Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a near-masterpiece, July 9, 2003
Mulittalented singer-bassist Me'Shell NdegéOcello may confound some of her fans with her unique views on life and politics, but she never fails to disappoint. "Peace Beyond Passion" is a mixture of '70s soul-jazz revivalism and modern romance and culture that stays interesting throughout its playing time. Sexual and religious lyrical views notwithstanding, this is a must have for the modern R&B lover.The fipped on its ear cover of Bill Withers' classic "Who Is He And What is He To You" got heavy (for NdegéOcello) airplay on MTV, and is a highlight, along with the very well done tracks "The Way," "Bittersweet," and the shockingly real "Makes Me Wanna Holler." NdegéOcello wisely avoids hip-hop on "Peace" for the most part, but her unique rapping (in the traditional sense) and singing keeps it current and non-formulatic. NdegéOcello's bass playing also gives the work a signature edge. Two notes into the song, you instantly know it's her, and that's a good thing. If you loved Me'Shell NdegéOcello's other recordings, or those of contemporaries Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, India.Arie or Floetry, this is the CD for you. Even fans of non "neo-soul" acts will find much to like here. Plus it's sublime music for a romantic evening. Trust me.
|
|
|
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Depth., September 24, 2002
It may fall a hair short of her best album, "Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape," but Me'Shell NdegéOcello's "Peace Beyond Passion" is a nerve-hitting CD that gives a big middle finger to the conventions of modern r&b and soul. Equally intelligent and head-bobbingly groovilicious, this album has MeShell serving up an arsenal of funk using real instruments and smooth, but not slick, production. She tackles homophobia as if she were grabbing a bull by its horns on "Leviticus: Faggot" (whose video BET stupidly declined to air). In "The Way," she flirts with blasphemy and challenges religion with the eyebrow-raising lyric "Maybe Judas was the better man/and Mary made a virgin just to save face." NdegéOcello also finds herself confronting suspicions of infidelity in her smoothed out cover of "Who Is He and What Is He To You." "Peace Beyond Passion" elevates MeShell as a soul sista peerless and unrivaled. It's a brilliant album of amazing depth that oughn't be ignored.
|
|
|
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still Her Finest Work., September 10, 2002
While not as playful as "Plantation Lullabies", as sad and heavy handed as "Bitter" or as experimental as the recent "Cookie...", Me'Shell's sophomore LP is by far her best. Her sensual sing/speak gains a certain depth and confidence here that's not as defensive as her debut and points fingers at false religion, homophobia ("Leviticous: Faggot")infidelity (a fine remake of Bill Wither's "Who Is He And What Is He To You?") celebrates sex and romance ("Stay")and even veers into near blasphemy with the ode to Jesus' mother ("Mother Magdelene" a stunning acoustic number)while lashing out to the parents that emotionally scarred her ("Make Me Wanna Holler") she never misses a beat, the LP never loses it's momentum (even on the slower tracks) and hits the mark lyrically every time. "Peace...." is a sprawling, sometimes languid masterpiece employing funk, jazz (Sax genius Joshua Redmond contributes a buzzing, squealing, brilliant solo to "Deuteronomy:Niggerman")soul and hard rock for a dizzying but quite cohesive listening experience. Of all her releases, this one remains my favorite. A daring and almost too real idictment of our beliefs and ideals, "Peace..." is a modern work of art.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
~ Me'Shell NdegeOcello
~ Me'Shell NdegeOcello
~ Me'Shell NdegeOcello
~ Me'Shell NdegeOcello
~ Me'Shell NdegeOcello
by Me'Shell NdegéOcello 
