The Art of Love and War

Angie Stone

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 16, 2007)
• Original Release Date: October 16, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Stax
• ASIN: B000SNUNWO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,266 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Angie Stone has soul to burn, as hordes of breathless fans who stand by the excellence of 2004's Stone Love know, and despite a change in record labels and hairdos, her mighty reserves haven't dwindled--The Art of Love and War, on the re-launched Stax label, is as full-bodied an affair as this old-school-leaning, incessantly self-exploring diva has delivered. The comparisons to Jill Scott should dead-end here: Songs like "Baby," with the gospel great Betty Wright, and "Sometimes," with backing singers who strut right through the beat and into the part of the brain that makes swaying happen, are all Angie. Which is to say their edges are never going to need sharpening, but they're also porous enough to let in softness and a sense of hard-won maturity. A couple of late-disc numbers pull off the excellent feat of also letting the funk in--"Play Wit It" captures a Lauryn Hill kind of cool, groovy but substantial, and "Pop Pop" goes for (and achieves) full-on fizziness with an undercurrent of sophistication. --Tammy La Gorce

More from Angie Stone

Mahogany Soul	Black Diamond	Life Goes On
Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone	Stone Love	Wish I Didn't Love You

Product Description

The highly anticipated new CD by the neo-soul diva is, simply put, her best album ever. Includes the new hit single "Baby" featuring the legendary BETTY WRIGHT and "My People" with the incomparable JAMES INGRAM.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's fresh quality in this genuinely soulful recording., October 15, 2007

By	Mr.Style Joe "music connoisseur" (Boston,MA) - See all my reviews

Angie Stone's previous work earned her the reputation of a modern-day Aretha, rejuvenating classic R&B with her incomparable soul-baring intensity.
Angie' latest album sees her signing to the legendary Stax label as her creative rebirth, as she launches her new album, "The Art Of Love and War", which marks the excellent return to soul from one of our favourite female vocalists.
The soul wheel is hardly reinvented here, but rarely has it turned so smoothly. The duet "My People" with James Ingram is a direct descendant of his classic collaboration with Michael McDonald, "Yah Mo Be There", a roll call of Afro-American role models which is celebratory rather than confrontational.
There's something of the Barry White's and the Marvin Gayes', the Aretha Franklin's and the Stevie Wonder's about the musical arrangements, but she avoids the nostalgia pitfall, and makes cool classy sensational soul music for a new generation.
This album -- sure to be marked down as one of the year's most genuinely soulful -- is consistently good throughout but highlights are The steppers "Baby", featuring Betty Wright, the duet beat ballad "Half A Chance'" and the hypnotic mid tempo "Make It last" are all excellent on this great album.
If "The Art Of Love and War" proves anything, it is that having to try too hard is more likely to end in failure than success, with "Happy Being Me', featuring Pauletta Washington, ending the record on the appropriately comfortable note.
My highlights : "Baby" and "My People"

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Raw Soul, October 28, 2007

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

One day in October 2005, I was innocently walking down the aisles of my favorite music store. My eyes wandered back and forth until they locked on the little row of Angie Stone albums. I saw a cover picture that I'd never seen before and I was curious. I have all three of her wonderful albums released thus far... what could this be? As I stepped closer, my heart skipped a beat. 'Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone'?! A terribly random tracklisting with an incredibly ameteur photoshopped cover to boot? And it's officially executive produced by Ms. Stone herself, and not just of those cheap 'Sony specical divisions' compilations sold for $6.99? I immediately knew it was probably a way to make quick money and to fulfill her contract with J Records, but a question that I could not ignore rang in my head: is this the end of Angie Stone's music-making career? And I almost cried when I saw her name on the roster for VH1's Celebrity Fit Club 3, which, quite frankly, is a way for has-beens to make a quick buck and maybe gain a little exposure.

So you can only imagine the 'halelujahs' I shouted when I saw her video for "Baby" on TV one fine summer day. After finally accepting the fact that one of my favorite singers was gone from the industry for good, here she comes out of nowhere! The song, a collaboration with soul legend Betty Wright, remains one of my favorites off the album. The two ladies' layered harmonies over the bass-heavy and simplistic production proved to be an excellent first single. The song tells of the classic tale of a lover who forgets about the people who helped him make it to the top. (The songs is obviously about Angie's past relationship with D'Angelo).

The Art of Love and War is a perfect title for the album, whose subject matter is composed of equal parts of painful past relationships ("Go Back To Your Life," "Here We Go Again," etc.) and the hapiness of her new love with husband Ashanit ("Wait For Me," "Sit Down," more).

"Pop Pop" is another highlight. On the relaxing slow jam, which begins with the sound of a champagne cork being popped, Angie's voice oozes with sensuality as do the lyrics. I like to look at it as a full-length sequel to Stone Love's "Touch It" interlude. "Play Wit It" is a funky and confident track where Angie not-so-coyly brags about her hit-making ability; she is here to stay! The 'if you want some, come get some' attitude of the track is sure to make it a favorite.

As much as I love every single song off the album, my absolute favorite is "My People," with talented guest artist, James Ingram. Over soaring and vibrant production, Angie delivers inspirational lyrics to her people to keep their head up and keep advancing further and further. Powerful lines like "only we can save us from us/think about change, re-arrange, show our people love" really make for an emotionally touching track. After almost two minutes of James and Angie alternating turns to name influential black people of the past and present, the background of minimalistic tribal drums and African-style chants fades and Angie adds an odd person to the list... "Bill Clinton. That's right, I said it. Y'all know that was the 'first black man in the white house.'" She lets out a playful chuckle, ending the song. The five minutes of uncontrollable, full-bellied laughter that line caused me was worth the price of the album alone!

To get to the point, Angie Stone's fourth album, The Art of Love and War, is an amazing album. Each and every song is great, raw soul that carries on the tradition of the Stax label. If you love Angie's music, soul music, or just music... this will definitely be pleasing to you. Definitely one of my favorite albums of the year thus far.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the art of real music, October 17, 2007

By	Kurupt "God-Body Reviewer" (chicago) - See all my reviews

With a voice just as good as jill scott and lyrics to match. Angie has snapped with yet another album of soulful feel good music. It is good to hear music for grown ups still exists and Angie is bringing the thunder for those that know how to appreciate good music. With solid production to cap the album off, this is a great release for your collection.