Tuskegee

Lionel Richie | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 26, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mercury Nashville
• ASIN: B005N0C04Q
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (445 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,581 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #89 in Music > R&B > Soul > General AAS

Editorial Reviews

From the Artist

"I was born and raised in Tuskegee, Alabama. I am a country boy and proud of it. To do this project just felt natural," says Richie.

"Growing up with country, R&B, gospel, and classical music from my grandmother and pop, Tuskegee was the perfect melting pot for my influences as a writer," he says, "and the title, Tuskegee, is a validation of my growing up there--the place I call home."

"As my songwriting progressed, I realized that my songs perfectly translated to the country genre," says the living legend as he taps on the keys of the piano in his state-of-the-art recording studio.

"What began as a collaboration of talented people ended up being a great group of friends getting together to make great music," says Richie.

"Tuskegee is a state of mind as it is a place," he adds, "...a place of possibility, hope, promise, self-empowerment, and where dreams come true."

Product Description

2012 release, a Country album from the Soul/Pop veteran. Surpassing his creative and personal boundaries, Richie comes full circle with the innovative and personal Tuskegee, performing 13 of his most revered "anthems of our day" with some of the biggest names in Country music, including Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Billy Currington, Little Big Town and Jason Aldean. On this worldwide, multi-genre album, Richie is also joined by the likes of such superstars as Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett. While defying boundaries and breaking barriers throughout his storied career, Richie reveals once again that Tuskegee will join the ranks of his timeless body of work that touches people of all faiths, ages and demographics across the world.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

114 of 125 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I didn't want to like this album, but I really do. March 25, 2012

By computer-girl TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

I was really, really surprised at how good this CD is.

As a Southern girl who grew up with a love of all kinds of music, including Soul and Country, I'm pretty open minded when it comes to music.

Admittedly, my taste for country runs more along the lines of Patsy Cline Patsy Cline Collection, Johnny Cash (At Folsom Prison), Porter Wagner, Jim Reeves, Hank Williams, Sr., vintage Dolly Parton and the like, with few exceptions.

So on to Richie. Surely he is not the first Black artist who sang R&B, Soul or Pop who eventually expressed his love of country music through their art.

Ray Charles (Ray Charles: The Complete Country & Western Recordings 1959-1986), Bobby Womack, Sly Stone, Donnie Hathaway, even Babyface, and I'm sure I have not exhausted the list.

Although I loved the Country songs and/or Country undertones that the above artists expressed in their work, something about Richie got stuck in my craw.

I so loved the Commodores, what a Soulful group they were. And when they recorded Sail On and Easy, I enjoyed those tunes as well -- they were country songs to my ear.

But what threw me off about Richie was his foray into Pop of the "Bubble Gum" variety. Nothing wrong with it, it just was not my cup of tea. I would have rather he became a Country singer rather that a singer of Pop, (but that's just me.)

So now we come to his new album.

I just hang my head in shame when I admit that I considered not even giving the guy a chance, but when I did, I was glad.

Typically speaking, when artists revisit their music in the recording studio they tend to make a mess of it. Either because of poor production, trying to update their sound, declining vocals, or all of the above. As another reviewer has stated, the songs do sound lusher and more substantial than the original recordings. This is music from 30 some odd years ago, yet it sounds as fresh, if not even better than when it first came out.

The production, arrangement, musicianship, the fact that Richie has cared for his voice well, and the choice of contributing artists come together to make this an enjoyable CD. And the fact that like Babyface and Donny Hathaway, he is a songwriter.

Sail On, Easy, Deep River Woman are my favorites.

Although All Night Long has never been even close to being a favorite song of mine, this version was better than the orginal, IMHO.

There is only one contributing artist who shall remain nameless that I would cross off the list, but that is just a personal preference. Otherwise I am very happy that I gave Richie a chance.

I encourage you to do the same.

44 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best.album.ever. March 26, 2012

By E. Allison

Format:Audio CD

I have never had a reaction like this to an album- it is like reuniting a long lost friend. The combination of songs with specific artists is nothing short of genius, the harmonies are breathtaking, the memories it brings back.....This is by far my favorite album of all time. I have waited impatiently for this to be released and have not been disappointed.

66 of 79 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent remake March 14, 2012

By SuperNova

Format:Audio CD

Richie provides us with a skeletonized, distinctly-arranged yet lushly-produced re-recording of his great hits with, not to duplicate the known, current artists listed in the product description. Rejecting the techniques of his earlier overproduced and overtly multi-tracked recordings, Richie's remake is significantly cleaner, lusher, and less distorted, as he explores the essence and soul of his now-classic hits. The good thing is, Lionel has not lost his voice and conviction with advancing years. I think this can be a contender for one of the year's best recordings that newbies who are not familiar with Richie's career and time in place will enjoy as much as those of us who grew up in the earlier era when All Night Long was a daily practice, not just the title of a song. Richie just proved to old and new fans and those who will be both, that his music is ageless, and cannot - will not - be dated.