH's. I rarely have the opportunity to say anymore that I have bought a CD in which I can pop in and truly like and enjoy every song. And with my vast like of musical genres and a strong background in music, I believe I can say I know and hear true talent. The eclectic smooth groove of "Sometimes" and "Highest High" really moved me deep with not only the music composition and positive lyrics, but makes me zoom through my days faster with a more positive mood to boot. But the question is which song on this CD doesn't have its own magic?

I recommend this CD for anyone who enjoys musical tastes in R & B, most forms of jazz, and a touch of old-school soul and Pop. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

I was crushed when I first heard that N'Dea Davenport wasn't going to be with the BNH anymore. So when I heard that Siedah Garrett was going to be the new lead, I refused to buy or listen to "Shelter" when it came out. Six years later, I reconsidered (mostly because I realized that N'Dea LEFT the band to pursue her own career not because she was kicked out). I'm also a big fan. Anyway - I listened to the CD and absolutely loved it! The CD has a fresh sound even now (though it was produced in '97). I even have to give Siedah some props; she does a great job. The music is definitely different from some of their other albums (but probably closer to "Brother Sister"). It's polished and some songs were intended for pop radio. I'm glad I went ahead and gave this CD a chance. It's really good. Songs that stand out: "Shelter," "Gotta Do Right," and "Day by Day."

If you are thinking of buying a BNH release, their best is "Brother Sister". Every other album they've done will always be held up against that effort. "Shetler" is a very good cd with some excellent grooves and definitly holds a place in any BNH collection. Vocalist Seidah Garrett is a wonderful talent and can sing well. Her sound is very R&B and you wonder if she had ever heard Acid Jazz like BNH before she was asked to add her voice to the group. As much as I love N'Dea's voice over Seidah's for the BNH sound, I can't take much away from this album. Get it and enjoy!

This record is unbelievable ! It's truly any serious music lover's wonder why this band wasn't one of the biggest hits of the 90s. On top of being a first-class acid-jazz/new-soul/neo-funk/whatever-you-may-call-it band (leading the way in that style alongside other British-based band Incognito), the Brand New Heavies got a brand-new vocalist on that album who added a whole new dimension to their music.

Siedah Garrett was no newcomer though, having been a background singer for Michael Jackson for years (she also wrote "Man In The Mirror" and sang the famous duet "I Just Can't Stand Lovin' You" with him on the album "Bad"). She had a try at solo recordings under the auspices of her mentor Quincy Jones (with the great single "Refuse To Be Loose" and a debut album going completely unnoticed) and was one of the major protagonists of Q's "Back On The Block" album, singing side-by-side with Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, Sarah Vaughan and the likes, and even a duet with Chaka Khan !

On "Shelter", Siedah adds her inspired and soulful raspy singing which fits the band like a glove (I much prefer her contribution to that of N'Dea before her), making this album my favorite by the band. Sadly, Siedah departed after this one project with the Heavies, being now replaced by able Carleen Anderson from Young Disciples fame (and two superb solo albums in-between). What is Siedah up to nowadays? I really don't know.

Well, just in case I convinced you to buy this CD... DON'T !!! This is the re-release of the original edition, which didn't contain "You've Got A Friend" as a bonus (included in the European edition). So my advice is for you to look for a copy of that now-unavailable edition (the one with the white cover) and make the most of that fantastic album !

I must disagree with critics and some fans-I much prefer Siedah Garret's singing over N'Dea-Garret has far more experience and doesn't try so hard to be convincing.And this being their third proper studio album The Brand New Heavies have grown a great deal as songwriters and have learned that crucial,unnamable ingrediant that made the funk of the 70's what it was.And it wasn't just real instruments either.By far the best song here is "You Are The Universe",an upbeat song with a genuinely positive message for people to keep control and revel in their given freedom.Not to mention th wonderful "I Like It","Highest High",well for that matter everything else here not only showcases musical professionalism and instrumentation but that songwriting has taken a priority over grooves and jamming,which to my ears is very much a saving grace.So if you are like me and believe that you can jam,groove AND write great songs too with your funk 'Shelter' will be the Brand New Heavies' album for you.

this CD is one of the best. whether or not you want to jam or chill out and dream, this is the CD for you...it's jazz with all the right emotion.

This is definitely one of the best (if not the BEST) BNH Cds out there. If you like bass-, piano- and horns-driven funk, then this is the Cd for you. I assure you, you will not be disappointed by this Cd. It easily has 11 tracks that are worthy of constant rotation. If you are even remotely contemplating purchasing this disk, just do it. It's tight.

I own six cds of the Brand New Heavies and I think this is the best cd of their's so far. Their acid jazz style is very smooth and mellow. You will not believe how fast time seems to pass when listning to it. I actually got introduced to acid jazz by listning to BNH back in 97. The cd contains wonderful tunes with their usual style of funk, R&B and jazzy bass lines and drumming. As a bassist, I think their percussions and rythms are quite divine. The album includes the hits "Sometimes" and "You Are The Universe". If you are planning to buy one cd of the BNH to check them out, I recommend this cd as it will surely capture your musical ear!

I really liked Brand New Heavies anyway, however, after I got this CD, this has by far, become my most favorite CD of all time. Not to mention, that I am now a BNHeavies addict!!!

I'm probably being a little biased with Shelter, because I absolutely love this group. The music they put out has always been great and funky, this is no exception. Shelter is one of my favorites though.