The Way I See It

Very Cool!
This is one of the coolest albums I have listed to in awhile. The originality on this album is wonderful. This is nice change from the typical R&B music. This is one to own and cherish. Thank you Raphael!

Okay, So Time Travel Is Real Now And Y'all Didn't Tell Me?
There is only one possible explanation for the existence of this album. Here it goes... "And that was Amy Winehouse!" the deejay announced cheerfully, "Rounding out our third hour here on The All British, All Girl Fauxtown Revue! Stay tuned for more hits from Adele, Joss Stone, Duffy, and..." "That's it! I've had it!" Old Doc Brown declared, slamming his morning coffee down in a fit of disgust, "Something must be done!" Like a blur of righteous indignation, the Doc bolted for the front door. Soon, the old DeLorean was gassed up and ready to go. Seconds later, the vintage vehicle was screeching to a halt in front of the palatial estate of one Raphael Saadiq, late of Tony! Toni! Tone! fame. "Doc?" Saadiq queeried warily, stooping to collect his morning paper, "What are you doing here?" "Raphael, get in!" Brown shouted in reply, "There's no time to explain!" Saadiq had barely settled into the passenger seat when Doc Brown floored it, tearing off down the driveway at breakneck speed. "Whoah! S-slow down, Doc!" Saadiq stammered, "What's the rush, man? Where are we going?" "Motown!" the Doc declared, with wild-eyed excitement, "1965! If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits eighty-eight miles per hour... the world of pop music is gonna see some serious sh..." And short of a similar story involving Professor Peabody and the Wayback Machine, that's about as close as I can come to explaining this little gem. So many of the songs on this album feel and sound as if they might've been composed by Smokey Robison or Holland-Dozier-Holland and cut at Hitsville USA c. 1965. It's truly surreal. Stand out numbers include "Sure Hope You Mean It" which might've come from the Temps in their prime (Even in his New Jack Swing days, I've always felt that Raphael's vocal bore a striking resemblance to that of Eddie Kendricks, and this record really drives that assertion home.), "100 Yard Dash", which also feels as if it came to us through a timewarp and wouldn't seem out of place on a Mary Wells album, and "Keep Marchin'" which distills the essence of the Civil Rights era, effortlessly capturing that famous political/sociological subtext the Motown writers crafted so cleverly into so many of their pop masterpieces. On "Sometimes" Saadiq abandons his Motown sensibilities for just a moment and gives us his best Sam Cooke impersonation. It works out better than most. "Calling" recalls classic doo-wop soul and the early Miracles, "Staying in Love" would've worked for the Four Tops, "Let's Take a Walk" might've been an early Marvin Gaye tune, and "Never Give You Up" features Stevie Wonder himself, boldly demonstrating that Raph is not just another Motown wannabe, but can easily hold his own next to the genuine article. Not to mention the hit single "Love That Girl" and "Just One Kiss" on which Raphael and Joss Stone KILL IT, rivaling any duet in the history of modern R&B (See, unlike Doc Brown, I ain't hatin' on the British girls! If someone has the pipes, they have the pipes!) Speaking of which... I don't know what to say to the tin-eared neanderthals who've panned this album, some even being so insipid as to compare it unfavorably to a couple of the British babes mentioned above in this review. I guess Motown nostalgia isn't as adorable and trendy when it's being done by an actual Black American, huh? You've gotta be a frail young thing from across the pond to really pull the whole American soul thing off, right? Okay, whatever. Take it from a Motown fan of several decades who actually owns almost every major record the studio ever produced: This is as close to the real deal as a nostalgia album is ever gonna get. Pick this one up as soon as you get a chance. You won't regret it. Tell 'em Doc Brown and Prince Nikodeem sent ya!

Raphael At His Best
I have been a fan of Raphael Saddiq since I heard Tony Toni Tone's "IF I Had No Loot" I have happily purchased all their albums as well as all of Raphael's solo albums. "The Way I See It" is by far Raphael at his best. The music is a throw back to the days of Motown and his voice fits the style perfectly. There is not one bad track, you can easily play the album from start to finish without having the urge to skip a track.

Mature Sound
Raphael did his thing well on this record. Except for tracks (7),(9)and bonus track with Jay Z which was horrendous at best, I could have given it a 5 star. The songs I liked not necessarily in order are (1)"Sure hope you mean it" is a Motown sounding song with a real mature sound. (2) "100 yard dash" is more of an upbeat track definately something a person could move to, as he expresses his feeling for his lady. (3) "Keep marching" a more spiritual and gospeldelic song could be used as a inspirational hymn for a people. (4) "Big easy" I beleive this song is a dedication to New orleans L.A. Upbeat and melancholy at the same time.(5) "Just one kiss" is a conventional love song Sadiq style (Tone, Toni) the duet with Josh Stone worked well. (6) "Love that girl" is a song reminiscent of Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke. (8) "Staying in love" another solid but simple track "Falling in love is easy staying in love is too tricky" (10) "Lets take a walk" provacative with a nice beat. (11) "Never give you up" done with Stevie Wonder is pretty good. (12) "Sometimes" My personal favorite on the album, this song takes me back to childhood memories of family and makes me reflect on the difficult journey called life. This album is first rate. Sadiq did a masterful job of blending old school flavor with a modern twist of soul. It's one of the feel good records of the last few years.

3 1/2, the 60s and 70s brought back
You remember Raphael Saadiq from the 1990s because he was the lead singer of Toni Tony Tone. They have quite an extensive catalog which includes smash hits like "Lay Your Head on My Pillow", "Anniversary", "If I Had No Loot", and "It Never Rains in Southern California." Yes, people, it was the ultra-talented Raphael Saadiq who lead each of those memorable numbers. He went on to become the lead singer for Lucy Pearl before going completely solo. Saadiq released "Instant Vintage" and "Ray Ray", which are both great LPs. In fact, "Ray Ray" introduced me to one person who would go on to be one of my all-time favorite singers; her name is Teedra Moses, please familiarize yourself with her immediately. Fast forward to the present and here we are at this third solo effort, "The Way I See It." Saadiq found someones time machine and took us back to the 1960s and 70s. I heard influences from Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and Curtis Mayfield. The album's lead single, "Love That Girl" is a real love song and incredibly easy to hand-dance to. Saadiq does a fine job with delivering the words, the bass stands out and the hook will linger in your mind long after the track ends. Music mogul Stevie Wonder is on harmonica on track eleven, "Never Give You Up." He, Saadiq and CJ all do a marvelous job on this track. Actually, this song really brings Marvin Gaye to mind. "Sometimes" is one of this album's finest moments. Raphael tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth on this cut. He delivered this song better than almost any of the others. The message here is even your closest loved ones will hurt you and make you cry "sometimes." Such an effective track, this is. "Falling in love can be easy, but staying in love is too tricky" is the hook to "Staying in Love", another fine moment on this album. I really enjoyed this album, but it definitely takes more than one listen in order to get into it. In fact, this album has an acquired taste; you won't want to listen to it all of the time. But it's a fine piece of work and worth putting money into. Mikeisha's Top 5 1. "Love that Girl" 2. "Staying in Love" 3. "Sometimes" 4. "Never Give You Up" 5. "Just One Kiss"