The following is excerpted from a New Music Express interview (Nov 16): Kate Bush has opened up about her relationship and work with the late, great Prince – hailing his genius but revealing that there’s no unheard material that they recorded together. The icon collaborated and is featured on.
. 'Radio' Released: December 21, 2010. 'Good Man' Released: February 15, 2011. 'Stone Rollin' Released: March 22, 2011 Stone Rollin ' is the fourth by American singer, songwriter, and producer.
It was released on March 25, 2011,. Inspired by the loud, raw sound of his live performances, Saadiq worked with recording engineer and long-time collaborator Charles Brungardt to produce a grittier, more aggressive sound than on his previous records.
Most of the instruments played on the album were performed by Saadiq, and with the help of arranger and engineer, he incorporated string and orchestral arrangements to the songs. Stone Rollin ' expands on the traditional style of his 2008 album, with exploring, and styles. A widespread critical success and deemed by some reviewers as Saadiq's best work, the record was noted for its stylistic breadth, -based compositions, varied subject matter, and incorporation of the keyboard. It also became Saadiq's highest-charting album in the United States, reaching number 14 on the.
He supported the album with a concert tour spanning from March to August 2011. Contents. Background In 2008, Saadiq released his third album, which featured 1960s -inspired songs with traditional influences. The album was also an exemplary release of the 'classic soul revival' during its peak at the time, a music scene marked by similarly retro-minded work from mainstream artists such as and, independent acts such as and, and older artists making comebacks such as and. In promoting the album, Saadiq broadened his audience demographic and expanded as a touring artist, playing various music festivals throughout Europe and the United States. Along with the musical aesthetic of the album, Saadiq himself adopted a vintage soul image, donning old-fashioned attire and performing traditional R&B dance moves at shows. His touring also inspired his approach for Stone Rollin ', as he considered the louder, raw sound and general feeling of performing live.
Saadiq has said of his creative intentions with the follow-up, 'I’ve never shut my ears to anything, really. It’s not like I’m always looking for things, either, but I can’t close my ears to any music. Any guitar, any drums, any rhythm section— I’ve always been open to those things, trying to understand what makes them work in a song'. He was influenced by early rock and roll artists such as and, and has cited musician as an influence on the album's sound, which he described as 'bluesy' and 'harder' than that of his previous album, with more aggressive. In an interview for BULLETT Magazine, Saadiq explained his idea of the album's title, stating ' Stone Rollin ' basically symbolizes the action of throwing dice and taking chances with life. That's what I've done my whole career—taking chances with different styles of music and making choices that other people would be afraid to take. Stone Rollin ' means I'm going all the way out there this time'.
Recording and production. Saadiq (pictured in 2008) recorded his vocals using a. Saadiq recorded Stone Rollin ' at Blakeslee Recording Company, his recording studio complex in Los Angeles, California. He spent approximately one year working on the album, including writing its music and lyrics. He worked on the album's production with recording engineer and long-time collaborator Charles Brungardt. The two shared an interest in collecting vintage musical gear and studying historic recording techniques, which they had applied in recording The Way I See It.
However, for Stone Rollin ', they sought to eschew its predecessor's Motown aesthetic for a more eclectic style, in keeping with Saadiq's other musical projects. According to Brungardt, the recording of the project's earlier songs, 'Heart Attack', was critical in their decision for the album. The song was recorded during Saadiq's break from touring for The Way I See It and had originally featured that album's sound, with which they were not satisfied. When they revisited the song, Saadiq reconstructed the original recording after stripping track's individually recorded instrument, with the exception of the vocals and some of its drums.
In an interview for, Brungardt said of their approach, 'We wanted to evolve the songs, and I wanted to evolve the engineering, as well. On The Way I See It, everything was pretty much tube 's and. On this one, I wanted to play around with some of the more gear'. Some of the album's songs were recorded by Saadiq with his live band, which included drummer Lemar Carter, bassist Calvin Turner, and guitarist Rob Bacon.
Bacon, who had played with Saadiq since 2002, said of their grittier approach to guitar, 'I have, as opposed to, so there'd be times when I'd spend 15 or 20 minutes my instrument. Then he'd come in and pick up his guitar and just start playing it however it was left the day before. On one of the tracks I had to play over all this stuff that was out of tune.
