Minnie Riperton-Petals:The Minnie Riperton Collection

Although her 1979 death at 31 still reverberates through pop and R&B, Petals: The Minnie Riperton Collection is one of the first sets to successfully celebrate the joy, sensuality and wonder inherent in Minnie Riperton's music. This two-CD set has 34 tracks spanning the years 1966-1979. Unlike other compilations this culls work from all of her styles, including the cutesy but derivative R&B/pop she recorded under the name Andrea Davis. The collection also includes tracks from her stint with the often ho-hum, rock/R&B group Rotary Connection. The challenging and baroque songs from Riperton's first album, Come to My Garden, are much better. The tracks including the title, "Les Fleur," "Completeness," and "Expecting" are a collaborative effort between Riperton's husband Richard Rudolph and the brilliant Chicago writer/producer Charles Stephney. A few years down the line, she appeared to be an even more confident singer. Tracks like "Take a Little Trip," "Perfect Angel," and "Lovin' You," all from 1974, were all produced by Stevie Wonder in a relaxed and spare style. This set demonstrates other producers like Stewart Levine, Freddie Perren, and Jeremy Lubbock were also inspired to excellence by the style defined by Riperton and Rudolph. The evocative and powerful "Adventures in Paradise," "Inside My Love," and disco-ish "Young, Willing and Able" all have Riperton's sweetness and intelligence prominent in the mix. The later tracks, including the gorgeous {"Memory Lane,"} finds the formula reaching perfection. Her five-and-a-half octave range is on full display here, and Petals: The Minnie Riperton Collection assembles a plethora of definitive songs.

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tracy chapman- where you live

Few people can be unfamiliar with Tracy Chapman's self-titled debut album, released all the way back in 1988. With songs such as Fast Car and Talkin' About A Revolution, she managed the rare feat of being both political and passionate, both earnest and enjoyable. With her strong, compelling voice added into things, its appeal was immense, its legacy considerable. Sixteen years on and it still stands up, will continue to do so - it's a true classic.
And, as such, it's been difficult for Chapman to match. Her subsequent albums have had their moments, her impeccable musicianship remains, but with such high standards to meet she hasn't produced a work as consistently brilliant. That's not to downgrade what came later; 2002's Let It Rain was particularly strong. Upbeat in places, drawing on elements of the blues and Gospel; the bulk of the songs concerning affairs of the heart.
Her latest album is musically a more understated creation; Where You Live sees Chapman engaging once more with the issues that move her. Issues of class and wealth; issues of faith and love. Her voice is gentler than it once was - there's an occasional trembling quality to it now - but that somehow compliments her approach on this new collection of songs.
Change, the opening track, starts out by asking questions - just what would it take to make you rethink your ways, but it's more contemplative than polemical in tone. 3,000 Miles deals delicately with the harsh realities of poverty in urban America. Never Yours subverts the love song with ideas of control and possession: "I've been a lot of things, but never yours." (And with lyrics like "say I'm a saint of mercy, say I'm a whore" I would like to have seen Boyzone attempt a cover version as they once did with Baby Can I Hold You Tonight).
If that all sounds a little grim then I'm not doing her justice. Chapman is an eloquent lyricist with a strong social conscience, but she's also a superb songwriter and musician and Where You Live contains several instances of low key beauty. The most striking of these is Don't Dwell, a strangely delicate love song; spare yet haunting and deeply atmospheric, quite unlike anything she's done before.
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The Best of New York City-Im Doin Fine Now(2 in 1)

For the collector, this is the CD to have. Rather than "The Best Of," it is actually New York City's first two albums, as they were originally released, on one CD. And, since, to my knowledge, they only released two albums, this CD might more aptly be titled "The Complete New York City." The critics don't seem to agree with me. However, though their first album, "I'm Doin' Fine Now," contains the "hits," it is their Thom Bell produced second album that is the real gem. By then, NYC had stopped trying to sound like the Spinners having developed its own sound, which was not as flashy but just as soulful. Not as "singles" oriented, "Soulful Road" has a stylistic continuity their first effort lacks. It remains one of my favorite albums and I highly recommend this CD for anyone who loves the Philly Sound.

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Please Wait Sorry

Whats Good peoples I Know Some Of Yall Been Waiting A Long Time For A Certain Phyllis Hyman Album...I Will Post it i Just been a little Lazy on it plus i usually put my Files on Media Fire and Zshare but the Album is so big that they wont take it cuz it exceeds 100 mb (and ripped it in ta low but not crappy quality)so i dont feel like spliting both cd file into two each (which its sounds like i Have no choice)
i wonder if mega upload will work?

Chi-Sound - A Soul Kinda Town (Disc 1)

34 track, 2 CD compilation, subtitled 'Chi-Sound Soul Survey 1976-82', featuring Windy City, Magnum Force, Sidney Joe Qualis, Manchild & Ebony Rhythm Band. An overview of lesser known (but no less talented) acts that recorded for Chicago soul master Carl Davis' Chi-Sound & Kelli-Arts imprints between 1976-82. Slimline double jewel case.

Good News: I Have the Album

Bad News: I only have Disc 1 (the 2nd Disc Broke in half)

But disc 2 is Basically Songs by the Group Manchild (Just Check out the ManChild Album in My Blog)

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Checkout His Website and the Rebirth of Chi-Sound Records...

http://chi-soundrecords.com/

Honey Cone- The Best of Honey Cone

One of the finest girl groups of the early '70s, Honey Cone was often compared to Martha & the Vandellas for a number of reasons. The fact that the label they recorded for, Hot Wax/Invictus, was owned by former Motown producers/songwriters Holland/Dozier/Holland made it an obvious comparison. And also, the robust nature of Honey Cone's harmonies certainly bring the Vandellas to mind. On "Want Ads," "Stick Up," "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show," and other hits included on this superb CD, the singers effectively combine sweetness and grit -- pop sleekness and gospel-influenced soulfulness. To be sure, Honey Cone could pack quite a punch emotionally and harmonically. But as much potential as Honey Cone had, its success was short-lived -- and the singers were gone from the charts by 1974. This is a fine introduction to Honey Cone's soul/pop legacy. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide

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The Best Of Friends Of Distinction

It's the summer of 1969, and the whole world is joyfully singing, "Grazing in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it!" The Friends of Distinction's debut single was a made-for-radio pop masterpiece that captured the ebullience of that last summer of the '60s in its three minutes of harmonic exuberance. While the group never quite reached those heights again, the Friends did produce a small body of work in their brief lifetime that has held up well. The foursome's two other major hit singles, "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" and "Going in Circles" have joined "Grazing in the Grass" in the permanent rotations of most "fun and oldies" formats. Other highlights of this 20-song compilation include "Grazing"'s flipside, "I Really Hope You Do," the group's reading of the Four Tops' hit "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)," David Gates' "It Don't Matter to Me," and the beautifully baritoned "Love Can Make It Easier."

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