- Vinyl (23 July 2001)
- Number of Discs: 2
- Label: Virgin
- ASIN: B00005LW31
- Other Editions: Audio CD
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,250,198 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Seven years after her debut at just 14 years old Aaliyah's third studio album is a bizarrely mature album. While most artists are just getting going Aaliyah's been through a career arc that has led her from pop to street to an unconventional retro-modern risk-taking version of US R&B. Lead track "We Need a Resolution" and the fantastic "Try Again" (originally released on the excellent Romeo Must Die Soundtrack) are as a mainstream as it gets and the album's pace rarely gets above medium. There'll be less hits from "Aaliyah" but it's an extraordinarily romantic exposition of passion and pain. While Missy Elliot is cranking out jams for all her "club freaks" Aaliyah is like a modern day Minnie Ripperton, exploring the pains of moving from child star to adult sex symbol. Tracks such as "Never No More" and "I Care 4 U" (featuring Missy) are slinky, twisted ballads with a film noir shade as diva Aaliyah steps catlike away from the bubblegum R&B of her contemporaries. There's even the now-obligatory rock track tacked on near the end ("I Can Be") but even this excels the standard hip-hop/rock/R&B crossover fare with it's Prince-like influences coupled with Aaliyah's own instinct for deep seduction. Aaliyah also signals a move away from her long-standing musical relationship with producer Timbaland who contributes just three cuts. Having started out heavily supported by R Kelly it now appears Aaliyah's more than able to go it alone. --Jake Barnes
Review
Aaliyah is a fascinating work; it shows a 22-year-old artist truly finding her direction, delivering well-tailored material with élan. It rode the nu- and neo-soul wave perfectly and made her two previous, not unaccomplished albums (Age Ain't Nothing but a Number and One in a Million) look like exercises in juvenilia. She had waited nearly five years to release Aaliyah - in the meantime she had been working in film and finishing school.
Produced and largely written by Timbaland, and mixed by veteran New York studio man Jimmy Douglass, the sound is still frighteningly contemporary, eschewing the obvious while not alienating the urban market. There are middle-eastern influences, hop-hop beats, RnB smoothness.
Opener We Need A Resolution - a duet with Timabland - demonstrates her strength. She was not a teenager anymore and the almost gothic setting over skeletal beats underlines this new maturity.
UK hit More Than A Woman is a standout. Over a grinding electronic backdrop, and a coda of dirty, squelchy synths, Aaliyah sings breathily and economically; I Care 4 U, a Missy Elliot co-write, would be a conventional ballad on a more obvious soul star's album. It's what Aaliyah doesn't do that make it still sound stunning - it would have been so easy to over-ladle the emoting here.
Aayliah will forever be seen through a lens of what happened next. Within a month of release, she died in a plane crash in the Bahamas returning from filming the video for Rock the Boat. The album became an enormous international hit. Just how huge a star she would have become is obvious throughout. Aayliah stands as remarkable tribute to her ability. --Daryl Easlea
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Aaliyah's untimely death on the 25th August was a complete shock to everyone. I have a lot of her music and she has a wonderful voice. I bought Aaliya's new album, and the songs are amazing. From the sassy "We need a resolution" to the amazing "U Got Nerve" left me an even bigger Aaliyah fan, and is a CD that has barely left my car. her death was a terrible shock and it was so tragic and such a waster of a beautiful talented young girl. I know Aaliyah wont be forgotten as she had the voice of an angel. If anyone hasnt got this album, then get it. Its the last songs you will hear from Aaliyah. R.I.P angel.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I Love Aaliyah-and this is a great album. Its not like like one in a million which i prefer, and i would have preferred a more R&B old school vibe like we are used to aaliyah doing on this album, however she was trying out different styles with this, and it kinda worked, as she moved to a more mature vibe. The wonderful 'We Need A Resolution', 'Rock The Boat' 'Try Again' 'I Care For you' and 'More Than A Woman' are all memorable and now legendary classics. I Care 4 U should have been released. Again, Timbalands legendary production has not failed to miss this album.
The only problem i have with this is a few of the songs fail to be either R&B, pop nor rock and were best being replaced with her normal style. (Eg U got Nerve and I Refuse) Music outside an artists genre never tends to go down well with the fans and the worst song on this is 'What If'. Aaliyah was a big Korn fan (a US hard rock group) and i think some of the songs had a rock feel to them.
