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Back to soul >> Stuffing the R&B renaissance in your stocking by GERARD DEE
When Britain's Sade debuted in the mid-'80s with the beautiful Diamond Life album, R&B was in the midst of a creative resurgence. George Clinton was walking his "Atomic Dog," Michael Jackson was uptight about some girl named "Billie Jean," Cameo knew all about it and sang "She's Strange" and Sade was warning everyone about this "Smooth Operator." It wasn't about sampling, shock value or "Bling, Bling," it was all about the music, and everyone had something to say.
Then things changed. Computerized instrumentation became the norm. And it was less about the artist and more about the producers. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, L.A. Reid & Babyface, Teddy Riley--these were the names that got props. Many artists became disposable. But the late '90s saw an almost underground movement, back towards live instrumentation, deeper lyrics and, most importantly, creative control. In short, back to soul. 
In the new millennium, the trend has intensified. Right from the jump we were hit with D'Angelo's critically acclaimed Voodoo. This was not a commercial record. The whole feel of the album was stream of consciousness, stripped down to bare bones, allowing for the unrestrained passion that erupted in tracks like "Untitled (How Does It Feel)." It continued with Eyes Never Lie, the debut set from former Tony Toni Toné member Dwayne Wiggins. He turned a wrongful cop search into the defiant "What's Really Going on (Strange Fruit)," an unlikely choice for lead single. Meanwhile, Wiggins' brother Raphael Saadiq, another Tony alumni, teamed up with ex-members of two other groups--A Tribe Called Quest's Shaheed Muhammad and En Vogue's Dawn Robinson--and turned out some of the sweetest music since, well, back in the day. Lucy Pearl was Rufus meets Shalamar, and everybody just wanted to "Dance Tonight." As the year went on, the soul was in flow. "I Wish," the lead single from Carl Thomas' debut set Emotional, was the kind of storytelling you'd expect from Stevie Wonder. On her debut disc, Words and Sounds Vol. 1, Philly diva Jill Scott had a few choice words for a sista who was "Gettin' In the Way" of what she was feeling. She put a definitive end to the question, "Who Is Jill Scott?" Funky jazz singer Rachelle Ferrelle also had a question. After an eight-year absence, Ferrelle's Individuality (Can I Be Me?) was replete with slow, sizzling grooves like "Sista." And then came Erykah. On Mama's Gun, Badu raised the bar, delivering tracks like the ambitious "Penitentiary Philosophy," which had her sounding like Prince sounding like Sly Stone. The debut by another Philly native, Musiq Soulchild, boldly proclaimed Aijuswanaseing. And he did, with stunning effect, on songs like "Just Friends (Sunny)." What all these artists have in common, besides making great stocking stuffers, is the ability to create something distinctly their own. Once again, it's all about the music. So how appropriate that during this soul revival, Sade should return with the exquisite Lovers Rock. It's a fitting way to end the year, and an essential reminder that you don't have to be ghetto to have soul.
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