Surely that's a fake name? (Songs In A Minor - Alicia Keys)

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Product:	Songs In A Minor - Alicia Keys
Date:	07/09/05 (120 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Amazing, soulful singing

Disadvantages: Can get a bit repetative

Songs in A Minor was Alicia Key's debut album, released in 2001 when she was just 20 years old. She won 5 grammy awards that year, including best new artist, best song for Fallin' and best R&B album. It went on to sell about 18 million copies worldwide.

The first track, Piano & I, is more of an introduction than a real song. It's based around the Moonlight Sonata, and it has some nice piano and soulful backing, but not much else.

Girlfriend kicks off the album proper, and the next few tracks are more urban than the rest of the album. It's driven by the beat more than the piano, and has decent vocals, but nothing too stretching.

How Come You Don't Call Me was written by Prince, and Alicia shows off her vocal range to brilliant effect here. It features another strong urban beat, and a phone ringing in the background, which is a nice touch. She keeps the track simple, which really puts emphasis on her voice.

The fourth track is Fallin'. This is the most famous song, and it's the reason why most people bought the album. It has a brilliant piano tune, and excellent lyrics. Her voice on this song is superb, which is why she won a grammy for it, and the gospel-style backing vocals are also fantastic. It closes with spiky violins, which create a good contrast with her smooth vocals. Definitely one of the best songs.

Troubles is more laid-back than the last few songs, and it sets the trend for the next couple of songs. It has a spoken introduction in the form of a prayer, and features a good tinkling of piano. However, her vocals do get slightly boring on this track.

Rock Wit U has a really long introduction that builds up for nearly two minutes before we hear her voice. It has some good percussion before the guitar and beat kicks in, and low, soulful vocals, but it's not one of the best songs.

A Woman's Worth was the second single realeased after Fallin', and it has a nice, slow rhythm and lyrics about how important it is to treat your loved one properly. The chorus is simple but effective, and she demonstrates her wide range once again, as well as some good wailing.

Jane Doe is a "callabo" with Kandi Burruss, and it is quite urban like the first few songs. It has strong piano and some beat-boxing, and excellent vocals as ever, but it's slightly repetative.

Goodbye is a piano-driven ballad, and her singing captures the emotion of splitting up with someone really well. It seems very simple at first, but it has lots of layers of sound, and it's an excellent track.

The Life is quite experimental in its rhythm and percussion, with a strong bass tune and deep vocals. It sounds like some lounge bar in north Africa, although that may be just my imagination!

Mr. Man is a duet with Jimmy Cozier (I haven't heard of him either) and it features some excellent violins and good backing vocals. Their voices complement each other really well, and this is one of the best songs.

Never Felt This Way is supposed to be an interlude, but I think it would work perfectly as a stand-alone track. It is another piano-led song in the style of Goodbye, and her voice sounds really fragile and beautiful. There are no beats, no percussion, just Alicia and the piano, and the results are very impressive.

Butterflyz is a song she wrote when she was just 14, which shows what a prodigious talent she was, for the lyrics and the rolling piano are brilliant. There is a sudden change in tune which works really well, and it's just an all round excellent song, truly beautful.

Why Do I Feel So Sad has a gentle, soft rhythm and not so much piano as on some songs, but it has a very good tune and a nice guitar interlude, making it one of my favourites.

Caged Bird has a really beautifully simple tune and lyrics, and nice piano and singing. However, it is spoiled by a strange crackling noise, which serves no purpose whatsoever, and distracts you from the tune itself, which diminishes its quality.

There is a "hidden" 16th track, called Lovin' U, and I don't know why Alicia din't just put it on the album normally, because it's great! It starts off with slow piano, then suddenly and unexpectedly switches to an up-tempo gospel tune, complete with organ and husky vocals. It's a brilliant way to finish the album, one of the best songs on here.

Overall, this is a great album from an artist who is obviously extremely talented at a young age. As well as playing the piano and singing, she wrote nearly all the songs herself, and produced it! The quality of her voice is amazing on every track; she has real soul and an excellent range. There are a range of styles, from urban to gospel, and she plays the piano beautfully.

However, I won't give it 5 stars, because some songs do get a bit repetative, and they are sometimes too simple and driven by the beats rather than her piano. And apparently, only 3 of the songs are actually in the key of A Minor! But you should definitely go out and give it a look if you haven't done so already!

Summary: A very good debut