1. Alicia Keys: Songs in A Minor
In a way, it's easy to think of her as this year's Jill Scott: An R&B
songstress with a marvel of a voice and an out-of-nowhere smash
debut that earned both critical praise and mainstream success.
But even more than Scott, perhaps, Keys represents the apex of
R&B's 18-month-long winning streak. A classically trained pianist
with a bluesy, emotive voice that recalls a young Aretha Franklin,
with a socially conscious bent that recalls '70s Stevie Wonder, the
20-year-old Keys appears to just be hitting her stride. We can't wait
to see what she does next.
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作者: prexceed (prexceed) 看板: WesternMusic
標題: The 10 Essential R&B Albums of 2001 (2)
時間: Sun Feb 3 21:46:17 2002
2. India.Arie: Acoustic Soul
On this memorable first offering, India.Arie recollects Tracy Chapman
, who also debuted with a single so indelible it bordered on novelty
("Fast Car" in Chapman's case; the deft, wise "Video" in Arie's).
A richly layered offering with no end of tracks both catchy and moving,
Soul marks Arie's arrival as one of the finest (and admittedly one of the
only) African-American female singer-songwriters of her generation.
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標題: The 10 Essential R&B Albums of 2001 (3)
時間: Sun Feb 3 21:47:27 2002
3. Angie Stone: Mahogany Soul
Stone's superior follow-up to her much-buzzed-about 1999 offering
Black Diamond melds old-school soul, briskly done R&B, and some
of the wisest, no-nonsense lyrics in ages. Stone, an occasional
D'Angelo collaborator (and a onetime rapper, though the former has
more influence on Soul than the latter), has made 2001's best R&B
record for grown-ups.
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標題: The 10 Essential R&B Albums of 2001 (4)
時間: Sun Feb 3 21:48:30 2002
4. Aaliyah: Aaliyah
Often forgotten in the blanket coverage of Aaliyah's brief life and
tragic death is the fact that Aaliyah, the 22-year-old's third album,
was a work of impressive growth. From its Timbaland-produced
dance tracks ("More Than a Woman") to ballads ("I Refuse") that
demonstrated a powerful -- and previously only hinted-at -- vocal
range, Aaliyah was a work of radiant energy, with assurance and
wit to spare.
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標題: The 10 Essential R&B Albums of 2001 (5)
時間: Sun Feb 3 21:49:27 2002
5. Maxwell: Now
It had been three years since Maxwell released his last album (and
even longer since he released a good one), but Now, the finest male
R&B offering in a year dominated by women, was worth the wait.
Buoyed by richly done vocals and an (underrated), mournful lyricism,
Now exemplified the year's best merging of old-school,
Marvin Gaye-like soul and new-school funk jams, with the odd gospel
touch (and Kate Bush cover) thrown in for good measure.
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標題: The 10 Essential R&B Albums of 2001 (6)
時間: Sun Feb 3 21:51:06 2002
6. Craig David: Born to Do It
Blurring the boundaries between pop, hip-hop, R&B, and two-step,
20-year-old British sensation Craig David (previously best known for
his vocal work on Artful Dodger's Re-Wind) released a debut striking
for both its loveliness and its utter irresistibility. David's remarkable
vocals belie his years, and his ability to meld two-step and soul in a
way that made it appealing to both clubgoers and their parents is
unmatched.
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標題: The 10 Essential R&B Albums of 2001 (7)
時間: Sun Feb 3 21:52:26 2002
7. Mary J. Blige: No More Drama
It may not be Blige's best album ever (an honor that goes to 1994's
What's the 411?), but it certainly is the cheeriest: With such good-natured
, upbeat tracks as "P.M.S." and "Family Affair," the oft-described Queen
of Hip-Hop Soul returns with a busy, almost lighthearted offering that
features gospel choirs, appearances from Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliott,
Eve, and the now-ubiquitous Neptunes; a sample from the Young and the
Restless theme; and more of a willingness to explore a hip-hop/club vibe
than her last few records might suggest.
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標題: The 10 Essential R&B Albums of 2001 (8)
時間: Sun Feb 3 21:53:16 2002
8. Sunshine Anderson: I'm Your Woman
It was such a good year for R&B divas that Anderson almost got
lost in the shuffle, despite having issued one of the year's best singles,
"Heard It All Before," and (God help her) being managed by Macy Gray.
The arch, saucy R&B of Anderson's debut isn't exactly novel, but
Anderson, who possesses a voice that suggests a raspier Faith Evans,
essayed even the lesser numbers here with aplomb.
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標題: The 10 Essential R&B Albums of 2001 (9)
時間: Sun Feb 3 21:54:15 2002
9. Bilal: First Born Second
One of the brightest lights of the Philly soul resurgence, the 21- year-old
Bilal is a sometime Erykah Badu/Common collaborator (he's part of the
much-lauded Soulquarians collective) with one of R&B's most supple
voices. Seeding his debut with everything from scat-jazz to reggae to
stripped-down soul (though he fares best on the disc's several, gorgeous
ballads), Bilal is one of neo-soul's most promising voices
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標題: The 10 Essential R&B Albums of 2001 (10)
時間: Sun Feb 3 21:55:20 2002
10. Lina: Stranger on Earth
In a way, it wasn't fair: Blu Cantrell's debut (which was finished after
Lina's, but released first) cornered the admittedly limited market on young,
early-1920s-jazz-and-scat-singing soul divas, leaving Stranger on Earth
with a fraction of the attention it should have had. Possessing a powerful
voice and an endless fondness for both hip-hop grooves and Cab Calloway
references, Lina might not have won the public relations skirmish, but she's
the one to watch.
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