LITTLE DRAGON - LITTLE DRAGON

I think I've talked about where I heard of this band before, but if I haven't, here's the origin story...  Wendy Melvoin of Wendy & Lisa, Prince And The Revolution fame mentioned this was a band she'd discovered and was really enjoying.  When I heard that, I decided to check them out and see if they were any good.  The very first song I heard from them is on this album and I loved it.  I loved it instantly.  The second song I previewed was also from this record and I loved it just as much.  From that point forward, I was hooked.  

As they've released subsequent records, I've been delightfully amazed at the ideas and music they've produced.  I look forward to more in the future.  This is a group I'm very excited about.

The album starts off with the small sounding 'Twice'.  Although it's a quiet and rather unexciting beginning, the lyrics of this song are quite powerful and amazing.  "Twice I turned my back on you.  I fell flat on my face but didn't lose."  The imagery of turning away from someone who is obviously important to you...  Seeing the negative fallout from the loss of that relationship and yet knowing inside, you ultimately made the right decision.  I have people in my life this song utterly describes and for that reason alone, I adore it.  It's a piano driven slice of perfection right at the start of this amazing record.

'Turn Left' is the second track and it's just as interesting.  The lead singer of the band is half Japanese, half Swedish and she has a style that is oddly cultural and jazzy at the same time.  As a vocalist, no one would classify her in a category with Patti LaBelle or Celine Dion, but she's got a style that is evocative and soothing.  On this track, she seems to push an idea forward about identity and trying to find connection with others.  In the faces of those around her.

'No Love' is another song with powerful and compelling lyrics.  Just hearing someone say the things she says in this song would be emotionally devastating.  The minimalist arrangements throughout are very dramatic and although they are listed and classified as an electronic band, they're more like a jazz quartet.  The music is free and seems to flow in an unrestricted fashion.  quite different from the structured and finely timed sound of electronica.

'Recommendation' is a more upbeat track and it's another one fans will be drawn to.  It has more interesting lyrics and will make you fall in love with what the band is trying to create.  It's followed by the first track I ever heard from them, 'Constant Surprises'.  This one has a beat like you wouldn't believe.  It's subtle and sturdy.  Comes in quickly and establishes a momentum the tune doesn't deviate from.  The lyrics are built around an almost metaphysical experience with the physical world and how the singer views these happenings with wonder and amazement.  She draws you in with her vocals and you feel like you're falling into her life.

Once again, the soft thud of bass drums fills the speakers until the main body of 'Forever' kicks in.  When she finally comes in, Yukimi (the lead singer) delivers her most interesting and diverse vocal arrangement thus far.  This is an intensely driven song and there's a Japanese quality to it.  An almost Asian sound in certain notes used to punctuate specific ideas.

'After The Rain' is up next and it's another track that more upbeat and faster paced.  Like many of the tracks we've heard so far, it relies heavily on acoustic instruments with the electronic sounds backing up and helping strengthen the material.  It all works in a fine collaboration.

'Place To Belong' is a more melancholy number and it's built around a rising and falling scale played over a slow beat.  Once again, the emphasis is on the vocals, lyrics and the effect of them combined together.  It's followed by 'Stormy Weather'.  This is one is played on a keyboard, but it almost sounds like Yukimi singing along with a stand up bass being played softly beside her.  There's a whimsical sadness to this number.  It's like seeing something written on paper so thin you can see the light through it.  You can see past the sound of her vocals and feel the emotions she's expressing.

'Test' is probably one of the better fast numbers on this disc.  It's got a great beat and you can really get caught up in the song.  Once again, the vocals and lyrics are right on target.  'Wink' is probably my favorite track on the disc itself.  This one features a funky deep beat and a more complicated vocal arrangement that really shows off Yukimi's vocal talents.  Once again, there's an unmistakable Asian sound in the music.  But it's driving and quite powerful.

'Scribbled Paper' closes out the album and it's another acoustically dominate track.  Like most of the material on this disc, Little Dragon have created a minimalist sound and packed it with meaning, great melodies and arrangements that make each track powerful on their own.  What they've achieved here is nothing short of dynamic and worth listening to.  It s a hybrid combination of electronic art and jazz/soul.  If there is a band pushing boundaries in musical forms, this is it.  You just can't go wrong listening to this record.

My final words are gushing and all over the place:  THE BEST FRESHMAN DEBUT EVER!  CAN'T BE TOPPED AND AMAZINGLY UNIQUE!  A NEW SOUND FOR A NEW WORLD!

LITTLE DRAGON - LITTLE DRAGON
01. Twice
02. Turn Left
03. No Love
04. Recommendation
05. Constant Surprises
06. Forever
07. After The Rain
08. Place To Belong
09. Stormy Weather
10. Test
11. Wink
12. Scribbled Paper

CELINE DION - CELINE DION

I know what you're thinking...  Oh I totally know.  You're asking yourself...  "Why????"  And the truth is very simple.

