Thursday, September 16, 2004
Hands up, those who hear lots of connections between (black) gospel and drone, as Paul Morley so likes to call it. I'm reminded of the pull between the two by R. Kelly's new album, particularly the second disc of Happy People/U Saved Me - hell, in instrumentation-not-just-repetitive vox, "Peace" could practically be from a Ladysmith Black Mambazo record, making this one not-just-drone-but-vaguely-kinda-sorta-Afrobeat as well (though that's qualified; I mean, no one's gonna confuse this with Fela).
Did I digress, or am I just getting started? Happy People/U Saved Me makes completely explicit (pun intended) R.'s spiritual side; no artist since Prince as been so brazen about his sex/God thing, and no one's gone quite this far with it - i.e., releasing come-to-Jesus records of this nature, let alone while being under some ugly child porn charges - this side of Al Green. Though of course, the natural comparison is with Marvin Gaye. For me, that's mainly because neither Robert nor Marvin were afraid to get naaaasty. But nasty is what Mr. Kelly most certainly does not get here; for the first time in nearly a decade, this album of his requires no Parental Advisory sticker, as it's 100% clean (not to mention 50% about God, natch). Of course, in the cake-and-eating-it department, he's currently in the R&B top 20 with not only "U Saved Me," but as a guest on Twista's "So Sexy," which Kelly proudly proclaims is "for the girls that be ridin' the D[ick]."
But back to the album. About 2/3 of U Saved Me is close to brilliant, really smashing gospel, the kind of record I thought Kirk Franklin'd be making by now (and where the heck'd he go, anyway?). This is not only R. Kelly at his best, but gospel seems to by and large bring out the best in him (cf. Trin-i-tee 5:7's "God's Grace," which he wrote and produced). "How Did You Manage," for one, could nearly be a straight-up love song, and is one of Kelly's best ballads in years, heartfelt like his songs of pure romance haven't been of late. "U Saved Me" is effective if a bit on the preachy side, while "When I Think About You" is lyrically a bit reminiscent of dc Talk's "Just Between You and Me," but underpinned with a lovely piano line. Kelly himself should know he can do better than "3-Way Phone Call," which even with guest spots from Kelly Price and Kim Burrell is just barely thisside of bathetic, however, and "Diary of Me" is built around one of those obnoxious dripping-water sound effects Stevie Wonder was so fond of in the late '80s, and little else. All of this pales, though, in the light of "Peace." One of Kelly's career high points musically, its stripped-down arrangement is unlike anything he's done before, and sounds like it - and is all the better for it. R. should break out of his self-imposed musical straitjacket more often.
Of course, U Saved Me is only half of this double album. The first disc, Happy People, exhibits a new R. Kelly, one not sex-obsessed but interested in relaxed good times centered around stepping. Stepping, of course, is a style of dance found in Chicago's (adult) black community, and most of the songs here utilise somewhat same-y stepping rhythms. One critic recently suggested that Happy People was essentially 11 different variations on "Step in the Name of Love (Remix)," and in a way, he wasn't far off the mark. But more importantly, Kelly sounds so damned happy, so calm, in a way he hasn't in eons. Perhaps he's simply putting on a brave face - but perhaps he's found some sort of inner peace in the light of his legal problems. Happy People, basically one big groove, is like a new Frankie Beverly and Maze album - and I mean that as a compliment. Smooth as the day is long, this may end up being R. Kelly's most-played full-length in years, and deservedly so. It won't change the world, or even R&B, but it plays up all of his strengths (and a few weaknesses at times) expertly. A-
Did I digress, or am I just getting started? Happy People/U Saved Me makes completely explicit (pun intended) R.'s spiritual side; no artist since Prince as been so brazen about his sex/God thing, and no one's gone quite this far with it - i.e., releasing come-to-Jesus records of this nature, let alone while being under some ugly child porn charges - this side of Al Green. Though of course, the natural comparison is with Marvin Gaye. For me, that's mainly because neither Robert nor Marvin were afraid to get naaaasty. But nasty is what Mr. Kelly most certainly does not get here; for the first time in nearly a decade, this album of his requires no Parental Advisory sticker, as it's 100% clean (not to mention 50% about God, natch). Of course, in the cake-and-eating-it department, he's currently in the R&B top 20 with not only "U Saved Me," but as a guest on Twista's "So Sexy," which Kelly proudly proclaims is "for the girls that be ridin' the D[ick]."
But back to the album. About 2/3 of U Saved Me is close to brilliant, really smashing gospel, the kind of record I thought Kirk Franklin'd be making by now (and where the heck'd he go, anyway?). This is not only R. Kelly at his best, but gospel seems to by and large bring out the best in him (cf. Trin-i-tee 5:7's "God's Grace," which he wrote and produced). "How Did You Manage," for one, could nearly be a straight-up love song, and is one of Kelly's best ballads in years, heartfelt like his songs of pure romance haven't been of late. "U Saved Me" is effective if a bit on the preachy side, while "When I Think About You" is lyrically a bit reminiscent of dc Talk's "Just Between You and Me," but underpinned with a lovely piano line. Kelly himself should know he can do better than "3-Way Phone Call," which even with guest spots from Kelly Price and Kim Burrell is just barely thisside of bathetic, however, and "Diary of Me" is built around one of those obnoxious dripping-water sound effects Stevie Wonder was so fond of in the late '80s, and little else. All of this pales, though, in the light of "Peace." One of Kelly's career high points musically, its stripped-down arrangement is unlike anything he's done before, and sounds like it - and is all the better for it. R. should break out of his self-imposed musical straitjacket more often.
Of course, U Saved Me is only half of this double album. The first disc, Happy People, exhibits a new R. Kelly, one not sex-obsessed but interested in relaxed good times centered around stepping. Stepping, of course, is a style of dance found in Chicago's (adult) black community, and most of the songs here utilise somewhat same-y stepping rhythms. One critic recently suggested that Happy People was essentially 11 different variations on "Step in the Name of Love (Remix)," and in a way, he wasn't far off the mark. But more importantly, Kelly sounds so damned happy, so calm, in a way he hasn't in eons. Perhaps he's simply putting on a brave face - but perhaps he's found some sort of inner peace in the light of his legal problems. Happy People, basically one big groove, is like a new Frankie Beverly and Maze album - and I mean that as a compliment. Smooth as the day is long, this may end up being R. Kelly's most-played full-length in years, and deservedly so. It won't change the world, or even R&B, but it plays up all of his strengths (and a few weaknesses at times) expertly. A-
# posted by Thomas : 3:18 PM
