Des'ree - I Ain't Movin'

This Black Londoner of Barbadian descent truly snuck up on the pop world with this 1994 disc, her second recording. Her ode to self-reliance and persistence, "You Gotta Be," rode lilting pop jazz backing to widespread acceptance (except, curiously, on "urban" radio, where her sound was deemed not black enough). The inspired video of the song became a staple at VH1. The single is indicative of the rest of the album. Most of it was written after a painful breakup with a long-time beau, so her focus is on trumpeting resilience and self-nurturing themes. Her creamy voice and austere but swinging backing make it work. --Martin Johnson Amazon.com

Peace

I love her music. This is a CD you can actually tune the world out, roll your window down and feel nothing but peace...I listen to her in traffic coming home from work. It's great January 28, 2008

I Ain't Movin

I bought this disc because of the huge hit single, YOU GOTTA BE - it was the kind of anthemic song I needed to hear at the time and to this day I still love the lyrics and the thought behind it.

Sadly people wrote this artist off thinking that there was only one hit but thankfully this isn't a one-hit disc and features strong vocal performance and thought provoking lyrics that sound timeless.

My favorite tracks are: I AIN'T MOVIN, FEEL SO HIGH, CRAZY MAZE, HERALD THE DAY, LIVING IN THE CITY & LOVE IS HERE (I interpreted the lyrics as God coming to Earth to collect his angels. This is a really beautiful song!)

I'd recommend it to those who can appreciate soulful music that can't quite be classified as strictly r&b or pop from a talented singer/songwriter.

October 22, 2007

cd review

i am very happy i bought this cd. wonderful and enchanting, worth buying. January 19, 2007

" I Ain't Movin' " Is Moving...Quality Stuff

I picked Desree's "I Ain't Moving" in late 1994 after she opened for Seal at a concert. She served as a perfect compliment to his performance and I could not think of a better opening act for the occasion.

I was aware of her previously with her ubiquitous single, "You Gotta Be" from the preceeding summer. What a gem of a recording. The whole album is eminently listenable and soothes the soul nicely. She carries off a very nice clear vocal delivery juxtoposed with rich narratives of self-empowerment as well as various facets of the human experience. Overall, it uplifts and soothes in a most inspiring manner.

The title track, "Feel So High", "Living In The City", "You Gotta Be", "Crazy Maze", "In My Dreams" are my favorites.

If you're only familiar with "You Gotta Be", you "gotta be" missing out on some good stuff here. May 24, 2006

Excellent album--something special you don't see these days

I totally agree with the reviewer below. It's a total shame people of the same ethnicity back artists solely for the reason because they share the same race. It's the same way in the Latino community. I think the quality/talent of the performers and musicians is what we should like music for. And with Des'ree, there's no shortage of quality. Although my favourite song off I Ain't Movin' is "You Gotta Be", the whole album is still quite good and worth owning. Alternative music (or an eclectic record collection period) is a great thing to have. The kind of songs off Ain't Movin' are something special that you don't see anymore these days.

For some other Alternative selections, I also suggest Fishbone's Truth and Soul, and also De La Soul's 3 Feet High & Rising. June 20, 2005

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