Saadiq + Robinson + Mr. Muhammad = ..... (Lucy Pearl - Lucy Pearl)

Member Name: XICripZ

Product:	Lucy Pearl - Lucy Pearl
Date:	02/05/09 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Bangers throughout

Disadvantages: Nothing specific

The Neo-Soul super-group, Lucy Pearl, dropped their self-entitled debut in 2000. In the group, at this point, you find former, En Vogue singer, Dawn Robinson, Raphael Saadiq, of Tony! Toni! Toné!, as well as A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad on the beats. I expect that most will only know them for the single "Don't Mess With My Man", although their material really deserves a lot more attention as they brought together R&B, Soul and Hip Hop in a way which had not been seen before.

1. "Lucy Pearl's Way" (Intro)

2. "Trippin'"

To get you into the proper material on the album, this one finds them rally showing just what they are about-, flowing the introduction of where they have all individually come form, and I felt that the results of this one seems to be just perfect in getting you excited for what else they could possibly come up with for the remainder of the album as this one has them perform a funky tune which really represents what the whole album seems to do with the mix of things coming to create a sound which had only been attempted a few times earlier.

**Five Stars**

3. "Dance Tonight"

Although clearly not as popular as "Don't Mess With My Man", this song is another single which you find on the album |I have to admit that i didn't actually like it unitl recently as the pace put me off, but now this two-stepping tempo just seems right as they do a classy number which contrasts greatly from many of the others which you get here for the reason that it is built on much calmer things, and it has the singing duo do all they can to set up a nice atmosphere for the song.

**Four Stars**

4. "Lala"

This is one of the best songs you will find on the album, and I don't know how anybody could say anything other than this as you have them just do the most incredible things with the beats by choosing to do one which is up-tempo and has the pair sing together alternately in response to what they both say to create the love story between the two which seems to place them in a sort of club setting, and just exchanging compliments to each other.

**Five Stars**

5. "Everyday"

The way that you are teased with the beats at the start really works you p before they feel it is right to drop the heavy beats on you and show that they are capable of straight killing it when they get right into the Neo-Soul sound as they merge the Hip hop and R&B better than also any other part of the album. The composition of this song is amazing, and it really should have come out as a single as it stands out so much for its originality and in-your-face production by Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

**Five Stars**

6. "Can't Stand Your Mother"

This is a nice one on the album, and it really seems to suit the whole concept of the album as it seems to et them mainly speaking on the positives of loving and how it makes you feel, but here you have them going for something which deals with something which is less enjoyable as they both share stories about why they simply cannot continue to be around when the mother-in-law is there interfering with their lives.

**Five Stars**

7. "Good Love"

This open seems to be more in-tune with the type of Neo-Soul which was being performed by the likes of D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Mar J. Blige were doing around this time, but I can't say that I enjoy this down-tempo work as much as the livelier work which you get on it. I wouldn't say this is a wea one though as they see to take this type of stuff to different places with their unique way of playing with song structure and putting you in a dreamy state as they describe "Good Love".

**Four Stars**

8. "Without You"

Here you get them doing a song which seems to take on the same sort of lyrics as you would find in any song of this sort where it is all concentrated around the fact that a couple are unable to function without the over there for support. However they take this simplistic foundation a step further by choosing to put this one top of funky beats which remind you of a time long before this was recorded, and the throwback feel really lifts it as Saadiq takes the lead position in the song.

**Five Stars**

9. "Don't Mess With My Man"

For me, as this song was the one which attracted me to their music, it is the single which really stands out as it has them blazing through with a tune which has a simple message and has Dawn Robinson taking lead as she sings as the protagonist towards other girls who are scene to be flirting with her man. The Funk in this just makes it such a big tune, and the way that the vocals are combined with the nice production means that you can't help but fall for the sounds of it.

**Five Stars**

10. "Hollywood"

The Rock side of Robinson's work comes through as he clear refection of En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" as you have them doing a song about the fabulous lifestyle in this location, but the song concentrates upon how this simply does not suit what they represent. I thought that this switch was well-received, and done very well by them as I wouldn't have expected the producer to be capable of such a convincing sound in the song.

**Five Stars**

11. "Remember The Times"

For this one you find them performing a song which just about everyone, who they sing for as a target audience, as you have them tell the story of their childhood, and how they began life near-impoverish and did what they did to make the most of their circumstances. They only recognize how bad it was as they look back, and they only really remember the best of the times, rather than the negatives of the scenarios. From here you have them advancing to the teenage years, where they leave it at, and speak of how they began to understand society more, and so had more worries, but still coped.

**Five Stars**

12. "They Can't"
On this one you have them doing a track which has them go towards the Hip Hop side of their music much more prominently than any other point in it as you find them on some Premier-esque , scratch-based production and heavy percussion as they sing about how people aren't able to manage them as artist, as they are far above the commercial scene, and can't be tempted by the big labels. It made for a big one, and it really stands out more this change in genre (to a certain extent).

**Five Stars**

13. "Do It For The People" (Lude)

14. "You"

On this one you find a massive collaboration f talent as you have Tribe Called Quest members reunited as Ali Shaheed Muhammad (who produces the whole album) gets Q-Tip to join him and MC to represent the East Coast even more, but restore things as they should be, with West Coast dominance, the California pair, Robinson and Saadiq get Snoop Dogg to show that the West should have a voice. It is a banger of a tune from them and really stands out as a song which should be highlighted as the beats seem to go in favour of the Cali style, thus making it a very different tune.

**Five Stars**

15. "Lucy Pearl Tells" (Outro)

This is a big album, and a must-have for any Neo-Soul fan as it is completely flawless in what it possesses. Each and every song has them come up with a new structure, and they are able to excite you with their various twists. The way that the Ali Shaheed Muhammad beats are combined with some top-quality vocals from the pair really makes me wonder why it didn't receive as much attention as it deserved (only gaining Gold sales), so it is really an underrated record from them.

Summary: Lucy Pearl's debut album