The Soul of John Black

Soul Of John Black | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: No Mayo
• ASIN: B00009KTW1
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,587 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #84 in Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave & Post-Punk > Urban Folk

Track Listings

1. Scandalous (No. 9)

2. Lost & Paranoid

3. Joy

4. Carolyn

5. Honey

6. The Bridge

7. Interlude

8. The Odyssey

9. Time (Losing My Mind)

10. Two Strikes

11. Glorious

12. Supa Killa

13. No Mo'

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Into The Soul of John Black, July 9, 2003

By 

"disc_player" (SF, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Soul of John Black (Audio CD)

Just got this CD a couple of days ago...

DAMN!

Are these guys the saviors of Black Rock & Soul? They very well may be.
The diversity and power of this record will bring you flashes of everyone
from Ray Charles and Soul Brother Number One, to the good reverend Al Green.
Maybe just a hint of Issac Hayes thrown in for good measure. But It's not
just old school tastes that inform this sound. You'll hear Maxwell, D'Angelo
& Outkast seeping into this soulful sauce. The result is a distinctly new
groove. You've got to check out the samples for yourself.

Do yourself a favor and get this soul-infused flavor!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Soul of Black Art, September 17, 2003

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Soul of John Black (Audio CD)

The official explanation of this band's sound, found on the back cover of the CD, is gloriously accurate. John Bigham and Christopher Thomas have indeed created a fresh and groundbreaking fusion of soul, rock, blues, and hip-hop. This new sound is organic and unpretentious, with natural drums and bass laying the foundation, and classy acoustic guitar in most of the songs. One minor issue is that Bigham is trying a little to hard to sing with a certain style or attitude, sounding rather forced at times (like in "Glorious" for example), but musically his subtle acoustic guitar is one of the keys to the album's success, along with Thomas' sly basslines and insistent drum arrangements. The fusion described above is executed seamlessly in all of the songs, with other surprise ingredients popping up here and there. For example, we get moving balladry in "Joy" and "The Bridge," sinister funk in "The Odyssey" and "Supa Killa," and even a little psychedelia in "No Mo'." The new sound of The Soul of John Black is both groundbreaking and instantly accessible. [~doomsdayer520~]

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the real deal. This is a fantastic record., February 2, 2004

By 

S. M. Weddle (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Soul of John Black (Audio CD)

These guys might just save soul music. Seriously, folks. These guys are amazing. People said D'Angelo was going to do that, and even though I like a few of the cuts on his records, most of the songs weren't very good. (Plus he was a little too quick to take his shirt off and to cave in to pressure to compete with the stuff on hip hop radio - most of which, in my opinion blows).

I saw the Soul of John Black in Portland the other night too (by accident)- and it was the most soul this town has seen in recent memory. The people in that bar were really not ready for a band of this caliber. We were dumfounded.

The lead singer has a crushing soul delivery that brings to mind Al Green and Marvin. The music has tons of space and simmering funkineses like Al Green - ala Love and Happiness. If there is any justice, (we all know by now that there isn't) these guys will make some noise. Their stuff is that good. Great band, ordinary guys with extraordinary skills and soul. All hail the Soul of John Black.