Beautiful tracks to look out on this album are 'Whatever'-its so sweet, 'Those were the days'-upbeat and very cool, and 'Read between the lines'-a poppy upbeat song. It would have been nice to hear a song written by Aaliyah, but she knew what she did best-Sing beautifully with her distinctive breathy vocals that we shall never forget. Rest In Peace Aaliyah
Great Album
The only problem i have with this is a few of the songs fail to be either R&B, pop nor rock and were best being replaced with her normal style. (Eg U got Nerve and I Refuse) Music outside an artists genre never tends to go down well with the fans and the worst song on this is 'What If'. Aaliyah was a big Korn fan (a US hard rock group) and i think some of the songs had a rock feel to them.
Beautiful tracks to look out on this album are 'Whatever'-its so sweet, 'Those were the days'-upbeat and very cool, and 'Read between the lines'-a poppy upbeat song. It would have been nice to hear a song written by Aaliyah, but she knew what she did best-Sing beautifully with her distinctive breathy vocals that we shall never forget. Rest In Peace Aaliyah
Great Album
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
2001 had a lot of major R & B artists releasing material - Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys, India Aire, Sunshine Anderson and Janet all had a stab at 2001 R&B album of the year, but that title has to belong to the beautiful Aaliyah. Aaliyah's 3rd studio album had a lot to live up to, especially in the wake of the recent success of the ground breaking "Try Again" (quite possibly best R&B single of all time. But this album more than lives up to it. It is definitely a grower, but after a few plays you'll be hooked. "We need a resolution" is another brilliant groundbreaking, and classy venture, under the excellent production duties of Timberland, who sadly only features on 4 tracks. But his futuristic influence is evident on highlight tracks such as the "Its whatever", "I Can Be" and "Extra Smooth". Other highlights on the album include the future single (and USA Smash hit) "Rock the Boat" the sexist record Aaliyahs ever done. Also "Loose Rap" (featuring Playa who wrote a lot of the album's material) is a funky tune. With the current success of "More than a Women" in the UK charts, I hope more people buy this album and give it the credit and acclaim it justly deserves. Honestly I have never wrote an album review in my life, and never even contemplated writing one. But I had to voice my opinion on the classic, sexy, soulful album. I only wish Aaliyah was alive to see how much love and respect the UK has for her, she truly is "One in a Million" rest in peace.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
An accomplishment
This is a fine album. The production, with crisp beats and atmospheric textures, is noteworthy, but it also showcases Aaliyah's maturity as an artist and as a person. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Koala
Simply Brilliant
Usually, artists make self-titled albums for their debut album. A first chance for the world to get to know them through their music. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mackson Ogu
brilliant entertainment
I love this album.. my ex never returned it too me. Finally I repurchased it and am so glad to have it back in my collection
Published on 10 Nov 2009 by Rachel Hopkins
An Accomplished Album
This album is a surprisingly easy listen. I only bought it for a few of the singles that she released but found that the album has far more tracks that could be singles than I... Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2004 by "ridulfn"
The best Aaliyah album yet!
When I heard of Aaliyahs passing, that was the time when I saw who she really was.Her amazing voice, fabulously used in each song to its fullest makes this one of the best CDs I've... Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2004
I wouldn't advise you buying this album!!
I have to say that Aaliyah isn't one of my favourite people because I don't htink that she has a special voice or any God given talent, and after listening to her album, I have... Read more
Published on 28 Oct 2003 by Aleshia-Marie Francis
More Than A Woman, More Than A Ledged, More Than A Dream
this has got 2 b one of the best albums of all time. all songs r gud and go 2getehr.
stand out songs r we need a resoultion, more than a woman, i care 4 u and try again.
Published on 22 Oct 2003 by craig
Extra Extra Smooth...
With everything thats's good comes something bad. In this case this album out of her others is a masterpiece of utmost passionate work, however the sadness of losing such a... Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2003 by Eric Kane
Sick and tired of the loose rap!!
I am sick and tired of artists trying to more than what they are... What they need to do is take Aaliyah's example and just be themselves. Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2003 by Eric Kane
The beauty of Aaliyah lives on in our memories but this wont
Before I had this album I had wanted to buy it desperatley since the day it was released but I have to say I was thouroughly dissapointed with it's content. Read more
Published on 8 Sep 2002 by Aaron Thompson Wilks
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