I feel like a preacher beating the same topic into the ground for the billionth time.  I don't like singers.  As a general rule, I don't throw my hat into the ring with artists who identify themselves strictly as a vocalist.  I know that's an unpopular position to take considering how famous these people get in the music industry.  But I don't see the point.  It makes no sense to me.

Celine Dion is a technically proficient vocalist.  She has a powerful voice and an awesome range.  But I can't get excited about her.  She has an almost country twang I'm not partial to and frankly, I think her choice of music is lacking.

This will be one disc I won't bother breaking down because the majority of the music and arrangements are so generic they barely register on my radar.  There's almost nothing on this disc for me to get excited about.  Once in awhile there's an interesting musical moment, but they're overshadowed by cliche lyrics and run of the mill vocal arrangements.  Not even a voice as powerful as Dion's can make the mundane sound extraordinary.

Not even the inclusion of the Disney hit, 'Beauty And The Beast' can rescue this disc from obscurity.  The one redeeming quality of this album is the 2nd to the last song.  'With This Tear' was written by Prince although it lacks his magical touch.  It's an exceptional tune and is the one track on the album with any emotional strength.  The down side is the arrangement.  Dion's session musicians play the instruments and her producers are responsible for the arrangement.  Still, even when you have the power to kill songs, it takes a special sort of screw up to ruin a Prince track.  And enough of Prince's input survives to see this song as the shining star of a lackluster recording.

Sadly, this is the only place you can find this song making the album a must have for Prince collectors.  There's no way around this one unless you're comfortable buying your music digitally and not owning a physical copy.

Dion gives it her best shot, but one thing this album does demonstrate is her desperate need for a decent producer and better writers.  If she did an entire album with Prince input, she'd be challenged as a singer and also come out with some interesting songs.  As of today, she's a singer living on the strength of a few hit songs.  Most of which are tied to major motion pictures.  That's not the resume of an artist who is looking to leave a legacy behind or create music that will really last a lifetime.

My final words:  SKIP IT... DOWNLOAD INDIVIDUAL TRACKS...  SPARE YOURSELF THE WASTED TIME.

CELINE DION - CELINE DION
01. Introduction
02. Love Can Move Mountains
03. Show Some Emotion
04. If You Asked Me To
05. If You Could See Me Now
06. Halfway To Heaven
07. Did You Give Enough Love
08. If I Were You
09. Beauty And The Beast
10. I Love You, Goodbye
11. Little Bit Of Love
12. Water From The Moon
13. With This Tear
14. Nothing Broken But My Heart

PATTI LABELLE - BE YOURSELF

This is another album I initially bought for the Prince songs... Many years later however, I saw her live in concert and she blew my mind! I absolutely have great respect for this woman. And when I listen to her CDs now, I listen to them from that headspace.

Anyone who knows me well knows I'm seldom interested in vocalists. I enjoy certain voices and I have respect for many, but usually those who write with a band or compose their own material. I find little to no satisfaction in following vocalists. Of course there are some exceptions to the rule. Seeing Patti live has earned her a place in that rare category.

With such renewed interest in her, I listened to this album much differently than I did when I first bought it. The first song is one that obviously made the record company rounds... Celine Dion had a minor hit with the same track. Though the arrangement is similar, Patti's version is easily the superior number. Although it would be simple to write a lot of these tracks off as fluff, Patti performs each tune with conviction. She heard something in each one and uses her expressive vocals to portray the characteristics of each song in its best possible light. This disc has many stand-out moments. The Full Force track, 'I Got It Like That' features an amazing scale by Patti. She rips it up! Even though the song has typical Full Force sound, it's hardly one of their finer moments; sounding instead like a song written around a pop culture cliche rather than an original concept.

The Prince songs are incredibly strong, though 'Love 89' tends to be musically more complicated and less straight forward than 'Yo Mister'; the latter being a typical sound for him during this period. The true genius of 'Love 89' is summed up in the lyric, "don't take time 4 Jesus, unless u got time 4 the sinners that be." To put forth such a blatant commentary about hypocrisy through an artist of LaBelle's stature was a bold move and even more powerful with her vocals backing it up. This track is also unique because it features the first time Prince uses the term, "New Power Generation"; which became not only his label after Paisley Park shut down, but also the name of his backing band ever since. It's also been a reoccurring theme musically for him. It all started here, folks!

'Be Yourself' is worth the time. It's an exceptional piece of work from a truly brilliant talent. You'll enjoy yourself. My final word: EXCEPTIONAL.

PATTI LABELLE - BE YOURSELF
01. If You Asked Me To
02. I Can't Complain
03. Be Yourself
04. Yo Mister
05. I Got It Like That
06. Love 89
07. Still In Love
08. I'm Scared Of You
09. Can't Bring Me Down
10. Need A Little Faith
11. I Can Fly