Get Lifted

John Legend

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 28, 2004)
• Original Release Date: December 28, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0002X314C
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (373 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,566 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Given the sped-up classic soul samples with which Kanye West has made his mark, it comes as no surprise that the producer/rapper would pick a tradition-minded R&B singer as his first big pet project. Legend first made his name on Philly's incense-clouded, '70s-obsessed neo-soul scene, then found his way to New York and became West's right-hand man in the studio. His patron's pop smarts serve Legend well--while many contemporary R&B records rely too heavily on a singer's cadence and skill to carry underdeveloped tunes, Legend and West have composed genuine songs like the perky "Number One," which has a lovestruck West jabbering that he no longer believes that "my heart don't got nothing to do with my penis." (It's way more convincing than Snoop Dogg's pledge of love on the next track, "I Can Change.") And even when the melodies are slight, West slides some nasty bass lines underneath, hinting at just enough of a hip-hop sensibility to keep the album from drifting into retro nostalgia. Yet Legend is no mere producer's plaything. His voice isn't immediately distinctive; he's neither as careworn as Anthony Hamilton nor as creamy as D'Angelo. But his gift for restraint sets him apart: the sex-as-drug metaphor of the title track is hardly fresh, but Legend delivers it smoothly enough to make it work, without pressing the issue. All bedroom come-ons have been used before. This late in the game, it's a matter of how well you use 'em. --Keith Harris

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

132 of 140 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Expect Great Things From Him For a Long Time to Come, January 30, 2005

By	Rudy Palma "The Writing Fiend" (NJ) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Although his surname may be something he picked up from an old friend in Chicago, John Legend's debut album "Get Lifted" proves a definite validation in the making. A gifted singer, songwriter and pianist, he has already gotten his hands dirty as a session player and songwriter for the likes of Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys and Twista. He even played piano on Lauryn Hill's 1999 Top 40 hit "Everything Is Everything" when he was still a teenager, and his work on Kayne West's debut album "College Dropout" that helped yield sizzling success last year led West to produce "Get Lifted."

Although criticism that he has relied too much on his influences to guide his musical direction is semi-justified, Legend (real name John Stevens) has more than enough talent and charisma at his disposal that one listen to the album will leave no doubt in the minds of listeners that he is something special. With his sparkling strokes on the keys of his piano and his singing expressive and powerful, "Get Lifted" will make some think that Alicia Keys' male counterpart has arrived on the scene. It is appropriate, then, that she utilized his talents on her "Diary of Alicia Keys" album and has him to support her on her forthcoming tour.

Although the initial single "Used to Love U" was the most obvious song for radio play, it is a mere taste of what the album has to offer. Current single "Ordinary People," which is currently ascending the Hot 100, is full-fledged musical rapture, infused with crystalline passion and grace. Anyone who has heard this song and is not smart enough to appreciate the talent behind it will not like the rest of the LP either.

A particular highlight comes when he waxes romanticism on the radio-ready "Refuge (When It's Cold Outside)":

"When it's cold outside/There's no need to worry cuz/I'm so warm inside/You give me peace/When the storm's outside/Cuz we're in love I know/It'll be alright."

The sunny, smile-inducing "Number One" which features a wonderfully exuberant rap by West is an absolute delight:

"You know that I love you/There's no one above you/I said it the last time/But this is the last time/Don't make me over/Cuz I can be faithful/Baby you're my number one."

Other highlights include the infectious "I Can Change" featuring Snoop Dogg, the soul-searching "So High" and the closing "Live It Up" where his awesome interpretation of his lyrics combined with colorful production and vinyl crackles brings his disc to a regretful conclusion.

John Legend has crafted an album that is pure candy to the ears and spotlights a wealth of talent that is truly all his own. If there is any artist out there worthy of all the hype surrounding them, he is the one. Expect great things from him for a long time to come.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing "Ordinary"... (4.5 Stars), February 25, 2005

By	Andrew Jacob (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

They say, "Persistence pays off". After years of working behind the scenes (like playing on Lauryn Hill's 1999 "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill": "Everything is Everything" and title track "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill") John Legend (Stephens) is finally the front man. "Get Lifted" is one impressive debut that ranges from R&B/Soul ballads to R&B/Hip Hop hybrids, both complemented with the piano. Highlights include the instantly intriguing "Let's Get Lifted", its vocally impressive counterpart "Let's Get Lifted Again", the catchy "I Can Change" & "Alright", the beautiful "Ordinary People", the soulful "Stay With You", and the best song on the album, the incredible "She Don't Have To Know" where the perspective is switched onto the two people cheating. Noble? No. Unique? With the way John Legend presents it; definitely. The only place where the album falters is the collaboration with Kanye West; "Number One" sounds like an obligatory track between the "mentor" and "protégé" (and Kanye just kills the song with his verse). But overall, the album is exceptional from start to finish. With innovative and fresh-sounding material, John Legend proves that he is not just another "throwaway artist", but rather an artist that has potential and whose talent will inevitably extent far into his career.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars He's got it!, March 15, 2005

By	F. Ross Whittendale (Beverly Hills) - See all my reviews

Remember when Alicia Keys first came out and a lot of haters said that she really couldn't sing, and that she was just this poor little Clive Davis puppet? Years later she proved that she belongs, and I think that John Legend will do the same.
They said Keys was overated. No! She was not overated, but she was over-hyped. There is a difference. We got tired of seeing her on the cover of every mag and hearing how good she was. Once Mr. Stephens gets out on tour and away from the shadow of Mr. West he'll prove that he is more substance than hype as well.
He's not the female Alicia Keys, he's more like the male Mary J. Blige. And you know what I mean by that, his voice IS NOT pitch perfect; but damn if he doesn't put enough emotion in his sung lyrics to take your mind back to the same situation he's singing about. He's the truth.
True R&B is pretty miserable right now. This album is not just another I love you, I need you, I want you R&B record. In time and with polish he'll be among the elite as Maxwell and Brian Mcknight are now.