Customer Reviews

The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams (Limited Edition Soft Pack)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Whatever you do, don't call Meshell Ndegeocello a diva--it's insulting. On the cover of 1996's Peace Beyond Passion, she could have been taken for Diana King, or Monica, or T-Boz, and its music only hinted at turning left from standard-issue R&B. That's all behind us now. Over a decade, Ndegeocello has used her leverage and her nine Grammy nominations to test her audience with consistently more challenging material, venturing into psych-rock and spoken-word while kicking her deep bass to the front lines. Along the way, she's established herself as a prophet of sorts, understanding the need for self-expression and warning us of others' attempts to impinge on it. And while that's not a novel technique, few soul artists weld their music and their sentiments into such a fascinating whole like Meshell Ndegeocello, exemplified by the sprawling, frequently brilliant The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams.

If Bitter revealed Ndegeocello's darker emotions, Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape upped the bass and the political overtones, and Comfort Woman bathed in styles divergent from R&B, The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams is the place where she's comfortable doing it all at once. Yet this album busts out of the gate with a take-no-prisoners intensity that makes her previous masterworks look like warm-up exercises. The secret weapon may be her crop of collaborators--everyone from star mixer Bob Power to African folk singer Oumou Sangare to a handful of jazz greats--in all likelihood courtesy of her move to Mercury-owned jazz label Emarcy. Though World doesn't sound like a jazz record per se, it takes its inspiration from the genre's iconoclasm, and together, Ndegeocello and her guests work up a loud, dense, phantasmagoric sound. Oftentimes, it's difficult to tell where Ndegeocello ends and the others begin.

Before now, Cookie was Ndegocello's hardest-hitting record, balancing bump-and-grind funk with the dark, groove-laden sensuality for which she's become known. But World isn't just sensual--it's sexual, with more carnal bass and raunchy, squall-heavy guitar per minute than anything she's yet attempted. For Ndegeocello, sex isn't a brute act to be immediately forgotten or a strategy to sell records, but a bodily necessity, a human right, and manna for the soul. A line like "Let's make love and manifest creation" (in "Virgo") implies control over one's destiny--creating creation from the act of love--and moving closer to God, the creator, even as it's literal meaning speaks only to having a baby. On "Michelle Johnson," she explains, "I'm just a soul on the planet / I'm trying to do good, be good, and feel good." There's an apparent discrepancy between being good and feeling good here, as though they were mutually exclusive, and the rest of the song is devoted to feeling good ("Sometimes I drink too much / Smoke too much"), being good be damned.

So it would make sense that The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams is body music of a very particular stripe. In her apparent disregard for which sounds traditionally go together, Ndegeocello shatters R&B's musical boundaries and opens up a range of emotions. Think Subtle's For Hero: For Fool with the pricklier edges sanded down and more seductive textures. "Virgo" and "Elliptical" are particularly successful on this front, where Ndegeocello and her instrumentalists smear sci-fi soul-isms over a bed of clean bass and spare drum clicks. The lovely but reproachful "Shirk"--sung by Ndegeocello and Oumou Sangare, with jazz near-legend Pat Metheny on acoustic guitar--signals a turning of the tides before the one-two-three punch of "Article 3," "Michelle Johnson," and "Headline," a trio of guitar-led blazers more snarling and confrontational than anyone raised on Peace Beyond Passion could have expected. It's wildly ambitious music and it works, steeping you so fully in Ndegocello's universe that you'll easily forget that World is, by some margin, her most difficult outing to date.

What's missing from this album are things that don't matter much considering its context: a standout, a true R&B number, an epic slow-burner like "Akel Dama" from Cookie. It's more noteworthy that World is one of the most enormous-sounding soul records of the 2000s, dwarfing Sa-Ra's The Hollywood Recordings in about two-thirds of the time. And though only one song makes it to 150 bpm, World feels fast, running ever more swiftly along a tightly pulled zip-line until the soothing "Solomon" breaks the tension. The fact that Ndegeocello's best songs are her most forceful isn't entirely an accident; she has her hands gripped around the controls, from the writing to the playing to the arrangement, all in the service of making a statement. World makes it obvious that Ndegeocello believes in herself enough to make those statements, and to consequently release something this bold, this audacious, and this flat-out incredible. She'll make a believer out of you, too.

