Albums of the week (released 25th August 2003) - Tiscali Music News

2003-08-25

For this week's albums, read on, but for this week's singles, please click here

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Mary J Blige

Nobody tells it like Mary J. Blige. With a voice that is rough and ready, sweet and pure, the Queen of Hip Hop Soul is back. And how.

The brand new 'Love and Life' album is a return to Mary's roots, even re-uniting her with Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs, the then-burgeoning music-maker who produced her debut 'What's The 411' album.

Mary has co-written seventeen of the album's eighteen tracks as well as co-producing the album with Combs and each song is a lovingly constructed slice from the Blige book of life.

The set features the forthcoming 'Love @ Ist Sight' which finds Mary reprising the partnership that gave the world the mighty 'All I Need' duet back in the day.

Other collaborators featured include 50 Cent, Eve and Jay Z on a ghetto-fabulous set that sparkles with Mary J Blige's very own brand of twenty-first century soul.

Buy this album here

Astrud Gilberto - Genius Of Astrud Gilberto

Astrud Gilberto, the honey-toned chanteuse is an artist famed for her trademark sensual and quavering voice that glides across the rhythms of Brazilian bossa-nova classics, and American ballad standards.

The repertoire on this 51-track 2CD album captures Astrud's seductive artistry perfectly, across the many musical partnerships she enjoyed, both on standards and her own compositions.

From the world famous 'Girl From Ipanema to through to the classic 'In the Wee Small Hours', there's nodoubt that Astrud Gilberto is a genius within a musical genre that she is responsible for bringing to the attention of the world.

Buy this album here

Black Rebel Mototcycle Club

After a two year hiatus, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Peter Hayes (guitar, bass, vocals), Robert Turner (bass, guitar, vocals), Nick Jago (drums, percussion) - return with their eagerly awaited sophomore album.

Written over the past year or so, 'Take Them On, On Your Own' finds the band in ebullient form and ready to take on all-comers.

From the primeval chugging riff of the opening track, the single 'Stop', through the late 60's-ish Stones power chords of 'We're All In The Love', the hypnotic vibe of 'In Like The Rose', the controversial 'US Government' and the mellifluous strum (and drang) of 'And I'm Aching', this stunning album showcases a band at the top of their form.

'Take Them On, On Your Own' proves that it's possible to have something to say and make a record that's so exciting, different and brilliantly executed it will suck the air from your lungs. 'Take Them On, On Your Own' is a masterpiece. You should get hold of it as soon as possible' - 9/10 NME

Buy this album here

Neptunes - Present Clones (2CD)

It would be cliché to say that the Neptunes need no introduction. But the truth is that, if you're reading this, you have at least a passing knowledge of the Neptunes.

You've tapped a tow or two to their revolutionary sound, from Nelly's 'Hot In Herre' to Jay-Z's 'I Just Wanna Love U (Give It to Me)' to Britney Spears' 'I'm A Slave 4 U' to Clipse's 'Grindin'' to Mystikal's 'Shake Ya Ass' to Usher's 'U Don't Have to Call' to Busta Rhymes' 'Pass the Courvoisier' to Snoop Dogg's 'Beautiful' to Ol' Dirty Bastard's 'Got Your Money' to N.O.R.E.'s 'Nothin'' to... Well, the point is that production wizards Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo have been making the soundtrack to your days, nights and everything in between for the past few years.

Which brings us to 'The Neptunes Present...Clones', the duo's new album, released on their Star Trak/Arista label.

"The purpose of this record is we don't want people to have to go buy fifteen different million albums when they want to hear our sound", says Pharrell.

"They could just go and buy one album". As understatements go, that's a pretty good one.

It's often said that, if you only buy one album this year buy (insert name here). The truth is 'The Neptunes Present...Clones' is one of the very sets that fits the epithet like a glove. As essential as these things get.

Buy this album here

Richard X - Presents His X Factor Vol 1

Usually bootleggers, if caught, are rewarded with a hefty fine and/or a one to five stretch. After all, the whole arena of creative and intellectual property has become a battlefield of moral principles.

For instance, if you put together two pieces of music without asking the artist and print up a whole heap of white labels that go ballistic then surely it's time to call 5-0.

Not if you're Richard X. If you're Richard X you get a record deal and licence to carry on regardless.

Dick's first experience of high level exposure came following his welding Whitney's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' to Kraftwerk's 'Numbers' but it all really kicked off with the bootleg of Adina Howard's 'Freak Like Me' that X laid over Gary Numan's 'Are Friends Electric'.

This led to the Sugababes' version, produced by Richard, and '...Presents X-factor' is the album that parks itself on the back of it all.

The set also features the Liberty X/Human Leagueinterface 'Being Nobody' as well as a whole load of the kind of cleverly spliced selections that have made Rich what he is today.

Buy this album here