Jaden | Music

Allow me to introduce two men that really need no introduction – Michael Jackson and Ne-Yo!

Here are two songs from completely different eras that share some interesting similarities… “Rock My World”, and “Nobody”.

Enjoy:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MFCznVXlCk[/youtube]

Well folks, allow me to present to you the second MC in less than a week – how exciting (man, how proactive am I getting – as opposed to the old con-active me)!! This is one is one I am particularly fond of, as it features my all time favourite artist… none other than the great Stevland Morris aka Stevie Wonder – and for me, one of the greatest tracks of the last century – Lately.  The other song was a 2008 hit by the rapper Rick Ross – Here I Am. And I must say that I actually quite like what Drumma Boy did with the track – great instrumentation, and catchy as hell! Shame about my less than alluring choice of images for Ricky… :•)

I’m sure this is a coincidence that everyone will be able to enjoy. So, without further ado… May I present to you, Lately - Stevie Wonder ft Rick Ross.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5Blwth3OB0[/youtube]

After the brilliance and success of Ryan Leslie’s first self-titled release, it made me nervous to think how R.Les could possibly top, or even match it with his follow up release, Transition.  After receiving my own personal copy of his newest offering on the day it was released, I found myself practically trembling – experiencing the sum of excitement and anticipation that had been accruing during the many months of aural ecstasy I had spent flying with this musician, singer, and scholar extraordinaire. I don’t feel it is my place to pass any type of judgment, good or bad, upon a man that has barely put a foot wrong up until this point. Instead, I thought I would conduct the first half of this album review a little differently – I have decided to let the man himself narrate his own journey – through the lyrics found across both of his releases, starting with Self Titled…

RYAN LESLIE is:

Like a boxer “Im’a take you 10 rounds”
Like insomnia “I’ll be the reason you’re not sleeping”
A publisher “You can be my centrefold”
Your lead man “You can be my co-star”
Your future “Make you forget about your past”
A gentleman “I never used to call”
A connoisseur “I’ll stroke your body like it’s an instrument”
Himself “I wanna make you happy just by being myself – cos I can’t be nobody else”

TRANSITION is:

Santa “I can give you everything on your checklist”
A physician “If you’re sick”
The scratch “For your itching”
A superhero “Coming to rescue you”
A security guard “You can be my night watch”
A concierge “I know all the right spots”
Pat Sajak “Just like Wheel of Fortune”
Gabriel “I’ll be your angel… [with] white wings”

Once you have listened to both albums, you should understand the comparisons I am drawing in this exercise. If not, my apologies for what may just feel like a year 10 classroom exercise on similes and metaphors…

Now for a short-and-sweet subjective component to this review:

The good: There are four or five highly listenable tracks on this album for me, but it’s hard to go past tracks one and four – “Never Gonna Break Up” and “Is it Real Love?”  – the common denominator here being the fresh and inventive instrumentation and memorable guitar/bass hooks, catchy chorus melody lines, and solid themes and lyricism.
I must also give credit where credit is due – Mr Leslie has again shown some streaks of absolute genius with a few of the bridge change-ups throughout  - particularly in consecutive gems “Nothing” and “To the Top” – mind blowing stuff, Sir!

The not so good: When I listen to this album I really hear a distinctly dated sound to a number of his tracks  – somewhat of a didn’t-quite-make-the-cut-for-last-album, B-side filler sound. In spite of his arguably brilliant lyrical abilities, there was a real lack of variety in Lesley’s lyrics on Transition– perhaps sprouting from the tired and overstated themes of love and romance. The other thing that stood out was this constant feeling of déjà-vous I felt throughout the album – namely with his progressions, guitar strumming and keyboard rhythm patterns, bass fills, synth solos, and vocal melodies.

In conclusion, I would say this album has some great moments and is definitely worth checking for fans of R.Les, but don’t jump into it expecting the hit upon hit upon hit that he delivered last time around.

Allow me to wrap up with one of the previously mentioned classics from Transition.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4UB_Fxtg6U[/youtube]

It has been a very long time between coincidences – although not for lack of material, as I have pixels and pixels of them piling up on my desktop. Hopefully with this next installment, we will also see my idle ways become a thing of the past. This MC is a little left of the middle, but after checking out the Toni track posted on facebook by dear Miss Neha I felt compelled to get back down to business. I cleared my morning schedule so that I could slap this one together for all you Toni/Britney lovers out there!

Enjoy… Yesterday – Toni Braxton ft Britney (the Jaden Music way)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCxO34eiGqc&feature=channel[/youtube]

“There’s nothing left… There’s no us – just me and you…”

Ok, so as much as I don’t like to discuss these facts with most people, I have been in a few relationships in my time. The thing that always leaves me wondering is the way it starts out so great, and then as time goes on we drift further and further apart (“we” being a colossal generalisation in reference to every person that has ever found themselves in a doomed relationship).  Sometimes it happens so gradually that you just wake up one day and feel like you don’t even know the person lying next to you (assuming that it IS actually your partner next to you, and not that hot chick from Blockbuster whose name you just can’t seem to remember…)

There is no real explanation as to why; no particular occurrence that sparks it. It doesn’t feel like your heart has just been stomped on, and it doesn’t usually result in broken vases or black eyes. Perhaps it is more like the way you felt after walking out  of the cinema at the end of Seven (assuming that you’re not someone with unresolved sadistic obsessions)  If you haven’t seen Seven, you should probably stop reading and sort that out right about now (and if you can’t count to 7 you should really be asking yourself how you managed to get this far through my blog without setting fire to your special prescription ear muffs)

Anyhow, I seem to be digressing from the original point of this story (if there was in fact a point to begin with…) I suggest that you take 4 minutes to check out the track below, and then waste the rest of the day trying to take your pulse using a wooden spoon.

Bonsoir for now, my loyal/sexy readers.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h03fWimY_LY[/youtube]

Check out the video of our girl Charmaine performing Please Please live @ The Supper Club in Sydney last week. On the viola is the extremely talented Carl St. Jacques all the way from Miami USA.

To hear more of Charmaine’s Music go to www.charmaine.com.au!

Instead of sleeping… I am thinking. imagining. appreciating…

Rocket Love – a song that, in my mind, is one of the most spectacularly beautiful works of art ever to be created (despite being a sad story of heartbreak and loss). Stevie Wonder is truly the master of all that he does. His use of imagery throughout is so vivid, capturing such emotive intensity through his ingenious vocal melodies and dramatic instrumentation. If I could have one wish in my lifetime, it would be to see the world through the eyes of Stevie, and to know life as he knows it – just for a day.  It is songs like this that make me really appreciate the world for its simple beauties. It also sparks such a burning desire in me to fill my world and that of those around me with music; inspiring me to keeping chasing the dream that is just out of reach, for now…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ry0moZ9JdE[/youtube]

“A female Shakespeare of your time
With looks to blow Picasso’s mind
You were the best

Your body moved with grace and song
Like symphonies by Bach or Brahms
Nevertheless, oh oh

The passion burning in your heart
Would make hell’s fire seem like a spark
Where did it go

You took me riding in your rocket, gave me a star
But at a half a mile from heaven you dropped me back
down to this cold, cold world”