MESHELL KILLED IT! She was in a zone when she put this work together! She channeled PRINCE, HERBIE HANCOCK, and MILES DAVIS and made GUMBO out of it. This project tops her best gem, PEACE BEYOND PASSION, while I didn't think that could be possible. It's total aggression and focus. The cd comes at you like a UFO, rocks your world, and leaves without a trace. But afterwards, you know that you've met another life form to be reckoned with. This is the hippest trip in SOUL MUSIC right now and is funkier and more stylish than any other R&B release on September 25. I won't say any other artists' names, but you know who they are - look 'em up.

I heard BITTER, PEACE BEYOND PASSION, COMFORT WOMAN, and COOKIE on this project and they all blended beautifully. This is a must get cd and it ties in all of her previous motifs. This cd propels her into another stratosphere (as if she wasn't there already), so get your telescope because the spaceship is about to take off!

THIS IS SOUL ASCENSION IN IT'S RAWEST AND FINEST MOMENT.

Meshell is unique. There simply isn't anyone like her in any genre. A fearless musical warrior who follows her own vision regardless of accepted genres or markets. Such people are rare. And Meshell navigates these perilous waters with the skill and single mindedness of Ahab; guided by an inner spiritual vision that she presents without wearing it on her sleave.

Her previous CD Dance of the Infidels was a departure from what had been the general territory (and I do mean general) she'd treaded in the past. It was almost as if she held the role of enabler; an almost maternal figure wherein her own presence was downplayed in favor of bringing out the voices of the other musicians.

TWHMMTMOMD holds this quiality. But here she steps back into the forefront. And like all her musical works, she is painfully honest. Most artists hide themselves in their music. Meshell reveals herself.

Some of these tracks show a balance between contrasting elements. For example, "The Sloganeer" is a punkish angry song about those who abuse religious teachings for political purposes; yet there is an unmistakable undercurrent of sadness in the song. As if her anger was inspired by a desire to persuade rather than condem. It reminds me of the Qur'an (Meshell is a Muslim) in that English translations often sound angry and severe; while the tone of the original Arabic is sad and compassionate.

As always, the musicianship here is masterful, the production flawless, and the whole CD flows easily and seamlessly through a variety of moods and ideas.

All in all, a masterpiece. But then again, this is Meshel Ndegeocello. Can we expect anything less?

It's always a good sign when a piece of art is equally loved and loathed. It means the artist has done something special.

Many people want the same thing over and over again. They want comfort. Not to be disturbed or challenged. They want what's conventional. Well, there's plenty of that out there for them.

Me'Shell is not a "smooth jazz" artist. She is a fearless genius in a sea of mediocrity. A genuine artist. This is not easy listening. It's not background music, designed to be atmospheric filler underneath banal conversation. It could never be played on today's radio and Thank God.

This album is masterful. It's an adventure. A leap ahead of anything she's done before - precisely because it's hard to predict where she's going next. And what she's done before was already extraordinary.

In a just world, this album would get the recognition and exposure it deserves. I'm grateful that it found me. I'll be listening to it years from now. I'm thankful to Me'Shell. Once again, she's courageously created something for those of us who just can't stomach more of the same.

Ah, Meshell. The thing I love the most about this woman is how she mixes it up with every new release, always bringing us something new, never visiting the same terrain twice. She's flirted with funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and the blues (but has fallen in love with none of them, apparently), infusing each flirtation with her deep, sexy basslines, poetry, the spoken word and rap; all the while singing songs of joy & pain, love & life and God & spirituality in that voice that does things to my soul I'll never be able to articulate as long as I live. As for her lyrics, sometimes I have to go sit down and think about them for a minute before I fully understand them. I think she's just awesome.

To be honest, I don't know what music genre she's playing around with here. It's not like anything I've ever heard before (though there was a moment that made me think of Bloc Party) but it's different, it's interesting and I like it. This is one musician who is steadfastly refusing to compromise her artistic integrity in the chase for SoundScan figures, airplay or awards. I have so much respect for her.

