Customer Reviews

Zhane Pronounced Jah-Nay

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Back in '94 I was only 18 years old. I was heavy into hip hop, 40's, blunts, b-ball, etc... Needless to say, R&B was considered soft in my circle and there was no room for softness if you were a hardcore b-boy like I was. Then out of nowhere, two beautiful young women dropped an album on me that changed my entire view of R&B. Zhane's 1994 debut is a classic LP. Largely produced by Naughty By Nature (see: Kay Gee), this CD perfectly blended funky hip hop rhythms, smooth ballads, and the angelic voices of Jean and Renee' (the group name is actually a hybrid of their own names). There really aren't any negative things to be said about this album. All of the singles that were released on this album were smash hits and the rest of the songs were just as good if not better.

Overall, this album is a must have for R&B collectors. This is a flawless album that still gets regular rotation in my disc changer. The singles were good, but the rest of the songs were even better. It took them 3 years to drop their sophomore effort (1997's underrated "Saturday Night"), but by then the buzz they created had already died. But they will always have this incredible debut. They just don't make albums like this anymore. If you haven't heard or don't own this album, you're missing out on something special.

Standout Tracks: Off My Mind, Hey Mr DJ, Love Me Today, Vibe, Groove Thang, Sending My Love, La La La (My Favorite), and Changes

This cd from Zhane is old and I had this from the time it came out back in 94-95..but it's still good. This is one of the few groups who can mix R+B, Jazz, hip/hop in one..females anyway. They had good producers here (Kaygee from naughty by nature) and others. They even play piano on 2 cuts here. This cd has party jams and jams to just kick back....and then some to just study. They have the voices to rock jazz or R+B and that breaks them up from the rest of the r+b singers out now. they been out of it for a while but I saw that they coming back with a new lp....and that should be good. Groove thing, Vibe, changes, your sorry now, sending my love, and hey mister dj are the best tracks here and I think after listening to them.....they should have done something with tribe called quest.

Don't sleep on Zhane...this might be old...but worth a listen.

First I have to admit, that I did not buy this CD when it first came out. Even though I had heard "Hey Mr. DJ" and "Groove Thang", which were tight, I didn't know what to expect from the rest of the album. Then I heard "Vibe" and "Sending Ny Love" which were also tight but I still didn't purchase the CD for the same reason. Finally, a female friend from college let me borrow her copy and after one listen I was hooked. The best thing about this CD aren't the fast songs, which are tight, but the slow songs are classic. If you don't have this CD you would probably figure that Zhane didn't have it in them, because all of their sinlges have been fast or midtempo songs. "Love Me Today" and "For A Reason" are definitely classics and are in my top 100 slow jams of all time. Other highlights are "Sweet Taste Of Love", "You're Sorry Now" and "La, La, La" which are also tight songs. "Pronounced Zah-Nay" should be in everyone's collection, that's how good it is. "Saturday Nite" their second CD, only failed because the disc wasn't promoted like their first one. This CD is also good.

In 1993 this duo rocked the clubs with hey Mr. Dj followed by groove thang. These ladies along with Kay Gee of Naughty by Nature put an album that will be considered a classic years from now.

I really like this cd alot because it has diversity. HOT tracks to get your groove on.

I took a chance with this one because I only really knew their song Hey Mr.DJ, but I was plesantly suprised to find all of the songs refreshing. The melodies are what caught my attention. The two ladies' voices meld together into beautiful harmonies. This Cd makes me feel like summertime. Don't just get the feel for the songs by the little sample that Amazon offers, listen to the whole song. A little hint- go to youtube.com and type in Zhane to watch some of their music videos and listen to the songs in full version. There are only a few songs: Hey Mr. DJ, Sending My Love, and two songs from their Saturday Night Cd: Crush, and Request Line. If your not sure with this purchase then this will help with your decision.

Like true R&B, it seems Zhane (like their male sonic contemporaries, Tony Toni Tone) have gone by the wayside. With apologies to Floetry, Kindred the Family Soul and Jaheim, et.al. fans alike (of which I am also), these ladies embodied a pure essence of Soul, which has been unmatched by today's so-called "Neo-Soul" artists. This CD, which still remarkably sounds as fresh now as when it first appeared on the scene over ten years ago, is as musically satisfying as ever. Tastefully produced by hip-hop producer Kay Gee, it should be noted as amongst the best ever in the post New Jack Swing era.

In these times where how an artist looks seem more important than how they sound, we have seen the death of true R&B. However, we can enjoy this release and wonder what might have been if they were still releasing albums today.

But I never understood why they didn't catch fire. They had a bona-fide hit producer in Kay Gee (Naughty by Nature), incredible vocal chemistry, heavy-duty promotion, and catchy singles. This resulted in an impressive debut. So why have the dynamic duo faded into obscurity? I guess that will always be a mystery. Anywho, along with Blackstreet and Age Ain't Nuthin' But A Number, Pronounced Jah-Nay ranks as one of the top five BEST hip-hop/soul debuts of 1994. And here's why...

It's a very smooth record, consisting of FIVE R&B hits, with "Hey Mr. D.J.", "Groove Thang", and "Sending My Love" making the top five on the R&B chart. You think that's the story? NOT!. The story is how good the REST of the album is. In fact, I will say (like other VERY strong debuts) the album tracks are BETTER than the singles. And that's saying a lot, given there are only a handful of hip-hop/swing albums worthy of such praise in the 1990's. The tracks I'm referring to are: "Sweet Taste of Love", "Changes", "La La La", "For A Reason" and "Hey Mr. D.J. Remix". That's eight cuts that should get played everytime it's in the CD player. It doesn't get much better than that.

In sum, Zhane turned out an impressive debut amongst an incredible year for hip-hop soul records. However, their fame didn't last long. They would go on to suffer the dreaded sophomore slump three years later and never release another set. But their debut will never be forgotten. It's hip-hop/soul at its peak. And that's what makes it irresistibly catchy. A hip-hop fan definitely needs to obtain this one, but a casual listener should as well.

Grade: A+

Debut from duo Zhane, Pronounced Ja-Nay, is a classic display of what's missing from today's r&b. Kay Gee laced them with simple tracks that didn't drain the vocals or range of Zhane, but enhanced it. As the group wrote the entire album, they also produced four of the 13 songs. As a majority of the lp is mid-tempo the height of the album is seen through the slow songs. All of the included songs could be singles as each has it's own identity to create this whole.

Ok, Jean Baylor and Renee Neufville created beautiful artistry when combining their two soulful voices. Renee's lush alto and Jean's exquisite soprano compliment one another on track after track. Though this duo is well known for their hit song Hey, Mr. DJ which reached #6 on the pop charts and "Sending my Love" which reached #5, they should not be slept on by any means. Their songs are rich in melody. Some of these songs include, "La, La, La" and "Love me today". These are also songs that will take you back to the place-in-time when you first heard them-- I guarantee it! All of their music is beautifully displayed with lush tones that lull you into bliss. Other tracks that are noteworthy include the sassy songs, "You're sorry now" and "Changes"! Buy the album and give it a listen and you will not be disappointed people!