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Product Description
Review
Erykah Badu herself has explained that if Return of the Ankh and its predecessor, 2008’s sublime New Amerykah: Part One (Fourth World War), were two halves of a human brain, then this sequel would be the right-hand side, the emotional half. It’s an analogy that holds water: Return of the Ankh is a more meditative, less-explicitly-political set, eschewing the harder-edged future-funk of Fourth World War tracks like The Cell and Twinkle.
Return of the Ankh isn’t, as some have mistakenly surmised, a return to the ersatz jazz of her 1997 debut, Baduizm. There are nods throughout to her back-catalogue: Gone Baby, Don’t Be Long quotes the “I know you got to get your hustle on” hook from Baduizm’s Otherside of the Game; closer Out My Mind, Just in Time is a 10-minute epic in three movements, like Green Eyes, which closed 2000’s Mama’s Gun. But while, stylistically, the album favours the deft, the dulcet, and the down-tempo, its soulful, jazzy upholstery still harbours a powerful emotional bite.
Greeting-card clichés of romance are absent, in their place a sense of love as a force with the power to make or break a soul: when, on the bewitching Window Seat, Badu sings “I need you to want me,” it is with such earnest, desperate yearning you’ll be struck dumb. On opener 20 Feet Tall, meanwhile, the shock of a break-up erases Badu’s sense of self, of her own strength, a theme revisited at length on the album’s final track. This agony is balanced by a similarly-affecting sense of ecstasy, conjured by the harp-etched reveries of Strawberry Incense, the erotic mischief of the Dilla-produced Love.
Badu sings of love with a reverence and poignancy that brings to mind previous masters of this form, like Marvin Gaye (whose lissom, feather-light melodies she evokes with ease) and Stevie Wonder (whose Songs in the Key Of Life essayed human existence with an ambition and sensitivity matched only by both chapters of New Amerykah). She is, by no means, ‘retro’ in her art; it’s just been a long time since anyone sang soul music as passionately, wittily and inventively as she does here. --Stevie Chick
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Product Description
titolo-new amerykah part ii. return of the ankhartista-erykah badu etichetta-motownn. dischi1data2 aprile 2010supporto-cd audiogenere-black (r&b/soul/gospel/reggae)----brani1.20 feet tall 2.window seat 3.agitation 4.turn me away (get munny) 5.gone baby, d
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Loving this album. Standout tracks are Window Seat, Love and Incense. If I was to fault this album it would be on the running duration- At just over 50 mins. Erykah Badu is an amazing artist. I guess a lot of her appeal lies in her cryptic nature. I love the fact that her work has depth to it. Go Ms Badu!
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
After the change of direction of New Amerykah Part I, Erykah Badu returns to more familiar territory with Part II, going more down tempo and hitting more of the neo-soul sound that she forged.
"Window Seat" and "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long" are some of the more immediate highlights, bringing to the fore the loops and grooves that define the album's sound, similar to how was seen on her 2003 album "Worldwide Underground".
Much like with that record there is more live instrumentation, a freer feel to the record (unlike New Amerykah Part I). The difference in art work for the two New Amerykah album covers serves as the best way to appreciate the sonic differences between the two.
Lyrically the album is more along traditional Badu lines too, focussing on romance, love and relationships, rather than taking the more political line heard on New Amerykah Part I.
Badu has said the album is "the sister of the left side of my brain - it is the right side. Part I was the left side of my thoughts - it was more socially political and my thought process was more analytical. This time there wasn't anything to be concerned with - the album is more emotional and flowy and talks about feelings. It reminds of the days of 'Baduizm'."
When the album hits its groove it is as good as any classic Badu tracks, but there are a few tracks that deviate a little from the albums feel and, stop the album being a five star record. "Agitation" is a good track, piano laden, but it just sits a little off for me. Ditto the following track, a cover of Sylvia Striplin's "You Can't Turn Me Away", which gets a little more tedious with every listen.