Part frenetic, part soothing, always mysterious and exciting, it's not for the faint-hearted. There are no radio/MTV/BET/middle school-age-friendly little ditties on offer here. This is deep stuff. It's challenging. Check out the prophetic pronouncements on the intro "Haditha" for a start. Personally, I found them worrying.

I haven't quite figured it all out yet after repeated listening, but I know for a fact I'm going to have a lot of fun trying. If you feel like a musical challenge and trying something far removed from the mediocre mainstream and with real bite, give this one a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Guest appearances by guitarists David Gilmore (of Pink Floyd fame) & Pat Metheny, vocalists Sy Smith & Thandiswa Mazwai and pianist Robert Glasper, lift the proceedings to a whole new level, especially for me as I'm a fan of all of them. Utterly fantastic.

I've had the Japanese release for some time now - and I can't stop loving this record. It's definitely one of Meshell's best releases and a blend of so many styles yet making so much sense together. Sexy bass lines, great vocals by Meshell and guests, sophisticated guitars, unforgettable melodies with surprises, jazzy solos, even the intro - they all have a special place in my heart. Some of the songs are just.. .killers. My favourites? Elliptical, Solomon, Relief, Sloganeer, Michelle Johnson, Lovely Lovely, Virgo - almost all of them. Most highly recommended to all people that want something more than just another Soul record. Man, this is MESHELL!!!

Meshell Ndegeocello is one of the most talented, and confounding, artists working in music today. "The World Has Made Me..." has gems to astound, and a few faltering moments that make you scratch your head. As in nearly all her previous releases, she demonstrates an amazing diversity. Who else can range, in a single disc, from the evocative and political "The Sloganeer: Paradise" to the intimate "Lovely Lovely," from the funk workout of "Michelle Johnson" to the touching, world-beat flavored "Shirk"? Well, maybe Prince, but besides that equally-difficult-to-pigeon-hole artist no one comes to mind. Meshell's lyrics throughout are poetic, personable, and inscrutable. A word to the wise: Don't miss a chance to see this artist live, where she is particularly amazing.

I was checking out samples of this CD on Yahoo Music and I immediately ran out to get this gem. I have always been a huge fan of Meshell Ndegeocello's music and the fact that she changes up her sound without compromising the art is one of the things that makes her consistently outstanding. This CD is pure magic. Some may argue, but it is rare in the current music spectrum to find an artist who cranks out 100% with the release of every CD. Every since "Plantation Lullabye," Meshell Ndegeocello has stayed true to social consciousness, political awareness, self-affirmation, and love. And her ability to blend various musical genres (e.g, reggae, jungle, and 1960-ish go-go in "Lovely Lovely") and still have it come out sounding good is something that many artists can't do right with one style.

Finally, an artist who constistently gets "it" right.

I couldn't wait for the US release, so I ordered it on amazon.fr. It's starting to get old, saying that each album Meshell makes is better than her last, but it applies again here. Wow! Her bass playing is tight and typically virtuosic, but her tunes, as always, stand out with crazy originality. This is one for the headphones, people! Swirls, beeps, bloops, right/left separation, this is a true audiophile recording. Lyrically she is as open, honest, and direct as ever. Drummer DeAntoni Parks simply kills it on this album. My feet still haven't figured out Chris Dave's beats from Comfort Woman, and now this guy? Amazing! Stop reading this review and buy the album, then go online, find tickets to see her, and go out and support Meshell in all she does!

I agree with an earlier reviewer who observes it is possible to trace the threads of her work back to previous albums from this one. She combines the jazzy improvisation from her last album 'Meshell Ndegeocello presents: Queen of the Infidel', the space-age odyssey of 'Comfort Woman', the atmosphere of 'Cookie' and brings it all together to produce her best work so far. This 'soft-pack' edition includes a BONUS TRACK called 'Soul Spaceship' (omitted from Amazon's tracklisting) which is actually a brilliant finale to the album, rather than a just a track tacked on to the end.