Raphael was like, 'That's what makes it funky!' Musical guests such as vocalist, keyboardist, bass player, keyboardist, and pedal steel guitarist also contributed to the album's recording sessions, with Saadiq selecting their parts for certain tracks. The song 'Go to Hell' was conceived from one of Amp Fiddler's Mellotron. Saadiq recorded a duet with Graham called 'The Perfect Storm', included as a on the album: 'I played bass, but I put my bass down laughs. The first day I tried to play bass for him, I couldn't even play. I froze three times. He's my all-time idol!'
'Instead of just having a string section off in the background, I wanted on certain songs for the strings to be more expressive, so I talked to arranger about the titles and what I was going for in the songs. I'd say, 'For this word, I want it to be orchestrated this way. When I listen to the song 'Go to Hell', I want to hear the winds in the valley rushing into me'.' —, For the majority of the recordings, Saadiq played most of the instruments, including bass, keyboard, guitar, percussion, and drums, and he also each recorded instrumental part afterwards. Brungardt used a microphone to record each of Saadiq's instrument parts. Saadiq recorded his vocals on a alone in the recording studio's control room, an approach encouraged to him earlier in his career by record producer and audio engineer.
According to Brungardt, 'Saadiq's voice benefits from a dynamic mic because it tends to give him more bottom and presence. Plus dynamic mics can sound a little older when pushed'. With the songs' guitar parts, Brungardt wanted to create additional distortion in order to produce a grittier guitar sound for the songs, a stylistic preference Saadiq and he had acquired from listening to a great deal of at the time. He applied several techniques to achieve this sound, including increasing the on Saadiq's guitar amplifier, using a software for the recordings in post-production, and Saadiq's guitar parts. In his interview for EQ Magazine, Brungardt discussed using a Massey TapeHead, one of his preferred plug-ins, in the recording process, stating 'I’ll use that on a lot of things to get a little more grit.
It thickens stuff up nicely if you record something that’s a little too bright. I usually go a lot for darker tones when recording and mixing'. For several songs, Saadiq incorporated lush orchestration and as predominant elements. He worked on the orchestral recording with arranger and Gerry Brown at 's Studio B in Los Angeles, while the songs' parts were mostly recorded at the Blakeslee studio.
Brown also worked with Saadiq on the album's at Blakeslee. The album was using in Blakeslee Recording Company's Studio A, with the 4000 used mostly for monitoring, and using the SSL 9000 in the 'C' room. During mixing, Brungardt used such as a McDSP FilterBank plug-in and to handle excessive high end in spots, and he utilized other equipment for additional sound effects, including a, a, and an. Music and lyrics Stone Rollin ' expands on the Motown-inspired material of Saadiq's previous album and includes various other styles. Along with mid-tempo soul songs, Stone Rollin ' features styles such as early R&B-rooted, -inspired, -blues, and the more expansive orchestral sound of post-Detroit Motown and 1970s.
Disc jockey described Saadiq's sound as 'a hybrid form that's rooted in these familiar elements from classic soul but recontextualized with a modern sound'. Nick Butler of called the album's songs 'belters' and 'guitar-heavy', and wrote of its musical influences, 'While informs the sound of this more than anybody, it's a very early-'70s sounding album on the whole.
but there are influences that go back even further than that - and in particular inform some of this record's more energetic moments.' Journalist Mikael Wood said of the album's sound and production, 'Where Saadiq's previous efforts luxuriated in the layering and the fine-tuning made possible by modern recording gear, Stone Rollin' presents a rawer, rowdier soul-rock sound modeled after his energetic stage show'. Music writer said Saadiq's compositions are characterized by ' rather than song'. Andy Kellman of wrote that the songs are 'tied together by the Mellotron, a vintage keyboard — commonly associated with and recordings, but not foreign to soul — that evokes diseased flutes and wheezing strings', adding that 'Saadiq tends to use the instrument for shading'.
