N'Dea Davenport

N'dea Davenport

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 1998)
• Original Release Date: June 30, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: V2
• ASIN: B000007SNC
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,482 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > R&B > Neo-Soul

Track Listings

1. Whatever You Want

2. Underneath a Read Moon

3. Save Your Love for Me

4. When the Night Falls

5. Bring It On

6. No Never Again

7. In Wonder

8. Bullshittin'

9. Real Life

10. Old Man

11. Placement for the Baby

12. Oh Mother Earth (Embrace)

13. Getaway

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

N'dea Davenport started working on her debut solo recording in 1990; she finished eight years later. In between she spent six years traveling the world with British funk revivalists the Brand New Heavies. After four albums on which she sang lead, wrote songs, and produced, she took a hiatus to buy and restore a house in Louisiana, then resumed the solo project. N'dea Davenport was recorded in San Francisco, Atlanta, Nashville, and Los Angeles. It sounds less like a clever pastiche of an artist suffering from wanderlust than the travelogue of a woman who is fluent in many different languages. Her native tongue remains the saucy, '70s-inspired funk she honed with her former bandmates, and the sultry vibe of "Bring It On" and "Whatever You Want" pushes that sound forward. Elsewhere she's mixing it up with the Crescent City's Rebirth Brass Band on "Getaway," reviving the Southern torch tradition on "Save Your Love for Me," showing off her jazz chops on "In Wonder," and infusing Neil Young's "Old Man" with a heady dose of soul. Her lyrics range from social criticism to tender love themes, and her enthusiasm lifts every track. Her long-awaited debut makes an eloquent argument for broadening the narrow confines of contemporary R&B. --Martin Johnson

Vibe

Davenport's coyly seductive [Brand New Heavies] persona is nowhere to be found on this album; instead, her powerful voice soars over chunky bass lines trusty rim shots, and wah-wah guitars.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars R&B Riot GRRRL, December 16, 1999

By	"riotgrrrrl" (Riot Grrrrrl Land) - See all my reviews

N'Dea Davenport's days with the Brand New Heavies gave us some brilliant soul & funk done in an elegant British style. Her new album furthers her excursions into the world of R&B and much more. I bought this record right before I saw her performance at the Lilith Fair and was in love with it from the first listen. Then I saw her performance and I was fascinated. The album starts off with the very funky-soulful 'Whatever You want' which seems to be dedicated to the listener as she declares that she will offer "whatever you want" just "to keep you happy," and that's what this record does. It promises nad it delivers. There are some outstanding moments like her rendition of Neil Young's 'Old Man,' which gives us a beautiful fusion of old rock and R&B. 'Save Your Love For Me' is seductive and Jazzy. And 'Bullshi++in' is simply the definition funky. This is the type of R&B that needs more promotion here in the States; it is intelligent, it rocks, it funks, it is simply fascinating. I recommend this album greatly as well as all of N'Dea's previous work with the Heavies (and her awesome duet with Guru back in 93 with the song 'Trust me'). N'Dea you are a true R&B Riot GRRRL!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heavies singer steps out with a bold statement, August 19, 1998

By	John Jones "Musician" (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It's a relief to find out, after enjoying her vocals with the Brand New Heavies over the years, that acid jazz isn't where N'Dea Davenport begins and ends. "Whatever You Want" and "Underneath a Red Moon" will be big hits with her Heavies fans, but that's pretty much where the similarities in N'Dea's past and present come to a halt. She gives a smoldering reading on the bluesy, Etta James-ish "Save Your Love for Me," slinks her way through the sultry hip-hop of "Bring it On" (the album's first single), and adopts a no-nonsense attitude for the funky, horn-laden, and irresistible "Bullshittin." The album is also full of surprises, but luckily pleasant ones: she goes tribal on "No Never Again," teams up with Daniel Lanois for the modern rock ballad "Real Life," and even breathes fresh life into Neil Young's classic "Old Man." The gothic midtempo number "I Wonder" and the drum-and-bass workout "Oh Mother Earth" provide further evidence that this woman is an artist to be reckoned with, and by the time you hear the roadhouse blues of "Getaway" (try to imagine a thin Bessie Smith giving a juke joint a workout) it's clear that there's precious little this adventurous artist isn't willing to tackle...and even less she can't achieve.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soul music that actually has soul; an essential album., June 19, 1999

By	[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This is the album for those into retro-soul; that is, spiritual soul that blends elements of old school R&B, funk, and rock, and doesn't rely on pop/crossover formulas, like so much of commercial R&B music nowadays. The album touches on every part of the musical spectrum, from acid jazz ("Whatever You Want"), blues ("Save Your Love For Me"), electronic (No Never Again, Oh Mother Earth), rock ("Old Man"), R&B ("Bullshi++in'") , and even swing ("Getaway", the closing track.) N'Dea, who wrote, produced, arranged the tracks, and played many of the instruments on the album, has crafted an album of beauty; she obviously hasn't lost a step since her BNH days.

If there's one song on the album that touches me, it'd have to be "Real Life". Complete with strings, electric guitar, and synth, N'Dea delivers a parable about problems in the world, like the treatment of senior citizens and violence amongst youth ("death is still a game to those who play with guns and knives....")

All in all, this is an album that truly does aim to broaden the narrow confines of contemporary R&B. Few female R&B artists reach this level (Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, and French import Les Nubians come to mind.) I'm anxiously awaiting N'Dea's next album.