Through my job, I was fortunate enough to obtain a copy of Raphael Saadiq's latest CD, The Way I See It. From his days as lead singer of the R&B trio Tony! Toni! Tone!, Saadiq has been one of the leading beacons in keeping the torch of 60s and 70s soul burning. When I listened to The Way I See It for the first time, I was transported back to the heyday of the Afro pick with the "Black power fist" handle. The difference is that I was listening to it through the disc drive of my computer at work and not on a turntable at a family weekend get together. One thing that I'm thankful for is that Saadiq wrote an album of all-new material instead of taking the easy road and doing by-the-numbers remakes of classic soul tunes.There are some who feel that contemporary R&B is deader than Kevin Costner's film career. However, as long as there are artists like Raphael Saadiq who recognize soul music's rich history, there is hope.
Below are titles to some of the highlights from The Way I See It:
100 Yard Dash
Keep Marchin'
Just One Kiss (a duet between Saadiq and British soul songstress Joss Stone)
Never Give You Up (Features vocals by CJ Hilton and a harmonica solo by Stevie Wonder. If you remember how Wonder introduced jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillepsie on his 1982 hit Do I Do, you'll appreciate Saadiq's introduction of the Motown legend on this track.)
4 comments:
I love Ralphie, but along with him I think people like Music Soul Child and Maxwell keep the genre alive. On your review I will go out and grab this CD.
Thanks for sharing your feedback on Saadiq's latest. I'd been wondering and pondering. Still think I'm gonna go pick up some Anthony David and possbily Eric Benet first, but I've always loved Saadiq's sound and willingness to be a bit different.
You know what struck me in this post...is the meory of a family get together and everyone taking turns playing records and everyone dancing or singing along. It made me feel very nostalgic.
I am going to get a copy of this one, you got me very inspired to listen to it. Good review.
:)
Pjazzy: Just to be clear, I didn't mean to imply that Raphael was the only artist keeping the soul tradition alive. Musiq Soul Child, Maxwell, and others are without question doing their part too. Once you get the CD, I look forward to hearing what you think.
Lori: I was reading somewhere a couple of weeks ago that Eric Benet was finally coming out with something new. It's been way too long. By coincidence, one of the tracks on Raphael's new CD reminds me of Eric.
Candy: Some of my fave memories are of the family get-togethers we used to have as a kid. Most of my family are music lovers, so it's always been a part of my life... thankfully. I look forward to hearing what you think of the Raphael Saadiq CD once you get it.
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