Customer Reviews

True to Myself

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4 star:		(4)
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The song "Can we stay together" is what got me hooked. Then one day I was watching BET and they showed his video "Feminitity", and oh boy it was on and poppin' then. I've been a fan ever since. Eric's music and voice just melts you. He has a beautiful voice. I have both of his CD's and I can't wait for his third album entitled "Better and Better". If you don't have this album you must get it now, along with his other album "A Day in the life".

Have you ever bought a CD, took it home and popped it in the player only to find there were on a few songs that you liked on it? Well you wont be disappointed with the Eric Benet "True To Myself" CD. You see Eric didnt just put a CD together. He wanted to convey a message to his listeners. I believe every artist put a bit of themself in their music and whether Eric is sharing a bit of some personal reflections or not I believe we all can relate with the tunes on this CD. The music has a urban soulful sound and each songs lyrics has a message to make you reflect on lifes situations. When it all come down to your happiness, your future and decisions. Eric couldnt of put it any clearer be "True to Myself". This is one CD that you'll find yourself playing over and over again.

I've been waiting for an opportunity to post this review of Eric Benet's first album since it was first released in 1996. At the time I worked for a national record store chain and was doing everything I could to promote his album, including buying my own copy when I could have gotten a free promotional copy from the label rep and letting everyone know it.

"Eric Benet is one of the most exciting young singer/songwriters to come along since Brian McKnight burst on the R&B music scene in 1992. His songwriting is prolific, mature, and socially conscious without being sappy or overly sentimental. Benet wrote or co-wrote all but one of the tracks on his debut album, and his vocal delivery in each song is moving and convincing. From the funky opening groove of the title track, to the beautiful orchestration of "While You Were Here", a bittersweet, tearjerking ballad (dedicated to the memory of his daughter India's mother who died tragically in a car accident), Benet manages to capture the heart, mind and soul of the listener for the duration of this album.

The musicianship of his album personnel is often reminiscent of superband Mint Condition, and serves to enhance Benet's powerful vocals. The evidence of the influence of Stevie Wonder's vocal and arranging styles come through on this album, too, but not often enought to limit Benet from carving out his own niche in the R&B world. If this isn't this young artist's best work, then he and his fans are in for a long, enjoyable career."

Recommended tracks:
While You Were Here
Let's Stay Together
Femininity
Spiritual Thang
I'll Be There


I had the pleasure of meeting Eric Benet at a live performance/autograph signing at a local club called "The Warehouse" in Detroit, MI, when "True to Myself" was first released. Benet struck me as a very down to earth individual who was a very humble and talented artist. Of course, all this was prior to his very public courtship and marriage to Halle Berry and their subsequent break up. Even though the circumstances surrounding his split with Ms. Berry may have left some of his previous admirers questioning his character as an individual, his talent as an artist has not diminished and TRUE fans of his music will stick by him because his talent is undeniable. I have yet to purchase his latest album, "Hurricane", but I will be buying my copy soon! I love what I've heard of it and if the title track is any indication, Benet's fans have gotten another great set out of an accomplished artist whose musical growth has been borne out of his life experiences.

I was going through some old cd's I hadnt listened too in a while and I came across Eric Benet's. I forgot I had it! So I decided Id listen to it again to remember how it sounded. And I cant believe how I forgot such a great cd ("Femininity", "If you want me to stay", and "While u were here" are the hottest song on the cd, get it for that song alone) I remember I bought it back in 96 so I must have definately had good taste in music back then LOL.

Getting past the whole Halle Berry thing (he lost major cool points with that by the way!) he sings with truth and raw emotion and I definately respect that part of him. His lyrics are real and endearing. Anyone looking for some true R&B music thats creative, funky and real, I suggest you pick it up! We need some more male singers like this now days, cus everyone wants to be a thug. I hope if Eric comes back he stayes true to his debut cd!

Eric Benet is on my "top 5 neo-soul artists" list next to Chico DeBarge, Rahsaan Patterson, Maxwell, and D'Angelo. I had bought "A Day In The Life" before this album, and when I bought "True To Myself", I realized that it's a notch better "A.D.I.T.L". Not to say that Eric hit the sophomore jinx, but this album is solid the whole way through. I wasn't surprised because back in '96, I kept hearing "True To Myself", "Spiritual Thang", and "Let's Stay Together" (the remix is just as good) and I really liked all 3. He's one of the best singers I've ever heard and one that can really convey melody (check out "I'll Be There"). He can even sound like Sly Stone ("If You Want Me To Stay" featuring Roger Troutman). I like how you can hear a lil' bit of his own voice come out when he's singing it. But the show-stopper was "Femininity". That song is off the hinges, bridge and all. My top 5 are "True To Myself", "Let's Stay Together", "Just Friends", "Femininity", and "All In The Game". This man is a threat at the slow jam AND the uptempo number, so don't sleep on him. Let's just hope that after "A Day In The Life", he'll only get better.

