Oh boy what can I say.All this time and this is it? This lady has one of the best voices around. Her first album has been played to death in our home, not this one. With the exception of "Id rather be with you" which demonstrates some of her lyrical talent the album is not worthy of such a beautiful soulful voice.
this CD really disappointed me, after her brilliant first album. and i do mean brilliant. i still listen to it all the time, and when it comes onto my ipod it always plays - no skipping to the next song. but this album feels like a classic case of a young superstar who doesn't know what to do and can't find her voice...so, she does a bunch of covers. fine, no problem. but the orchestrations/arrangements and general quality of a lot of the instruments is not good for the most part, bad in some parts, and down right abysmal in others. i won't give specifics, but will recommend "it's a man's man's man's world" and "simply beautiful" for being great hits on what i had really hoped would be a knock-out punch. *sigh* it's okay, leela...you're younger than me (ha!), so i got no doubt about the future.
Leela James is a really great vocalist. This album is a lot of fun. No one really makes r&B like this anymore, but she keeps it fresh. I hope eMusic gets her live ep in New Orleans, its the best!
The band is tight as always. saw her perform twice in South africa with a tight band. I'm loving it.
Ms James is a fabulous heart felt singer. She has the voice of a well experience ole tyme singer to be only 26 year of age. (DOB: June 2, 1983). She's going to go a long way.
Came across this by browsing on emusic like so many albums that have become favourites. I was immediately struck by the fact she is backed by real musicians playing real instruments. Often I never get past track 1 on many modern soul/urban/whatever albums because the first thing I hear is the tinny sound of a drum machine or fake hand clapping. Real musicians do it better every time and this woman can really sing. Best soul album I've heard in years (why does it get classed as Hip-Hop/R&B?). Get it immediately.
I loved LJs first lp and so expected a little more from her. The voice is still there and the professionalism shines through but I was very disappointed with the arrangements. Leela has chosen some classics to cover but brought nothing new to them. Phyllis Hyman's 'You know how to love me' is still a favorite at rare groove parties but I would be stoned if I attempted to introduce the crowd to Leela's version, it's just not up to standard. I always believe that if your going to do a cover (and I love to hear new interprtations of old songs) then you should bring something to the party. Unfortunately Ms. James hasn't. However, there are still some worthwhile tracks to download, Al Green's 'Simply Beautiful' and James Brown's 'It's a man's world', sung to the highest of standards. Here's hoping that this is just a lapse because I really dig her.
I love this sophomore effort by Ms. James. Now, I love "A Change is Going to Come," I noticed a more mature, soulful vibe from this album. If you are a fan of Ms. James, please download this "simply beautiful" album.
