Customer Reviews

Vagabond

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4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Vagabond is the latest CD from Speech, the lead vocalist from the Grammy Award winning group Arrested Development.

Vagabond by Speech is hands down one of the best CD's of 2005. Vagabond can be compared to John Legend's debut, Kindred's latest CD, and Common's BE. Speech makes some serious grown folks music on this CD. It's really a great CD and can't even really be compared with any of the other hip-hop or rap CD's out right now. Speech blends rap, R&B, and spoken word on this CD.

The CD opens up with the song "Braided Hair" which features the little heard from lately artist Neneh Cherry. Speech and Neneh hooked up to write the song due to their involvement with 1 Giant Leap. This song is followed up by the funky song "Scandal." Speech is rapping in this song but almost sounds like a sped up spoken word artist and he even sings a little on the hook. Speech sings on the song "No One Like You," which is a really awesome song. "Shine," is a very funky, soulful song in which Speech almost sounds like Prince or DeAngelo. "Walking On The Sun," ends with a really neat little rap. It's also a great love song. From start to finish Vagabond is a great CD.

Speech is singing about some real life stuff on this album. The main themes addressed on this album are family and relationships. Speech isn't very political on this album. It's a very grown up album. Fans of Arrested Development probably also enjoy this CD because musically Vagabond sounds like it could be an Arrested Development album in some ways because of course he is the lead vocalist of the group. Couples and people looking for something different will really appreciate this CD. Speech really needs to be recognized for Vagabond come Grammy time.

As a fan of arrested development, I looked for more of them and came up with this CD. Speech did a great job on it and I love it. Lyrics as well as the music on itself. You will find more of his love to God on this one!

This CD is the best thing that has come out this year. Speech has done it again. It is so refreshing to hear hip/hop that is not just talking about bling and degrading women. This is a CD that the whole family can listen to.

I've always loved Speech & Arrested Development, back to the "Tennesee" days. But never heard Speech solo on his own disc. This CD just raises his level of artistry to another level.

Speech comes out the box with a culturally aware song. It features Neneh Cherry (where you been?) Love the braided hair analogy. The second track "Scandal" is simply pure truth. Unfortunately our people focus on scandal and inuendo, accenting the negative opposed to the positive "Sucking my blood like mosqiitoes you need to get off", though my favorite verse is "Anything cool I got comes from God not from I"

The third cut "No one like you" is a solid love song. I think this track along with number 10 "Love" brings a little of the Dangelo out of Speech (smile). Another very inspirational song. The 7th song "Have fun" sounds just like it's title, having fun is what Speech's offspring were having during this song. Number 8 "What you give" No need to prove battle skills, your talents is far above a "battle" level. Walking in the sun the 5th track is my favorite along with "Gone away". Any song that mentions the Sun in an omnipresence kind of way, is always a good thing. This is a beautiful song dedicated to the love of his life (his wife). The song is sort of like autobiographical "We all are dying real soon the Suns are high noon."

The last track "Gone away" is one of the most touching songs I've heard in many years, dedicated to his dearly departed brother (I almost cry everytime I hear this song too). I think anyone with a heart can feel Speech's sentiment. I think I'll go out and purchase his latest CD with "Arrested Development" Speech's music & lyrics are on the money.

Speech delivers with his best work since the wonderful Hoopla album. Why are the best artists so underrated? That feel good vibe, intelligent song writing coupled with an uncanny ability to rapp, Speech is at the peak of his powers. Favorite tracks, Scandal, No One Like You, and Shine. This is what Prince would be doing in 2006 if he wasn't a spent force. Soul, rapp or hip hop lovers, grab it!

The Vagabond finds Speech (from hip hop pioneers Arrested Development) in fine form. Standout tracks include Braided Hair, Scandal and Gone Away, a moving and emotional tribute to Speech's brother. This CD is an example of the territory contemporary hip hop artists should and could be travelling. It's a breath of fresh air, and worthy of a listen by anyone who finds the demeaning focus on bling and bimbos stifling.

That is the worst way to go about reviewing a Cd: by comparing to something completely different, a la Mos' "The New Danger."

Honestly, the reviews are supposed to be about Speech's crappy CD, not how you feel it's superior to another CD and how you feel the artist wish he could have a CD like that. If that's how you review CD, books, etc, then step away from the keyboard.

You have no way of knowing if Mos wanted to make a CD like this one.