Alicia Keys

As I Am

Long ago in the land of Urban Myth,Paul McCartney and John Lennon were to have supposedly told Mick Jagger and Keith Richards how to write pop songs.The idea was this:Steal a melody,or style from someone else and make it your own.George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord' sounding eerily similar to The Chiffons' 'He's So Fine' & Paul perfectly mimicking Little Richard in no way lend credence to this myth.


And with sampling and club mixes,the point of who owns what seems slightly irreverent by today's standards.I only point this out because there have been those who have said that some of Alicia's work on this cd sound somewhat like other people's songs.The hit,'No One' is said to echo The Black Eyed Peas,'Where Is The Love' & her,'Like You'll Never See Me Again' is said to be a Prince's,'Diamonds and Pearls' doppelganger.

To this,I say,Bah,Humbug!I doubt if you will find a bigger hit laden cd this year.The beautiful Alicia Keys sings her heart out on 'As I Am'.It is destined to be a major player all the way through this summer.

The album has a supreme trifecta of perfectly upbeat sounds. "Superwoman',blends nicely into the modern r&b/pop stylings of,'No One',and then-the cd goes straight into the nice love ballad,'Like You'll Never See Me Again'.These songs sound so deliciously sweet together that they are a perfect excuse to keep playing this cd over and over again.

I really like Alicia's piano playing and mostly real music.It just makes you want to see her perform in concert.Her,'As I Am' intro,is live,and adds just the right touch to the beginning of the cd{Let's Get The Party Started}.'Go Ahead';'Wreckless Love' and the very jamming and beautiful ,'Where Do We Go From Here' keep the party going.

This cd can be both a great party album and/or a cd to snuggle up with your loved one on the couch.

The only flaw is a minor one,but I am going to have to take points away for it.Maybe it is just me-if I was a teenager,maybe,I would feel a tad different about it-but the song,'Teenage Love Affair' was just too generic,and somewhat creepy.Alicia is just a little too old to be singing this.Maybe if the song was subtitled,'The ballad of Jossie and Jose'.I don't know.I am more likely than not,putting too much into the song,and for that I am sorry.

Besides that,one hell of a cd.

A-

RadioHead

OK,we have Richie Blackmore's,Rainbow;Alice Cooper is 'Always Chasing Rainbows' and Rufus Wainwright is 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'.We have The Rainbow Coalition,and the Rainbow Warrior.So,Radiohead has hit upon something here with 'In Rainbows'.

In truth,I was expecting a more noisy cd then what,'In Rainbows' produced.Not that I minded,though,I truly like this cd.

And I mean 'cd'.I did not join the band and take this off their 'download for what you feel it's worth' website.I bought the cd for it's additional packaging.Tons of cool stickers and such...all of which only made me wish that I had access to the 'lp' version....ah,nothing like a good album cover to enjoy while jammin' to the tunes.

All of which has nothing to do with the quality of music on a cd,just the quality of the listening experience.And listening to Thom Yorke and the boys was quite the enjoyable listening experience.

I did allot of traveling this past week via the highway,so I got to put 'In Rainbows' to the test.At first{as,I think with all RadioHead projects} the cd sounded like one continuous music loop...everything sounded basically the same.But after repeated plays,I found the exact opposite to be true.

The sound became so diverse that I sometimes wondered if I was listening to the same band.'Bodysnatchers' sounded like I was listening to 'U-2'.'Faust Arp' sounded a little like early Pink Floyd.Somewhere on the cd,I swear they were playing the rhythm guitar part from 'Maggot Brain'.Damn,some of it even sounded like 'Oasis'...and I hate Oasis...but I liked this stuff.On,'15 Step' they even sounded like RadioHead!I have never heard of shuffling cards' being played as a musical instrument before.Most Awesome.

Suddenly,I got an idea of where the name RadioHead may have came from.These guys were the fans of radio.I bet they flipped through the channels like the rest of us,and that is what drew their inspiration.

Though,'In Rainbows' lacks the groups usual noise,and is somewhat short-time wise(only 40 some what minutes),I enjoyed this cd.My favorite songs,lyric wise-include,'All I Need'(I’m the next act/Waiting in the wings/I’m an animal/Trapped in your hot car/I am all the days that you choose to ignore);'House Of Cards(The infrastructure will collapse/Voltage spikes/Throw your keys in the bowl/Kiss your husband goodnight) and 'Videotape'(When I'm at the pearly gates/This'll be on my videotape/My videotape/Mephistopheles is just beneath/And he's reaching up to grab me).Good stuff.


In the end I just didn't know how to classify,'In Rainbows'.Is it Rock & Roll?Avent-guard?Contemporary Rock?Alterno-Pop?Mellow Rock?All of the above?

I just know that it was good music.I guess that's enough.

B+

Mary J.

I never though I would be a Mary J.Blige fan,but guess what?With the 'Growing Pains' cd, I have become a very big fan of Mary J.Her throwback 1980's r&b style is so catchy you can't help but love her.

Of course she wears her heart on her sleeve...that-plus her very sexy down to earth vocals-really make you love her.Her stand out songs are "Work That'(which starts off the cd)quickly followed by,'Grown Woman'.These song of empowerment really grew on me and like most of the rest of the album I found myself singing them at work.

I also liked,'Til The Morning'and Roses'.Though both of these songs understandably understate the reason why men can not figure out women.In 'Til The Morning' Mary J. sings,'Touch me/Hold me/Kiss me closely/Teach me/Show me/Enjoy me.' Believe me,brother,it does not get much more erotic and sensual then that.

But in the very next song,'Rose',Mary J.sings a very different tune.She sings about just not wanting to be bothered.She sings about someone just pushing her buttons and it being her way or the highway.Geez!Talk about hormonal!This is just the kind of thing that makes a man go...'Huh?!?'

Honestly,you gotta love it.

My favorite songs though are the wonderful,'Fade Away,' and the hauntingly beautiful,'Come To Me(Peace)'.These are just exceptional songs:Exceptional!

I also found myself singing,'Work In Progress(Growing Pains)';'What Love Is' and the awesome 'Stay Down'.

Sometimes it feels like Mary J is channeling Micheal Jackson,but that is a very good thing.

The cd cover and insides also added to the whole experience.My only exception is that Mary thanks all of her managers,lawyers and planners by name,but she only gives a quick shout out to the musicians that played on the album...without naming a single one.

And outside of Tina Fey,Mary J. Blige has the sexiest scar on the face of the planet.WoW!

Sometimes I just need a HUG!:-)

B+