Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The New Millenium - White, Stevie Wonder., October 7, 2004
I first heard this album while driving around with some fellow R&B musicians. I love R&B and was getting bored with the watered down stylings of b2k and other bubblegum R&B singers/groups. Thicke releases a great album mixing all aspects R&B. Traditional,neo,light funk, and rock influenced soul are all mixed to create an excellent eclectic mix of music not short of genius. Thickes voice is smokey,and chilled.True he may lack range& power, but he constructs music to suit his thin voice. Thin does not mean bad, it means simple, it means he uses aspects that some power house singers don't. He just sings the songs, no ranting like R&B singers Beyonce` and other over the top "soul" singers, he hits solid notes. Which is truly refreshing, no frills just singing. What he may lack in range and power he makes up for in style and vibe.
This album is truly one of the best R&B/soul albums released in the last 5 years, and thats saying something.
If you like the stylings Lauryn Hill and Musiq you will like Thicke and his quaint artistry.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonder-ful and Innovative, April 27, 2003
Equal parts funk/soul (think Stevie Wonder) and rock and roll (think the Beatles, namely John Lennon), Thicke defies classification. That doesn't go over too well in today's image obsessed, over-hyped "material world" (just ask Nikka Costa), but it makes for innovative music. He's an original, both a throwback to the 1970s and thoroughly modern, which adds to the charm of the album. A long-winded run-down of the tracks: "Oh Shooter" recounts the true-life story of a bank robbery that he witnessed at 17. It's a great opener with a lazy, laid-back vocal style and insistent beats. "A Beautiful World" is probably the best song on the album. The lyrics are great, simple, complex and clever at the same time ("Everyone's skinny and overweight..."), and they work with his soaring falsetto. "Suga Mama" is my least favorite on the record. If I skip anything, it's that one, but the next one, "Flowers in Bloom" is a nice, sad song, a bit faster in pace than "A Beautiful World." The first single, "When I Get You Alone," didn't catch on to radio here, but it's great sample of "A Fifth of Beethoven." A few of the lyrics are a bit ridiculous, but it's a good song. "The Stupid Things" is a ballad that reminds me of John Lennon because it's more clever than deep. One of my favorites. "I'm A B Alright" is a great dance track. "Brand New Jones" has been stuck in my head for days. It's a catchy song reminiscent of classic funk. Another favorite. "Vengas Conmigo" is a latin flavored track with verses in Spanish. It's growing on me. I love "Flex." There's great guitar work, and the end feels like something from the 70's. "Make A Baby" is another one I'm not too fond of, but it's still a good song. The hook reminds me of the Beatle's "Revolution." I love the next one, "She's Gangsta." More clever lyrics and great beats. It's really funny. "Lazy Bones" is a more cynical/angst-ridden tune, while still upbeat. "Cherry Blue Skies" (the original title track before the album got pushed back about 100 times) closes nicely. It's a hopeful, pensive 9/11-inspired cut. Definitely something to think about. It's definitely got a few weak points, but all-in-all this is an auspicious debut. Thicke wrote all of the lyrics (rather well, overall), and while they're awkward at times and overly ambitious, they top most other debuts (love you, Timberlake, but you wish you could write this well). He plays the piano, too. This man is too talented to get slept on. This is what real music should be, an unclassifiable blend of different styles that's cohesive as a whole. Where everyone else follows the trends of disillusioned teenage "punk/pop" (isn't that an oxymoron?), generic neo-soul, and way too much bling-bling and "murda" for my tastes, Thicke is a zebra in the world of tired, used-up horses with recycled beats and vapid lyrics. He's one of the few artist out now doing something interesting and deserves success.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spectacular!, June 11, 2005
When my friend first let me hear this album, I thought it was good, but to be honest I was not really impressed. It was not until some time later, when I saw his video, I think it was for When I Get You Alone, that i realized who he was and I had his album lying around the house. I listened to it again and the genius of this man hit me. To place this album in a category would be to do it injustice, so I will refrain from doing so (however, I have it in the neo-soul category on my computer). It defies categorization in my mind because of the range of genres containd herein, and how the music really plays a large part in how the lyrics are interpreted. Here is a track by track break down of what I think of each song.
Oh Shooter - 9.5/10 This song is performed in such a non-chalant manner that I at first assumed he was telling the story for someone else. After listening to the whole album, however, I surmised that it actually happened to him, but he was not afraid for one reason or another.
A Beautiful World - 9/10 Great falsetto. I love the simplicity of this song.
Suga Mama - 9.8/10 I believe the highest score should be reserved for the absolute best song, which is why this song doesn't get a 10. I like a couple of songs better. This song is brilliant, however; especially the bridge. Funky.
Flowers in Bloom - 9/10 I remember my sister told me one day that she couldn't listen to this song every day because it made her want to kill herself. Tongue-in-cheek comment, of course, but point taken.
When I Get You Alone - 9/10 Brilliant adaptation of the classic classical theme from Beethoven.
The Stupid Things - 10/10 I have a slight obsession with this song. Ok, it's not slight. This is a non-skip cd (play the whole thing without skipping any songs), but this song makes me skip forward and backward to hear it again and again. I'm learning to play the piano so that I can sing this song. (I'm a little off)
I'ma Be Alright - 9/10 Lighter themed song. Another falsetto hit.
Brand New Jones - 9.9/10 This is probably the best song on the album, but because of my obsession I have it rated lower than "The Stupid Things." This song is the best example of what I stated earlier, how the music helps to tell the story. I developed a theory about what he's talking about specifically in this song. Absolutely brilliant.
Vengas Conmigo - 9.5/10 Latin theme to this jam. He does a good job of capturing the essence of Latin music in this one.
Flex - 8.5/10 Fun song. Good combination of record scratching and electric guitars in the chorus. Well done.
Make a Baby - 8.5/10 Theme of this song is pretty straight forward (see song's title). Musically, this song reminds me a bit of the tv sitcom theme songs his father (Alan Thicke) used to write in the 70s and 80s.
She's Gangsta - 8/10 Probably the weakest song on the album, but stil a good one. Some good vocals on this track, especially with his ad-libs.
Lazy Bones - 9.5/10 Energetic song with good background vocals. Another song that I have a tendency to repeat because I just love the groove of this one.
Cherry Blue Skies - 9.3/10 He really shows off his falsetto on this one. He might hit the highest notes on the album in this song. Changes in tempo really limit the groove of this song, but it's still a strong ending to a great album.
Overall - 10/10. Go get it!
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