AALIYAH - AALIYAH

I already owned a couple of her older albums when I decided to buy this one.  My main reason for buying it is one track...  One track I just can't get enough of.  I actually burned a CD with that track just repeating over and over.  Anywho...

So I picked this up and as much as I like Aaliyah, I find the same pattern over and over with her music.  She puts out an album and I love a couple songs on it, but I don't get into the rest.  This one is no exception.  Which I hate to say because the week I bought this disc is the week she died in a plane wreck and I felt guilty for not liking the disc more.  I really wanted to listen to it over and over until I could hear more in it than I did.  

I guess that wasn't meant to be until a few years later.  The first two tracks, 'We Need A Resolution' and 'Loose Rap' are songs I don't find much use for.  They kinda drag and don't really engage me.  But then, we get 'Rock The Boat' and everything changes.  I may not have found much use for the album initially, but I do like her voice, her style and the way she carried herself.  In fact, the video for 'Rock The Boat' is one of my all time favorite music videos.  I think the dancing is unique, interesting and goes well with the music.  Plus, for a song that's rather sexual in nature, the video was softer, elegant and mellow.  The choreography was superb.  This amazing track is where the album actually starts for me.  It's followed by 'More Than A Woman' and I slept on this track until I saw the video.  It must be the same choreographer because the dancing is amazing and it adds a wonderful dimension to the song I didn't hear until I saw the video.

'Never No More' is a sparse production and the singing is beautiful but the song does little for me otherwise.  I know a lot of people really love this track, but I'm not one of them.  On the other hand, 'I Care 4 U' written by Missy Elliott is one I completely dig.  L-O-V-E, love it.  This is one powerful ballad and she doesn't pull her punches on it.  Wow.  Next up is 'Extra Smooth' and although it starts out sounding like an ad for breakfast cereal, it quickly gets funky once Aaliyah starts singing.  This is a number with a great deal of wit and style.  The music is heavily influenced by the beat but in this instance, it works really well.  The techno sounds are also interesting and offer a huge potential for remixing.  I ended up really digging this track.

'Read Between The Lines' sounds a little generic to me.  There were a lot of songs sounding like this when the album was released.  It reminds me of Destiny's Child and I never really got into that sound.  The first time I heard 'U Got Nerve', I thought I was listening to an old school Depeche Mode song.  The keyboard sounds on this track sound like they were engineered from one of DM's old 80's albums.  This is another track I love.  It's got a staggered beat and an intensity in the vocal delivery I find apprehensive.  Brilliant.  Adversely, 'I Refuse' is another Beyonce sounding tune.  Not fond of this track.

'It's Whatever' starts and I feel like I'm right back to 'Rock The Boat'.  It feels like you're floating underwater and then that trickling piano drops in with a punctuating drum patch and her vocals just drip over the chords.  There's a lovely build throughout the track and this is easily one of her most beautiful vocal performances.  'I Can Be' starts off like another delicate ballad, but then it kicks in with a driving guitar riffing and the direction of the song changes.  There's a lot of tension in this one.  'Those Were The Days' is a funky tune.  It's mellow and its got this groove that just kinda flows around you like smoke.  'What If' has that same tension 'I Can Be' has and that's no coincidence because they're written by the same person.

'Try Again' is the final track and one of best on the disc.  I love this number.  Aaliyah was more than just a beautiful woman, she was a vulnerable voice in a tough girl body.  She was the right role model for the right time.  A strong woman who still showed her feminine side and wasn't afraid to mix a tough attitude with sensuality.  When I re-listened to this album to prepare for this review, I was sad because in this piece of music, you hear so much potential and I know there would've been so much more Aaliyah had to offer all of us.  More she had to offer the music world.

My final words:  TRAGIC THAT THIS IS THE LAST MUSIC THIS VITAL ARTIST RECORDED.  BUT A BEAUTIFUL LEGACY NONETHELESS.

AALIYAH - AALIYAH
01. We Need A Resolution (Feat. Timbaland)
02. Loose Rap (Feat. Static From Playa)
03. Rock The Boat
04. More Than A Woman
05. Never No More
06. I Care 4 U
07. Extra Smooth
08. Read Between The Lines
09. U Got Nerve
10. I Refuse
11. It's Whatever
12. I Can Be
13. Those Were The Days
14. What If
15. Try Again

LIV WARFIELD - THE UNEXPECTED

This disc is a no brainer for me.  And anyone who knows it knows why.  Liv is a member of the NPG.  Not only is she a member, but the album is on the NPG label and features song writing contributions from Prince.  So...  yeah.  I needed it.  

