The return of L-Boogie....well, sort of
The Fancy One | Westchester County, NY | 11/01/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In purchasing this, I stepped out on faith - with no track listing here on Amazon, I had no idea what I would be hearing. But being a fan of Ms. Lauryn Hill's for so many years, I took a chance on it. This is an import that was released here in the US just this year but it is actually about a year old.
Let me say this - about 90% of the tracks are not new. They are selected songs from Ms. Hill's two previous solo albums, the Fugees' CDs BLUNTED ON REALITY and THE SCORE, snippets from interviews, some unreleased material and various collaborations with other artists (Nas, the late, great Curtis Mayfield, Carlos Santana, Wyclef's solo work, et al). Not that there's anything wrong with that - I have to admit that some of the tracks I had not heard before. Ms. Hill does a spare but especially moving version of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", with her singing along with Wyclef's guitar playing as her only accompaniment. I have to say it's right up there with Sam's original version and the remake Aretha Franklin made in 1967. There is also a stunning rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Blame It On The Sun", sort of a precursor to what we would hear on "Killing Him Softly".
As for the "newer" material, the excellent song "Lose Myself" was a featured track in the animated movie, "Surf's Up" in 2007. Although I thought the lyrical content of the song was way too mature for this film geared towards children, the overall sound of the tune is bouncy and upbeat, which probably explains the reason why it made it onto this movie soundtrack. Why "So High" (with John Legend) never made it to the airwaves I cannot understand. It is a great song with Ms. Hill's vocals echoing richness and experience, in both her singing and rapping. Also included here is the so-called Fugees' reunion song from 2006, "Take It Easy". Even though the reunion didn't really materialize, it was kind of cool to see them back together again, if only for a minute.
Track listing:
Lauryn Hill - Intro
Lose Myself
So High (remix with John Legend)
Take It Easy
Blame It On The Sun
Final Hour
Lost Ones
Do You Like The Way
Superstar
Here But (The full title of this is "Here But I'm Gone", from Curtis Mayfield's CD NEW WORLD ORDER.)
Tell Him
The Sweetest Thing
Skit - Lauryn Hill Speaks On Hip-Hop
The Sweetest Thing (Remix)
L Boogie
Skit - Lauryn Hill Speaks on Music
Music
Cowboys (featuring Rah Digga)
How Many Emcees
Guantanamera
Soon As I Get Home
Freedom
Skit
Ex-Factor
Nothing Even Matters (featuring D'Angelo)
A Change Is Gonna Come (Live)
Lauryn Hill Speaks - The Ending
Remember, many of the tracks are snippets, so some of them only last for a minute or less.
I was surprized that a track that I had heard rumbling underground entitled "Ms. Hill" was not included here. It seems only logical that since MS. HILL is the title of this CD, it would be here.
Overall it is a good release and I don't regret buying it, although I would have liked to have a CD with all-new material. But even if Ms. Hill chooses not to go that route, her impact in the music industry has already been made on the highest of levels. The work of Ms. Hill is still relevant and sorely needed in today's music world, where vapid garbage goes to the top of the charts by so-called artists making vocal utterances about nothing. I'd rather listen to this than to hear what is being called music now.
"
Track Listing
cenotex | Upstate NY | 12/07/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"1.Lauryn Hill (Intro)
2.Lose Myself
3.So High [Remix]Feat. JOHN LEGEND
4.Take It Easy Feat. WYCLEF
5.Blame It on the Sun
6.Final Hour
7.Lost Ones
8.Do You Like The Way
9.Superstar
10.Here But
11.Tell Him
12.The Sweetest Thing
13.Skit: Lauryn Hill Speaks on Hip Hop
14.The Sweetest Thing [Mahogany Remix]
15.L-Boogie - The Features (INTERLUDE)
16.Skit: Lauryn Hill Speaks on Music
17.Music
18.Cowboy's Feat. RAH DIGGA
19.How Many Emcee's
20.Guantanamera
21.Soon As I Get Home
22.Freedom
23.Skit
24.Ex-Factor
25.Nothing Even Matters Feat. D'ANGLO
26.A Change Gonna Come (A LIVE SAM COOK cover)
27.Lauryn Hill Speaks: The Ending
IMPORT VERSION, with BONUS tracks.
"
