Chuck Brown - BEAUTIFUL LIFE |
Chuck Brown - BEAUTIFUL LIFE |
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Description
Description
Recording information: Blue House Studios, Silver Spring, MD; Cue Recording Studios, Falls Church, VA; Infinite Icon Studios, Greenbelt, MD; Night Flight Studios, Ft Washington, MD; Paramount Recording Studios, Hollywood, CA; Starr Lab Studios, Largo, MD; Tebjr Productions, Hyattsville, MD.
Photographers: Jackie Hicks; John Shore; Thomas Sayers Ellis; Shannon Thompson; Sam Kittner.
Beautiful Life was an album very much in progress when Chuck Brown, the "Godfather of Go Go," passed away in May of 2012. It doesn't fall into the trap that many posthumously released offerings do, however. As a selection of Chuck Brown/Chuck Brown Band tunes, it is an exercise in continuity rather than a cynical attempt at making a trip to the bank. Brown appears on only five of the set's nine tracks, but his band and guests are up to the task he left. The title track features Brown in fine vocal form, rapping and singing about love and family in this rugged life. Guest Wale brings a short tribute to the bridge. Brown's signature music meets a modern soul groove on "Best in Me," which is just monstrous. He holds his own in a duet with Faith Evans as Raheem DeVaughn helps out on the chorus. The tune features a nasty, trademark keyboard bass winding out the groove with layer upon layer of percussion. The middle of the set features three tracks by the band. All are serviceable, but "Pop That Trunk," with Sugar Bear and KK going at one another vocally, is a go-go killer. Brown's love for blues, jazz, and gospel is well-known. It's displayed here on a stirring and utterly contemporary arrangement of Edwin Hawkins' "O Happy Day," with Brown getting deep into the grain of the lyric in duet with Y'Anna Crawley, and backed by the Howard University Gospel Choir and the CBB. Another nod to his lifelong appreciation of great Black music lies in the closer, a deeply soulful vocal read of Kenny Gamble's and Leon Huff's "You'll Never Find a Love Like Mine," filtered through the eternal groove of go-go and a canny horn chart. A Beautiful Life is a fitting sendoff for the big man. ~ Thom Jurek
- Genre: R&B
- Format: CD
- Released: 2014-08-19
Condition Ratings & Details
Condition Ratings & Details
NOTE: Every title includes condition ratings. The first rating pertains to the physical media, and the second grade pertains to the sleeve.
NOTE: Images may not be exact. Please refer to the description to determine whether the images are Actual Photos or Photos Not Actual. New records will likely use generic web photos to represent the product.
Condition Ratings
- MINT (M): Perfect, brand new, unplayed.
- Near Mint (NM): Like new, barely played, will play perfectly.
- Excellent (EX): Very close to near mint, with minor cosmetic wear. Will play perfectly.
- Very Good Plus (VG+): Light cosmetic blemishes that do not affect play. Close to perfect playback.
- Very Good (VG): Some light marks that may cause minor noise during playback. Still enjoyable and plays well.
- Good Plus (G+): Noticeable noise during playback. Only listed if of collector value. Not ideal for listening.
Sleeve Details
- PHOTOS ACTUAL: The photo is an original image of the exact item you will receive.
- PHOTOS NOT ACTUAL: The photo is sourced from the web and may differ slightly from the actual item.
