Island Records – CID 647, Island Records – 854 747-2
Note: Oops! Just realised I've duplicated an existing post! Oh well, never-mind. Original linked here. - Kym
Andrew Lewis Taylor (born 20 January 1966), better known as Lewis Taylor, is a British multi-instrumentalist musician, born and raised in Barnet, North London. Quite close to me!
He is perhaps the personification on the word underrated.
Prior to making some damn fine Neo Soul music, Lewis was involved in psychedelic rock, something that he brought elements from to his soul recordings. Lewis was such a true artist that it's heartbreaking knowing how little sales success he had outside of those discerning heads like us (I hear his live shows were another level of excellent but I never got to experience one myself).
He had so much talent and could/should really have been huge. He did some really interesting shit that you didn't find on your typical soul album: experimental and always innovative, willing to push the envelope in new and interesting ways. It leaves you marvelling at the musicianship involved.
He retired from music as Lewis Taylor in 2006 after 7(?) albums and mild success that belies the dopeness of his musical output, but has been involved with others since such as Finlay Quaye and Gnarles Barkley as musical director, which is pretty damn impressive in and of itself.
Whoever is a slinky Neo Soul track, perfect in every way - the slick production, the vocals and tight harmonising, everything. It screams quality and hooks you from the get-go with a killer, laidback groove that's sounds equally good in a club or in the car.
It's an excellent track.
Special note needs to be made of the gorgeously schizophrenic track Pie In Electric Sky/If I Lay Down With You which starts as psychedelia (Pie In Electric Sky) and mutates into something almost Marvin Gaye-esque (If I Lay Down With You). I remember having a moment with this tune on headphones many years ago. Eargasmic - but then every track on this CD is a winner, despite Whoever being the stand-out.
Tracklist
- Whoever
- Pie In Electric Sky / If I Lay Down With You
- Waves
- Trip So Heavy
Download: LT-W.7z | Filesize: ???MB
Universal Music – UND 56130
So at lunchtime I posted the UK CDS but I also have the Europe version here with minor differences in the track listing.
It's still the fantastic and sexy-ass track which I (and, I hope, we) love, so take your pick.
There's a Radio Edit alongside the excellent Album Version, which is the track to go for on this CD. Following that is a mini sampler for the album - a track made up of snippets from five of the tracks. After that there follows an Instrumental that I discussed on the previous post as well as a TV Track, which I can't differentiate from the Instrumental?
Anyway, if you already DL'd the UK CDS you needn't bother with this one unless you really want the TV Track for some reason.
Regardless, it's a damn good song and either (or both) singles belong in any self respecting Neo Soul fan's collection.
Tracklist
- Iggin' Me (Radio Edit)
- Iggin' Me (Album Version)
- Snippets From The Upcoming Album Long Time No See
- Iggin' Me (Instrumental)
- Iggin' Me (T.V. Track)
Download: CD-IM-E.7z | Filesize: 51.9MB
Universal Records – UND 56170
This track, man. This track! My god, this is some next level sexy shit. For gods sake please don't play this back to back with Maxwell's Til The Cops Come Knocking. I can't be held responsible for what might happen! ;)
Chico dropped this delicious joint back in 1997 off the back of his Long Time No See album, a disc just dripping in Marvin Gaye vibes. Hell, there's even a Trouble Man cover on it so it isn't a coincidence.
This track, however, not so much. This is Chico doing his thing and being the baddest member of the DeBarge family that we all know and love. The beat sounds more akin to D'Angelo of that era than anything else, but certainly isn't derivative.
The Instrumental is a great addition to this CD and really showcases the musicianship involved.
Hear those slinky, sensual keys being played? That's Chico's older brother El DeBarge, yes the silky voiced lead singer on DeBarge's Rhythm Of The Night. I love El and his playing here is sublime. Chico wasn't part of the group DeBarge, however. What a talented family.
Tracklist
- Iggin' Me (Radio Edit)
- Iggin' Me (Album Version)
- Iggin' Me (Clean Album Version)
- Iggin' Me (Instrumental)
Download: CD-IM-UK.7z | Filesize: 40.6MB
Motown – UDM-56233
It's my birthday today and you'll have to excuse me being self indulgent: I'm dropping two tasty joints from my favourite DeBarge today - the badboy of the fam, Mr Chico DeBarge.
First up is the oh so wicked remix of Superman, the red hot Soopaman Lover remix featuring Def Squad heavyweights Erick Sermon and Redman (my man).
This remix is straight fire with a hot beat supplied by Mr Sermon, surely one of Hip Hop's most underrated producers (EPMD were effing with the funk before a certain Dr Dre had even conceived of G-Funk)? All props are due.
It opens with Red in fine style revisiting one of his own Soopaman Lover rhymes - Soopaman Lover Part II if I recall correctly? Chico then takes the reigns and re-sings, in a new styley, the lyrics of his Superman track, which is included as track 4 on this CDS, from his excellent Long Time No See album (you really should check that out if you've not heard it. It's full of Neo Soul goodness). Erick Sermon has a verse at the end to wrap it up. It's R&B/Soul/Hip Hop perfection and I love it as much today as I did back then. Twenty years old now. Damn.
I can't big this track up enough. It's 90s R&B perfection.
You have a street and clean version so take your pick as to if you like profanities or not. There's a nice instrumental as well for mixology. We then have the album version which is a great song as well, just with a different vibe, and it's ably finished off with another cut from Long Time No See, Virgin. It's a really nice track and all round a seriously heavy release.
Next post is the ever so sexy Iggin' Me from the same album. Boom.
See you on the flipside.
Tracklist
- Soopaman Lover (Remix) (Street Version) Featuring – Erick Sermon, Redman
- Soopaman Lover (Remix) (Clean Version) Featuring – Erick Sermon, Redman
- Soopaman Lover (Remix) (Instrumental Version)
- Superman (Album Version)
- Virgin (Album Version)
Download: CD-SL.7z | Filesize: 42.5MB
Buena Vista International (UK) Ltd. – MOVM17/6/98
A quick and dirty post for you my Soulistas: D'Angelo with a rare, full length version of his cover of Prince's Always In My Hair.
This is a four track promo CD for the movie Scream 2, multimedia section not included. I've never seen the film and I can't even remember exactly where I got this promo CD from now. It says Total Film in the album title - I expect I saw D'Angelo on there at random and impulse purchased it.
There's an okay Jon Spencer Blues Explosion track if you fancy going off-piste, but tracks 3 & 4 are... not for me. Yuck. :D
The first track, however, is D'Angelo at his Voodoo era best, rocking it out with the dopest Prince cover I've ever heard. It sounds like it really belongs on Voodoo and I can imagine it being one of the tracks that didn't quite make the cut. This DL is essential for this one track, even if you delete the rest.
Here's the Discogs entry https://www.discogs.com/Various-Multimedia-And-Audio-CD-Scream-2/release/6538608
Enjoy!
Tracklist
- D'Angelo - She's Always In My Hair
- The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Right Place Wrong Time
- Everclear - The Swing
- Less Than Jake - I Think I Love You
Download: Scream 2 Multimedia & Audio Promo.7z | Filesize: 31.3MB