Music journalist observed 'a little less Motown gloss' than The Way I See It and 'a little more rock grit in Saadiq’s grooves, heavy on the (witness the opening 'Heart Attack'), late '50s/early '60s (the joyful 'Radio'), and Ray Charles ('Day Dreams'), to say nothing of the skillful use of Mellotron orchestrations as a connecting thread throughout the disc, sort of like suddenly finding the funk ('The Answer').' Steve Horowitz from found the songs' subject matter to be assorted and said that Saadiq 'personalizes each song so they seem connected as just the many aspects of one man’s existence and experience'.
'Go to Hell' heavily incorporates the Mellotron keyboard, and spiritual themes of hardship, redemption, and love. Problems playing this file? The opening track, 'Heart Attack', is a rock and roll/soul song that incorporates driving bass, reverberating, and a drum beat. It is an homage to one of Saadiq's musical idols, Sly Stone, and was inspired by songs 'M'Lady' and ', whose burbling background vocals are referenced in 'Heart Attack'. Saadiq said he wanted to open Stone Rollin ' 'with that sense of urgency, that global soul and rock & roll feel'.
On 'Go to Hell', he alludes to his adopted surname with the line 'I'm going to be a warrior of everything I say'; 'Saadiq' means 'man of his word' in Arabic. He played a style of guitar on 'Radio', which portrays a disapproving woman as the personification of: 'I met this girl named Radio / said her signal was low / she wasn't getting my sound'. According to Saadiq, the line 'I tried to move away / she found me the very next day' alludes to his affinity for his musical roots and those of rock and roll. The album's title track was written as an ode to curvaceous, full-figured women, backed by a sound Saadiq described as 'dirty, more of like a, dirty record. The bluesiest joint' on the album. 'Good Man' features a classic soul style, -like sonics, and a slow-burning narrative about betrayal.
Problems playing this file? 'Movin' Down the Line', an ode to a, features mellow horns, jangling guitar, heavy bass lines, and a swelling string and piano.
In the opinion of, the song exemplifies the album's combination of traditional styles and contemporary production: 'It has every bit of digital snap needed to succeed among today’s sounds; but Saadiq's masterful use of a big brass section lurking w-a-a-ay into the background picks the tune up and puts it down in a completely different era. The song turns out both laidback and urgent at the same time, and is utterly irrepressible for it'. Containing a psychedelic funk sound, 'Just Don't' is sung from the point of view of a dejected narrator as realizes his woman has moved on from him. The song features guest vocals by Yukimi Nagano and an extended solo played by Larry Dunn. 'Good Man' contains plaintive lyrics, a hook co-written and sung by vocalist Taura Stinson, and lyrics about a man mourning his partner's unfaithfulness. The album's closing track, 'The Answer', features a wistful, sound, and lyrics expressing a call for collective and individual responsibility.
Saadiq said, 'I always have a song similar to that on my albums. I was just thinking about growing up in Oakland and all the older people and mentors who helped me out at the time. So I just wanted to throw it back and say thank you, and tell all the kids out there to listen to the people trying to guide them'.
Release and reception Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating 7.6/10 86/100 Review scores Source Rating A– B+ A– 7/10 Stone Rollin ' was released in March 2011. In the United States, it debuted at number 14 on the, selling 21,000 copies in its first week. It was Saadiq's highest-charting album on the Billboard 200. By May, the album had sold 32,100 copies, according to. Stone Rollin ' was promoted with the release of three singles: 'Radio' on December 21, 2010, 'Good Man' on February 15, 2011, and the title track on March 22.
A music video for 'Good Man' was filmed by Isaiah Seret, featuring fashion model and actor. Saadiq performed the title track on, and on. Stone Rollin ' received widespread acclaim from critics and was one of the year's best reviewed records. At, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an score of 86, based on 20 reviews. Writing for, Kellman deemed it not just a ' but also 'the high point of Saadiq’s career, his exceptional output with included', while Kevin Ritchie of said he exhibited 'the electrifying fervour and meticulous musicianship typical of his stage show' on the record. Steve Horowitz from wrote that the album 'shows off Saadiq's genius as a singer, writer, instrumentalist, and producer of modern rhythm and blues that pays homage to its traditions', adding that it does not have 'a false step or even a dull note'.
