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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
If the mark of the skilful Lothario is the one who knows to always tell his lover what she wants to hear, surely Def Jam’s R&B sensation Ne-Yo--aka Los Angeles singer-songwriter Shaffer Chimere Smith--is one of the greatest of them all. On third album Year of the Gentleman, Chimere channels his hitmaking talents into a suite of R&B songs that more respectful than rampant in their approach to the romancing. "Single" is a song that reaches out to all the lonely girls, Ne-Yo promising "I'll be your boyfriend til the song goes off", while the Stargate-produced "Miss Independent", lit up by neon synthesisers, suggests Smith isn't too concerned with his own machismo to test out flipping the traditional gender roles, serenading a girl who's a player in her own right: "Everything she got, you bet she bought it". The album is at its best with the central, two-song movement of "Why Does She Stay" and "Fade Into the Background"--the former, Ne-Yo questioning his own neglectful nature over a backdrop of shimmering keys, the latter a sombre piece that finds our narrator accepting the news his lover has found another with a rare, heart-rending magnanimity. --Louis Pattison
Review
The route to RnB superstardom sometimes seems to be less a matter of distinguishing oneself from the pack by offering something different, than by pulling off the genre's well-worn moves in the very best way. Pile on the schmaltz, pull out all the best lines, and the heavy gold jewellery and garage full of expensive cars is all yours.
Over three albums, though, Def Jam's Ne-Yo - aka Los Angeles singer-songwriter, Shaffer Chimere Smith - has found a way to stand out from the crowd. From its cover, Smith posing in tailored suit in echo of an old Rat Pack sleeve, to its new-school production - with its 4/4 disco beats and shimmering, layered synths, as likely to evoke Daft Punk as Usher - Year Of The Gentleman is out to make ground between it and RnB cliché. And while, often, the songs within hit familiar emotional buttons - Single, for instance, is a honeyed slowie that finds our host telling all the jilted or lonely girls that, ''I'll be your boyfriend til the song goes off'' - there are other tracks here that spin on traditional R&B themes. The synthesiser-heavy Miss Independent is a love letter to a girl who's a player in her own right: ''Everything she got, you bet she bought it''.
Meanwhile, a central three-song run showcases an emotional breadth that's rare in the genre. Why Does She Stay, a bare backdrop of piano and electric fizzes, finds Ne-Yo admitting his own neglectful nature and questioning his lover's loyalty: ''She's so much better than me/I'm so unworthy of her!''. Fade Into The Background comes after the break-up; our narrator watching his previous lover with another, honest about his faults. And So You Can Cry is a nicely pitched heartbreak number with echoes of Stevie Wonder, replete with finger-clicks, layered harmonies, and harpsichord.
It's these tracks that set Ne-Yo above the usual crowd, and will ensure that he's around for a while yet --Louis Pattison
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
Great album! I think he sounds like a modern Michael Jackson. Love it!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Ne Yo, can do no wrong in my eyes. There isn't one weak track on this album. Fantastic melodies ! The nearest i've come across, to the greatest artist of all time...Michael Jackson ( you can see Michael's influence, all through this album )....and that's the greatest compliment i can pay him !
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
totally recommend this album - all the songs are brilliant. I have listened to it every day since I bought it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great CD!
I have to admit, being aged 50+, I had never heard of Ne-Yo. I heard the first song on this CD, Closer, sung by a live singer in a pub. I absolutely fell in love with this song. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mrs. C. Levett
Neyo voice of an angel
I was very happy with the reliable service, the package arrived safe and in good condition, within a few days of ordering it, great value for money. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Upendi
neyos album year of the gentlemen is fabulous
Neyos album year of the gentleman is so amazing love the song nobody single closer an miss independent part of the list etc are fantastic songs I love them all he's a genius... Read more
Published 11 months ago by michelle houghton
A Fantastic Album
I LOVE this album. Really worth buying and every song in my opinion, is great. A great album from a very talented artist.
Published 17 months ago by KitchenGodess
Neyo Year of the Gentlemen
Awesome Album by an Awesome artist smooth, sexy upbeat every track is good. worth every penny
Published 21 months ago by Designerint
Neyo Year of The Gentleman
Bought it for inspiration and knowledge on the production duo Stargate and actually found the songs good!
Published 21 months ago by Mr. Robert L. Knight
Great Album
Bought this CD for my daughter as she is learning a dance routine with her streetdance crew to one of the songs, but was really pleased to find that it has many other quality... Read more
Published on 23 May 2010 by J. A. Tighe
Better than expected.
Enjoyed cd, was surprised not my usual choice. Some easy listening tracks mixed with some upbeat tracks.
Published on 24 Mar 2010 by Mrs. J. M. Bunn
a can't keep still album!
Loving this! It owes so much to Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, but hey, that is no bad thing. This has to be one of the best produced R&B albums of the past few years. Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2010 by fifi-m
A Very Good Album from Ne-Yo
Well done Ne-Yo, what a good selection of quality tracks, highly recommend, especially for the excellent price offered by Amazon.
Published on 31 Aug 2009 by Uglybecks
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