So I've been aware of Liv for some time now.  And I've heard her sing more than a few times.  I know she's a voice, I know she's a talent, I know she's got a great look, but is she strong enough to front an album or a live touring band?  Without making you wait too long, I'll just say now...  Um, hell yes!

The album features two Prince tracks, so that's another reason to own it.  But let's get to the breakdown and discuss the music.

'Coat Of Arms' is an introduction segue of sorts.  There's a voice welcoming you to the world of Liv Warfield.  I actually find that bit a little corny.  Then you get a short horn arrangement.  All of this seems to stem from Liv's time with the New Power Generation and her access to a diverse group of musicians.  'The Unexpected' is the first full length track.  This is an interesting song for a number of reasons.  First, it's written by Prince.  Second, he released his version of it on his most recent album.  Third, it has two titles.  It's 'The Unexpected' on Liv's album, but on Prince's it's called 'Wow!'.  That all makes sense when you listen to the chorus.  There's a lyric that states, "U can call it the unexpected or u can call it - wow!"  So I guess you can take your pick.  Prince's version is more rock oriented while Liv's features a fuller band feeling.  Of the two, I prefer Prince's, but I love Liv's as well.  The song just kicks your butt from start to finish.  

It's followed by 'Why Do You Lie?'.  Like 'The Unexpected', there's a full band sound to this track.  I'm fairly certain this is the first single off the album.  It's pretty good and full of energy.  But it's 'Blackbird' that really punches you.  Liv composes intensely powerful music.  She's aggressive and forceful in her writing style.  The guitar work on this track is outstanding and punctuated with horns.  Once again, that band sound reverberates when you play the track.

'Stay - "Soul Lifted"' comes in easy and starts off sounding almost spiritual before transitioning into a story of longing and suffering.  'Catch Me If You Can' reminds me of something you'd expect to hear from Rufus & Chaka Khan back in the day.  It's got a go-go beat and this wonderful rhythm urging you to get up and groove.  But it's a much more complicated and segmented tune than Rufus would compose.  It progresses through a series of short movements that slow or speed the tempo according to what Liv is expressing vocally.  It's another great effort.  Easily one of my favorite tracks on the disc.

'Don't Say Much' is an amazing ballad in the vein of Barbra Streisand's 'Somewhere'.  Where Streisand was looking for a place to belong to her lover, Warfield is looking for an emotional connection to hers through physical contact.  It's very powerful.  The build is natural and fierce.  

Then the album downshifts and you fall into the groove of  'Lena Blue'.  Everything on this track is working.  From the beat, to the instrumentation.  The lyrics are interesting.  I keep hearing similar concepts though.  It's like an alter ego Liv has developed.  A character she can assume.  I remember hearing Beyonce talking about something similar at one point.  I'm not sure I fully understand what's happening here, but I like the vocal arrangement and I dig the music.  Next up is 'Freedom' and it begins with a drum rolling into a slow piano/horn line.  Liv's vocals are sorrowful and you can hear the desperation in her voice.  There's a lot of complex change-ups happening musically.  It's reminiscent of certain tricks Prince pulls in some of his compositions.  There's scales, sudden changes and some free form improvisation happening.  This is a beautiful number.  And speaks to the heart of anyone who's ever felt trapped.  For any reason.

'Come Back' delves into 70's R&B sounds for a nice slow ballad.  It's followed by the second Prince composition, 'Your Show'.  He shares songwriting credit with Warfield.  Musically, it maintains the pace set by 'Come Back'.  There's an old school groove to this one too.  Warfield's vocals are seductive and the horns accentuate the tune quite nicely all throughout.  It almost sounds like a disco track without the beat.  This is without a doubt a very sensual number.

'Fanfare' could be considered the album closer and it follows the theme of the opener.  It's a segue of horn scales.  'Fly' is listed as a bonus track; which would therefore indicate 'Fanfare' is the true album closer.  'Fly' continues the band sound with the 70's sound.  But it's a great tune and it's got an nice flow.

There are so many great ideas on this record...  Sometimes, with Prince, it's a hit or miss.  He surrounds himself with two types of people.  Those that are truly and incredibly talented or those who he's interested in for other reasons who aren't talented at all.  Liv is one who delivers the goods.  She's got a unique and interesting look, she's got the voice and she's a talented song writer.  If she plays anywhere near me, I'm going.

My final words:  AN UNEXPECTED BUT AMAZING RECORD FROM A VITAL NEW ARTIST!

LIV WARFIELD - THE UNEXPECTED
01. Coat Of Arms
02. The Unexpected
03. Why Do You Lie?
04. Blackbird
05. Stay - "Soul Lifted"
06. Catch Me If You Can
07. Don't Say Much
08. Lena Blue
09. Freedom
10. Come Back
11. Your Show
12. Fanfare
13. Fly