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JOSS STONE :: SOUL MUSIC'S NEW FACE - 17, BLOND AND BRITISH << back l page 2
A tribute to some of the '70s' best R&B: from the groundbreaking funk of Stevie Wonder to the troubled soul ballads of Roberta Flack, Mind, Body and Soul has had little postproduction smoothing, and this hands-off approach makes Stone's delivery feel spontaneous and natural as the singer offers up an impressive album with plenty of individuality and flair. Continuing to plumb the same mature themes of love and loss, but with lyrics that she wrote based on the trials and tribulations of her own heart, the singer presents a new side to the girl with one of the most powerful voices in music as she delivers dynamic and assured performances that comprise Mind, Body and Soul.
In a reprise of their stunning Soul Sessions success, the team of Steve Greenberg, Mike Mangini, and Betty Wright produced all but three tracks on Mind, Body and Soul with the latter two also sharing several co-writing credits with Joss. The stellar supporting cast features Willie "Little Beaver" Hale, Benny Latimore, and Timmy Thomas.
In many ways, the extraordinary Mind Body & Soul takes up where the last album left off and is sure to see Joss Stone further cement her burgeoning super star status. Musically, with guest stars like Angie Stone, guitarist Nile Rodgers and drummer ?uestlove from the Roots, the new album doesn't stray too far from Stone's original musical love: classic-sounding soul. Other contributors to Mind, Body and Soul include guitarist AJ Nilo, multi-instrumentalist Angelo Morris, and the master drummers Cindy Blackman and David “Jody” Hill.
Other highlights on Mind, Body and Soul include the poignant opening track "Right to Be Wrong;" the playful dance track “Don’t Cha Wanna Ride,” which was co-written by Stone and Wright; the soulful “Spoiled,” which Stone co-wrote with legendary Motown hitmaker writer/producer Lamont Dozier and his son Bo in a day and considers her favorite track on the album; the impassioned rock-soul ballad “Killing Time,” a writing collaboration with Beth Gibbons of Portishead fame; the gospel-sounding “Security,” to which Angie Stone lent her vocals; “Sleep Like a Child” which features Roots drummer ?uestlove; and pop-reggae track “Less is More.”
Besides the obvious factors that set her apart--her pale coloring and her Britishness – Stone’s love of vintage soul music and her relationships with collaborators like '70s diva Betty Wright, Miami soul musician Latimore, and the Roots also separate her from similarly blonde pop tarts. In a voice that's resolute but never severe, she brings songs written before she was born into the present and communicates feeling without shouting or showboating, and bets are she'll connect with listeners her own age as well as their parents. Judging by the hip feel and down-home appeal of her new CD, she might just do it.
So the question remains: can a white girl from the United Kingdom keep up with such neo-soul contemporaries as Angie Stone (no relation) or Jill Scott? From what both fans and critics have heard, the answer is yes. Sure, she's a novelty who has already garnered more attention than they did at this point in their careers. But that shouldn't take away from Stone's accomplishment. She can croon it sad, deep and throaty, belt it out juke-joint style or get down and funky for the bump-and-grind crowd. And most of all, this latest neo-soul sensation has attitude and has caught everybody’s ears.
© Valerie V. Mayuga, 2005
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The
feisty, feverish kiss-off single "You Had Me" released in mid September, is an
uptempo cut, topped with a storming vocal performance by Stone that talks about
how women refuse to be walked all over. Interestingly, “You Had Me,” which was
recorded on August 14, 2003 in New York City by an incredible band including
Nile Rodgers of CHIC on guitar, Jack Daley on bass, and Cindy Blackman on drums
played the song live in the studio for nearly fifteen minutes. Finally, after
the musicians finished the incredible take and the ‘Save’ button on the computer
was pushed, literally two seconds after, the lights went out in the studio, and
the band found themselves in the middle of the Great Eastern Blackout of 2003.
Had the band had played for even another 30 seconds, that magical take would
have been lost forever. A track poised to become a bona fide chart topper, the
song’s video, which has received ample airplay since mid-September, is directed
by Chris Robinson, whose credits include major hit clips for Usher, Alicia Keys,
Jay-Z & Beyonce, and Lenny Kravitz.