This is intelligent R&B, but the flowing feel that the album goes for is broken by a couple of rogue tracks that stop it developing the seamless feel of her earlier records and fellow soul legend Marvin Gaye.
"Window Seat" and "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long" are some of the more immediate highlights, bringing to the fore the loops and grooves that define the album's sound, similar to how was seen on her 2003 album "Worldwide Underground".
Much like with that record there is more live instrumentation, a freer feel to the record (unlike New Amerykah Part I). The difference in art work for the two New Amerykah album covers serves as the best way to appreciate the sonic differences between the two.
Lyrically the album is more along traditional Badu lines too, focussing on romance, love and relationships, rather than taking the more political line heard on New Amerykah Part I.
Badu has said the album is "the sister of the left side of my brain - it is the right side. Part I was the left side of my thoughts - it was more socially political and my thought process was more analytical. This time there wasn't anything to be concerned with - the album is more emotional and flowy and talks about feelings. It reminds of the days of 'Baduizm'."
When the album hits its groove it is as good as any classic Badu tracks, but there are a few tracks that deviate a little from the albums feel and, stop the album being a five star record. "Agitation" is a good track, piano laden, but it just sits a little off for me. Ditto the following track, a cover of Sylvia Striplin's "You Can't Turn Me Away", which gets a little more tedious with every listen.
This is intelligent R&B, but the flowing feel that the album goes for is broken by a couple of rogue tracks that stop it developing the seamless feel of her earlier records and fellow soul legend Marvin Gaye.
Format:Audio CD
This is the most amazing album i've ever listened to. Erykah Badu is incredible, her lyrics and music are multi layered, full of sparkling deep dark soul, universal love and natural earthly love. Some tracks sound like ancient truth teachings, with others that you can dance to or just listen to the evolutionary poetry, far ahead of its time, infused with magical humour, science, dreams and goddess-like imagination and vision. I might have smoked something. This album is full of surprises, so buy two copies and keep one.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great album
Love this album. It reminds me of her original work back in the day. When I saw the album cover I thought it might be a bit quirky but I'm really happy with my purchase. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Music Lover
Better than her last album
Following on from her near perfect neo soul release "Baduizm", Erykah Badu has been much more experimental, delving into hip-hop, funk and rock. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Amillionmiles
Stay away from this seller!
I ordered that CD as new for a gift to my sister and received it unsealed, completely opened. There was no time to claim anything as I was leaving on the day of delivery. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Tomasz from Plymouth
Blissful...
Whenever i am feeling a bit low and maybe run down, i always listen to Erykah - her smooth soulful vocals are just outstanding and put one in a laid back mood- i have loved... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Chief Koala
Baduizm
I love whatever Erykah Badu does so I'm somewhat biased. This album reminds of her first and second album, just very soulful and simple, I love it.
Published 23 months ago by Misa
Got to love Erykah
I was really looking forward to this album and it does not disappoint. It continues to the explore the musical themes from New Amerykah Part One to create a more "love" based... Read more
Published on 26 May 2010 by Jd Green
Eryka Badu Latest Album 2010
I only like the one song to be honest....the 'Get Money Song'...
The rest of the album is okay but just a bit too low tempo for me though!
The rest of the album is okay but just a bit too low tempo for me though!
Published on 25 May 2010 by vbnetqueen
Real fans give 5-stars...
The quality of Erykah Badu's delivery is no less than it was in Baduizm - and that was 5 stars too. It's puzzling how a true fan of Erykah Badu can listen to the hypnotic 'Gone... Read more
Published on 9 April 2010 by NakTory
"I prefer the early stuff"
"New Amerykah Part 2" seems designed to split the Badu fanbase right down the middle. If you felt the freaky, funky space-jams on "Worldwide Underground [Bonus Tracks]" and "New... Read more
Published on 9 April 2010 by Mister C
Decent but unremarkable
Erykah Badu is a great singer/songwriter but apart from her debut album her albums have always been somewhat ht n miss affairs,some great tracks marrried with some stinkers and... Read more
Published on 2 April 2010 by Mr. Russell C. Witheyman
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