Rewind (Ricky Fanté album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rewind | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Ricky Fanté | |||||
| Released | July 13, 2004 | ||||
| Recorded | 2003-2004 | ||||
| Genre | R&B, soul | ||||
| Label | Virgin | ||||
| Ricky Fanté chronology | |||||
|
|||||
R&B sensation Ricky Fanté, whose second album, Rewind, harkens back to the sounds of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Al Green.
Unlike the countless neo-soul crooners doing their best impersonations of 1970s-era icons like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, D.C. native Ricky Fanté takes us back even further with a raspy, impassioned style askin to Wilson Pickett's and Otis Redding's - sings like the lost child of Pickett and Redding. The music is gritty, funky soul that borrows equally from the fervor of Southern gospel and the hard-driving energy of R&B. Punchy horns, chicken-scratch guitars, tight rhythm sections, and Ricky's passionate, gospel-tinged voice seduce listeners.
A masterful slice of Southern soul on the low-key intensity of "I Let You Go" - hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, and an emotional way. The number sounds like the fraternal twin of Otis Redding's "Pain In My Heart" and "These Arms Of Mine." Like Redding, "I Let You Go" gells echoes of Sam Cooke and Percy Sledge and is southern soul balladry at its finest. Though you can't replicate feel, Ricky Fanté nearly duplicates a solo David Ruffin on the lush instrumentation of "It Ain't Easy" - even the title of the song is similar to Ruffin's solo material. The tracks sturdy live instrumentation supports Ricky's gravelly and sweet (retro) voice. The midtempo beat is aided by a choirs polished backing vocals and Ricky's fierceness, fire, and edge - extremely catchy number.
The number "Why" takes us back to the style of a truly incendiary deep soul performer named O. V. Wright - possessed with melismatic vocals. The ballad is cemented by Ricky's thick and rich voice - story telling at its best. "Smile" is an uptempo groover that sounds like a solid Al Green album track and "It's Over Now" features more elements of Otis Redding (the breakdowns at the end).
Ricky Fanté needs to ditch Norah Jones collaborator Jesse Harris - Arif Mardin shockingly makes an appearance as well - and hook up with deep soul songwriters like Willie Mitchell (known as the man who signed Al Green) and Bobby Womack - like Joss Stone hooking up with consistently strong Betty Wright.
Ricky's goal for this album is clear: "I want to bring soul music back, but in an attractive, organized manner. I want to do soul music for real. I like that we used all different aspects of the music; it's a natural marriage for me to do it in that traditional sense. Sometimes songs need to be sung gritty, sometimes soft, and sometimes you have to mix it. Josh and Jesse were able to put my thoughts and feelings about what I wanted to say into a set structure."
[edit] Tracklistings
- I Let You Go
- It Ain't Easy
- Drive
- Are You Lonely Too?
- Why
- Love Doesn't Live Here No More
- It's Over Now
- Smile
- He Don't Love You
- If It's Love
- My Song
- A Woman's Touch
- It Ain't Easy (On Your Own)*
- All I Wanted (Bonus Track)*
- It Ain't Easy (On Your Own) (Bonus Track/ Video)*
* - Indicates Japanese Version Only Bonus Tracks