In, said Saadiq 'plays with himself to beat the band' like and 'makes these 10 tracks bump and pulse. And then you notice even the less pneumatic ones connecting as songs.' However, he perceived a drop-off from The Way I See It in terms of songwriting and catchiness, singling out 'Go to Hell', 'Day Dreams', and 'Good Man' as the highlights. 's Matthew Cole was more critical, finding the record too involved in fabricating retro sensibilities 'to leave a lasting impression of its own. Even the highlights are complacent genre exercises'.
Raphael Saadiq Stone Rollin 320 Rarbg
At the end of 2011, Stone Rollin ' was named one of the year's best albums in several critics' top-10 lists; it was ranked at number one by Thomas Fawcett from, number three by James Reed of, number six by critic Todd Martens, and number seven by critic, who also called it Saadiq's greatest work: 'He's always written songs steeped in soul and R&B, but now he gives them a progressive edge with roaming bass lines and haunted keyboard textures. He's no longer a retro stylist – he's writing new classics.' 'Good Man' was nominated for the for. Saadiq performing at in 2011 Saadiq promoted Stone Rollin ' with a North American spring tour, performing a series of concerts during March to June 2011.
It began on March 15 at the in Dallas and concluded on June 8 at Stubb's in Austin, Texas. Some concert dates featured electronic music duo as an opening act. The tour included performances at music festivals such as and, for which Saadiq played songs from The Way I See It and Stone Rollin ', as well as unreleased material. In reproducing the album's recorded music onstage, he performed with his eight-piece band, which included bass player Calvin Turner, drummers Lemar Carter and Charles Jones, guitarists Rob Bacon and Josh Smith, and backing singers Erika Jerry and BJ Kemp. In contrast to his touring for The Way I See It, Saadiq did not include a horn section for certain shows and played on guitar for a more rock-oriented sound.
While travelling between concert dates, Saadiq and his bandmates watched music documentaries for inspiration, including a documentary on and the 1973 film. He expanded his touring in promotion of the album into August 2011, with concerts alternating between North American headlining dates and European music festivals. Track listing All songs were produced by and co-produced by Charles Brungardt.
Title Writer(s) Length 1. 'Heart Attack' Raphael Saadiq 3:03 2. 'Go to Hell' Saadiq, Taura Stinson 4:20 3. 'Radio' Saadiq 3:22 4. 'Over You' Saadiq 2:31 5. 'Stone Rollin' ' Saadiq 3:37 6.
'Day Dreams' Saadiq 3:20 7. 'Movin' Down the Line' Saadiq 4:25 8. 'Just Don't' (featuring ) Saadiq, Stinson 5:17 9. 'Good Man' Saadiq, Stinson 3:46 10. 'The Answer' Saadiq 9:30.
'The Answer' contains a, known as 'The Perfect Storm'. Personnel Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. Musicians.
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I've been sitting on this review for at least 2 weeks trying to figure out a way to do justice to one of the best albums so far this year but at this point I've given up trying to be clever. Stone Rollin' is fantastic from start to finish. Raphael Saadiq has created a retro-soul album that sounds both modern and like it could have come straight out of the late 60's and early 70's. There's early rock and roll ('Heart Attack'), funky bassline driven soul ('), fingersnapping party tunes ('Day Dreams') string filled laments on life and love ('Go To Hell,' ',' 'The Answer') and and mid tempo funk booty call anthems (the ). They're all performed with passion, soul and exuberance (and largely by Saadiq himself) and the end result is simply fantastic. Saadiq has always made great music dating back to his Tony! Days but I don't believe he's ever made an album as full of life and as purely enjoyable as Stone Rollin'.
Rating: 4.5 Track Listing: 1. 'Heart Attack' (3:03) 2. 'Go To Hell' (4:20) 3. 'Radio' (3:22) 4. 'Over You' (2:31) 5.
'Stone Rollin' (3:37) 6. 'Day Dreams' (3:20) 7. 'Down the Line' (4:25) 8. 'Just Don't' (5:17) 9. 'Good Man' (3:46) 10. 'The Answer' (9:36).