Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship

India.Arie

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 8, 2007)
• Original Release Date: June 27, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B000NA2866
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (162 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,653 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Intro: Loving

2. These Eyes

3. Heart of the Matter

4. Good Mourning

5. Private Party

6. There's Hope

7. Living (Interlude)

8. India' Song

9. Wings of Forgiveness

10. Summer - India.Arie, , , Victor Wooten

11. I Am Not My Hair

12. Great Grandmother

13. Better People

14. Outro: Learning

15. I Choose

16. This Too Shall Pass

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Log onto an India.Arie lyrics page and you won't come away expecting an easy-breezy listen--here's an artist, remember, who made a name for herself by declaring her disdain for silicone and Cristal on her 2001 debut. What's consistently a revelation for new recruits to the Arie camp, then, is how good the music makes you feel. No matter how heavy the subject matter (and it still gets heavy--God surfaces in the first verse of "Intro," the prayerful opening song), she delivers it in such a way that it ends up feeling like homespun wisdom--accessible, cloudless, and heartening. Testimony, no minor R&B/soul achievement, is full of such earth-mother moments: "The Heart of the Matter," a cover of the Don Henley song, is what a hug might sound like if it were music; "There's Hope" reminds tunefully that you don't have to pay to smile ("You better thank God for that"); "Private Party" points up the benefits of getting naked before a mirror and liking what you see (impossible as that sounds, it'll seem less so after listening); and "I Am Not My Hair," a sexy thumper featuring Akon, celebrates not the hair, not the skin, but "the soul that lives within." Musically, "Testament" is a testament to the benefits of branching out; in addition to gospel and hip-hop, you'll also find country and pure pop forays here. All of it works, and works wondrously. Arie may be the Oprah of the music world: she's spiritual, she's got her head screwed on straight, and whatever she touches turns to gold. Or at least it ought to. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give me the courage to love with an open heart: Great new album by India.Arie, June 27, 2006

By	A. G. Corwin - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship (Audio CD)

On the opening track to her new album, Testimony: Volume 1 Love and Relationships, India.Arie gently invokes the serenity prayer, "god grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." and asks God to give her the courage to love with an open heart. With those elegant words, beautifully sung, India.Arie enters on a one hour journey of healing, understanding, and reflection. Her musical style is parts jazz, blues, R&B, and her voice is the sparkle in the mix, bold where needed, gentle where appropriate, and always interesting,

Opening track These Eyes is a wonderful song with a great beat and chorus. A surprisingly good cover of Don Henley's Heart of the Matter follows. The uptempo word play of Private Party shows India.Arie celebrating her womanhood, "my body is beautiful, sacred, and im gonna celebrate it." I think we can all guess what kind of party that will be, but its more than that, its India realizing her strength in being a woman relies in her believing in herself, not being dependant on a man.

The track There's Hope has a great Fugees-like sound to it; a beat heavy mid-tempo track with a great vocal. Just a fun, fun track all around. India's Song is about shedding the baggage of hatred, and learning to live again, with some amazingly introspective lyrics. A cleverishly fun track is I Am Not My Hair, combining a fast fingered acoustic guitar with a beat heavy vocal. Probably my favorite track on the CD. Great is another exceptional track, but Better People is a discoish mess whose lyrics deserved better music.

The most touching pieces on the album are the three interludes titled, Living, Loving, and Learning. That is the message of this album, and this is India.Arie doing all three through her music, and its a lot of fun to listen to her journey. The record closes with a gorgeous track called This Too Shall Pass, and we are left with the desire to listen again, and delve further into this fascinating world India has created with Testimony Vol 1. Wonderful album and highly recommended.

A.G. Corwin
St.Louis, MO

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Awaited, Most Anticipated, Highly Motivating, July 1, 2006

By	William m Coles (BALTIMORE, MARYLAND United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship (Audio CD)

Oh my GOODNESS,
What a POWERFUL, INSPIRATIONal, SPIRIT FILLED WORK OF ART. Congradulations to India........India........India!
What a collection of songs. I especially applaud Miss Arie for her dedication, staying grounded in her style and brand of music and not sacrificing her integrity to be get paid or be like the crowd. The work that was put into this project is very evident from the results of the product. All of the tracks are meaningful, have depth and extremely relative to the challenges we face in situations, love & relationships. I really can not put one track over the other because they are a complete package. THis is definately a collector's album. I will KEEP IT IN HEAVY ROTATION. ANYONE WHO DISSES THIS MUST NOT BE A REAL BRUTHA OR SISTAH. AND U KNOW WHAT I MEAN...........

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic. Wow., June 14, 2007

By	W. E. Phillips (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

From the second I heard her debut single, "Video," in 2001, I knew that I would be a fan for life. I didn't completely love either of her first CDs. Her debut was nice, but a few songs were iffy for me. Her second album felt a little rushed and seemed like a handful of great tracks tossed in with a bunch of filler material. And I could never stand her interludes, sorry to say. By no means did I not enjoy the CDs. I would probably give both four stars, but the point is... I had never been able to listen to one of her albums straight through, even though I love her. Until now, that is.

This album was so unexpected. It was one of the most pleasant surprises of the year for me. The whole thing is amazing. I listen to it straight through all the time, interludes and all! Her voice has improved so much; it has gained a new purity and is now smooth as butter. It glides over the tracks. The production is flawless. She has added a lot of other influences in the mix, including country and gospel. Her re-make of "Heart of the Matter" made me love the song, a small miracle in itself. I listen to "Wings of Forgiveness" every morning, as well as "I Choose" and "Better People."

To the many people claiming this is a "sell-out," I don't know what to tell you, but it's not. It's just not.

In short, this album is absolutely amazing. It is one of my favorites of all time! Each song is excellent, has a catchy melody, and delivers a great message. I demand that you buy this album. I cannot wait until Volume 2, Life & Politics. It's supposed to come out sometime this summer!