The Brand New Heavies - The Brand New Heavies

Listen and DREAM.

This is a Cool album ,N'dea has a voice that transcends time ,she would have been a Knockout in the 50's 60's and 70's ,the Honesty with which she sings really resonates and track 9 in particular is Wonderful.Buy the CD and lets all support these talented People ,they are after all giving us there SOUL. May 13, 2008

Brand New Heavies bring out Brand New Funk, Jazz and Soul

This CD is out-a-sight! August 15, 2006

Classic Retro-70's Sounds Re-Coined As "Acid Jazz" in The Early 90's!!

I love this album because it was my introduction to the BNH!
You can tell that the band had grew up on such
70's American R&B icons as Stevie Wonder,
Brass Construction, Curtis Mayfield, Ohio Players,
E,W&F and Rufus feat. Chaka Khan as well as
70's fusion jazz like Herbie Hancock,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity, The Blackbyrds and
Lonnie Liston Smith, but they wove it into an
interesting and refreshing sound that ruled the
early to mid 90's and influenced acts like
Jamiroquai, Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Amiel Lamiereaux,
etc. and became known as neo-soul here in the states.
N'Dea Davenport's fluid vocals are the perfect
marriage to the bands funky "jazz-perations"!
"Dream Come True", "Stay This Way" "Ride In The Sky" and
"Never Stop" will always have a special place in my heart
and if you like this one, then check out 1994's
sizzling "Brother-Sister", which is just as or
more hot as this one! February 12, 2006

So So underated ???

This is a Cool album ,N'dea has a voice that transcends time ,she would have been a Knockout in the 50's 60's and 70's ,the Honesty with which she sings really resonates and track 9 in particular is Wonderful.Buy the CD and lets all support these talented People ,they are after all giving us there SOUL. June 6, 2005

Got To Give Them Credit,But.....

Well the Brand New Heavies 1991 debut CD is pretty overrated.Just speaking in sheer quality of song it just isn't as good as wehat was to come not only from them but the Brit funk/acid jazz movement to come.The Heavie's main goal from the start was to showcase real instruments and play retro 70's soul and funk,or some modern version of it.But sadly this band isn't too intent on creating songs here-most of the pieces here tend to recycle endless musical clishe's from Tower Of Power and James Brown,whitch means alot of jamming grooves that are fairly tuneless.That being said "People Get Ready" and "Stay This Way" are the only true 'songs' on the album.And nothing personal but N'Dea Davenport is a really pedestrian soul singer and,frankly not transcendant enough a vocalist that this type of music demands.
All this being said I am a HUGE funk fan.My record collection includes all the classics by James Brown,P-Funk,Earth,Wind & Fire,Cameo,The Bar-Kays,Con Funk Shun,Heatwave,Slave,Chaka Khan and just about every combination you could THINK of in between.I am not unlearned in the subject.But personally Jameroqui's 1993 debut on Work is FAR superior to this-the musical idea's have more definition and an strong attempts are made at songwriting.I baught all the hype about this album being real funk and soul.But at least here The Brand New Heavies seem to know all the forms but not any of the substances.That comes from experience and character.And while for a debut this could be alot worse it's just so overrated and overhyped I had to give a more realistic appraisal on it.Don't avoid this but it is NOT the first Brand New Heavies album to buy and certainly not my idea of an introduction to modern funk. May 24, 2005

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