Satisfaction No Less: I Dig This Gray
Macy Gray
has been regarded as many to be the " next [insert diva's name here]
". I don't think that she's the next anybody... but she's the first Macy Gray
To understand my appreciation for her, you have to go back to a day xxx when I went to the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida
to see The Roots in concert. Everlast ( former lead of "House of Pain"
) was supposed to open for them, but due to his mother being ill, he had dropped out and been replaced by... Macy Gray
. I had heard her first single "Do Something", but wasn't too impressed. Iher voice, but the music was just a sample of Outkast's "Git Up Git Out". Then she got up on stage... all I can say is amazing.
She puts on a wonderful show, and sounds exactly like her CD ( then again, with a voice as unique as hers, why wouldn't she?
). Her band is awesome, and the songs were gr8ttt... I knew I had to buy her CD.
Then it happened...the friend who I took with me to the concert had a few too many Grand Marniers to drink, and had to head outside. By this time, The Roots had been on stage for about an hour, and the show was coming to a close. I went outside to check on my friend, and saw her sitting at one of the tables outside, looking sick as a dog. I pulled up a chair to make sure she was alright. What happened next shocked me
Macy and some of her band members were coming out of the House of Blues and saw my friend (there's not a nicer way to put this) " tossing her cookies
". Macy actually sat down with us and made sure that my friend was alright Now how many people (famous or not) would just cast my friend off as some sort of lush and not even pay it any mind
I got her autograph and a promotional two-song tape ( "Do Something" & "I've Committed Murder"
).
But back to the subject... the CD is wonderful. It starts strong with "Why Didn't You Call Me", a track about mixed emotions after a first date, and continues all the way to the "The Letter" at the end (which is an up-beat song, but sounds an awful lot like a suicide note if you listen to the lyrics).....
" Caligula
" is another good track on the CD, a sexually-toned look at
what her man means to her ( "He's somethin like my 7-11, he's got me open like an all-night store/ he's like the blue skies, he makes the heavens/ he give me some and then I want some more"
). "Still" documents the trouble involved with trying to leave an abusive partner. "I Try" is the popular single that you can currently hear on just about any radio station in the country.
On How Life Is
is an deep collection of 10 of the funkiest songs you could ask for. If Prince were a woman, he'd be Macy Gray. No one but those two can get away with lines like " Never lovin', but we're always f**kin'
" (from " Caligula
") and "Love the life you've given but Im lookin' forward to the day I die, I can't wait to meetchu" (from " I Can't Wait to Meetchu
") on the same record. And in the midst of all this funk--and believe me,
it's everywhere on this record, you can't come away from On How Life Is
without knowing something in how you hear a bass guitar and drum combination has changed for the better--Macy Gray never lets herself take it too seriously.
This album contains a total of ten tracks and provides a total of 42.55 minutes of listening pleasure..The album starts off with the newly released sing entitled "Why Didn't You Call Me" which has a real funky sound..It kind of reminds me a little of the sounds of Dr. John, who just so happens to be one of my favorite singers of late..The next track is entitled "Do Something" and it is a combination of a soft rap and psychedelic mood music.. Of course there's the ever popular "I Try" and my all time favorite "Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak"..This albums consists of a complimentary combination of songs that insist you turn up the volume and dance.....
I do have one complaint about this album, though.
There are three songs ( "Caligula" and "Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak" and "I've Committed Murder"
) that contain content not suitable for children to hear. They speak of murder and sex and even contain the "F" word.
Seeing how both my little brothers love the music and beat of the album as much as I do, I have to bevery careful to skip overthose three songs when they are listening with me.
All in all, Ithis album. The music is a refreshing change from the pop music
that everyone seems to be hooked on. I can't help but dance and move around when listening to this CD. And,in the more than you really needto know category, some songs and the music do a gr8 deal at creating a " mood
". If nothing else, Gray's completion of all these feats in a single year are certainly an indication
that she is worthy of your respect. Give her an hour. Within her music she'll show you her world... and you won't believe the secrets her voice reveals. Promise.
Funk-a-licious is Definitely a Great Word for It...
【Track Listings】 Why Didn't You Call Me 02. Do Something 03. Caligula
04. I Try 05. Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak
06. I Can't Wait To Meetchu 07. Still
08.I've Committed Murder 09. Moment To Myself, A 10. Letter
11. Rather Hazy