Disco de Raphael Saadiq: “Ray Ray”

Raphael, affectionately referred to as Ray,Ray, is quite simply a force to be reckoned with. He is indeed one of R&B's premiere male vocalists and his writing talent is legendary. He has carved out his own niche and does not copy anyone. You only need to hear a few notes and you immediately recognize Oaktown representing. I have appreciated Raphael's vocal prowess since his days with Tony Toni Tone, later with Lucy Pearl, and certainly as a solo artist.

However, I was NOT well with his first solo outing Instant Vintage. While there were memorable performances, instant vintage it was not. But Raphael is one of those artists who is entirely too musically entrenched/established to be relegated to "this cut" or "that cut."

His second solo outing is infinitely better than Instant Vintage. While there are moments where it appears his experimentation with melodies and rhythms don't necessarily mesh well with R&B/hip hop, he blows you away with what is undoubtedly the highlight of this project "Detroit Girl." Interestingly enough, everything AFTER this cut is far superior to the ones before it. (Unfortunately, Detroit Love is Track 7!) Dawn Robinson lends her hot voice to "Rifle Love" which easily is another highlight (also after track 7.) An unusual Save Us at the end is haunting.

Raphael's previous solo project suffered mostly because it was too ambitious. He was all over the place and unfortunately seemed to have run out of the best ideas when it came to his solo work while writing nice tunes for everybody else.

While this is by no means a stellar production, there are indeed flashes of Raphael's brilliance that enusres his place as a musical trailblazer and therefore makes any new product of his worth consideration.

At this rate, his next solo project should be the bomb!!!!

What an amazing follow up to his outstanding debut 'Instant vintage' which was just that.

One of the catchiest and coolest soul cds to come out this year.

'Ray Ray theme', the awesome 'I know Shuggie Otis', 'This one', 'Chic like you', 'Not a game' (with Babyface, beautiful!), and 'Live without you' are standouts on this outstanding collection.

The songs are much shorter than those on his debut, they get to the point much faster. The cd artwork and photography is also fab!

Sadly, music like this gets passed over for trite, same sounding rubbish; one look at the charts is enough to confirm this.

This is another solid CD by Mr. Saadiq. I love Raphael and he does not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoy this outing from beginning to end. Glad to see him reunite with his family (3T's) and mend fences with Dawn Robinson. To boot, he has a duet with Babyface, c'mon now! I don't have a favorite song. All tracks are tight, in my opinion. They each have a different vibe, so you don't get bored. If you want a cd with good music, solid production and great sound, pick this up! A true "cruising in the car" cd on a nice day.

This is the way albums are supposed to flow..seamlessly from track to track with a surging momentum, increasing complexity, a triad of songs serving as the centerpiece ("Rifle Love", "Chic" & "I Want You Back") and a cohesive, consistent structure. Ray's bass playing is the foundation for all these tracks and his melodic skills have never been on better display. "Save Us" is the kind of direct, poetic statement that all artists reach for but ruin by overplaying thier hand, Saadiq keeps it simple and haunting, thereby delivering his message effectively and closing the LP on a quiet, beautifully hopeful note. This is easily one of the most brilliant and underappreciated albums of recent memory.

I'm afraid I'll have to agree with those who say 'Instant Vintage' has been the best by far but ,on the flip side, this is one artist that is always ahead of his time. The tracks that got me hooked are ' Rifle Love', 'It's not a Game', and the all time favourite ' Chic Like u' for the rest of the album rocks. Teedra Moses' simply amazing and out of this world voice on 'Chic', is one thing I cannot get enough of. This is a must have 'if u know ur sh*t' but then again 'its never to late to learn' = Tebza (Cape Town, South Africa)