The Ten Commandments remain revered by me when I seriously say, "Oh, My GOD!" This is one of the best songs ever made, this Fem In In Ity. Check it :

I like the way you take control of me

You have a little certain quality

Not many girls would ever dare to be

The lady that you are ...femininity

Oh, but the music! The piano riff at the start followed by Eric's melodic, crisp and fresh moans just gets me goin' like the morning sun, warm and new. Of course there is so much more to love. The man is so very talented. Halle Berry Benet had more happy days than sad I'm sure. Eric has a witty laid back sense of humor and an earthly passion like a country garden in the south. He's the bomb. The autobiographical, remorseful homage to Eric's deceased Baby's Mom (While You Where Here) will have you heaving a bucket of tears (she was killed in an automobile accident during a snowstorm one longago April) but feeling Eric's cleansed healing by the end. This man is just so cool and you feel him, fall in love with him, feen for him and forgive him as he stays true to his extremely talented self on this slamming album.
Listening to True To Myself is like taking a drive down to a true coffehouse jazz joint and tapping into the aura of an unsigned hunk on the guitar/piano/mike and swooning into the hot mellow funk.
Disclaimer: Virgins needn't apply for the refund. Don't ask - no harm, no foul. Get back with me when you're grown and sexy.

I'll admit that I had no clue Eric Benet had an album before his spectacular "A Day in the Life", let alone that his debut could eclipse those high standards. Without a doubt the formula for a classic R&B album are present in this. Emotion, diversity, and creativity run amock in throughtout all tracks. Emotion in songs like "Femininity" and the heart-wrenching "While You Were Here". In fact, "While You..." is definitely the saddest song I have ever heard. No doubt one of the premier tracks on the cd, this song uses the masterfully crafted music, as well as vocals to paint a picture of pain, no person could not help but shed an imaginary tear to. Diversity in uptempo tracks like "Spiritual Thang" and "More Than a Girlfriend". Creativity in every single note he brings to the table. Truly an esssential for any R&B fan who is bored with the current string of ... dribble made by most artists these days and wants to escape to back in the day when romance dominated. Surely, R&B will undergo a renaissance if this man continues to produce works like this and the aforementioned "A Day in the Life". Need I say more?

Eric Benet's debut "True To Myself" is still a classic in the year 2000. I have to admit that I did not buy this when it first came out. I was looking for some CDs to buy at a Circuit City one day and they played 3 songs from this CD, so I decided to purchase it. For anyone that likes r&b with a little classic soul attached to it, Eric Benet is the one for you. On this CD and on his current CD, "A Day In The Life", Eric Benet demonstrates that he can be versatile. He can give you the smooth r&b funk grooves and he can also give you some ballads to remember. "More Than A Girlfriend", "Spiritual Thang and a remake to Sly And The Family Stone's "If You Want Me To Stay" are all examples of the funk grooves that I was speaking of and the ballads are off the hook: Both versions of "Let's Stay Together", "Femininity", and "All In The Game". The most powerful track on the album and the saddest song I've heard in my 24 years of life has to be "While You Were Here". The song is a tribute to his daughter's mother whose life was tragically cut short. This is one of the best songs that Eric Benet has ever made. To anyone that wants a change of pace from the Top 40 r&b of today, "True To Myself" and "A Day In The Life" are two r&b CDs that you must own.

If you are looking to purchase an album from Eric Benet, pick this one up first. When I saw the video for Spiritual Thang a couple of years ago, I knew that I had to add this to my collection. I have had this album since 97' and it is still in heavy rotation in my CD changer. I love this one! The classics Femininity, Spiritual Thang, I'll Be There, and Let's Stay Together remain unmatched to this day. While A Day In The Life was a good follow up, it had somewhat of a mainstream feel to it and I think that Eric Benet was capable of much more. This man is a very talented singer and this album is where his skills are most evident. Go get it!

Two words. "Like Butta". Eric doesn't sing. He SANGS! Silky. Soulful. Sensitive. Sensual. Smooth. Seductive. The cut that brought me to this album was "Femininity", however, every single track on this LP is wonderful. Especially the tear-jerking "While You Were Here". I've yet to see Eric in concert, but I know the show will be worth the wait. He not only masters the art of singing. The emotion and passion he pours into his songs is soul-stirring and that in itself is not an easy task to acheive. This man is so underrated it hurts, but then again, the TRUE talents are. I'm sure the world will soon realize the gem that is Eric Benet. I anxiously await the next release and hope to see the next show. Front row, center. *smile* Come back to Texas, Eric. ASAP!