Grown-up soul albums (30+ strutters only)
Olski
355 Posts
What are your favourite grown-up soul albums dealing with real life and love from a perspective of an artist who's lived it and is not ashamed to tell it like it is?Here are some of mine: 
The greatest divorce album of all time. I can only listen to it every two years. 
The greatest love triangle album of all time and one of the greatest concept albums in soul music. Can listen to it every other week if only for "The Rap" alone. 
I can't decide on ONE Bobby Womack album. The man lived it all. He knows that woman's got to have it and that's how I feel about soul music.
The greatest divorce album of all time. I can only listen to it every two years. The greatest love triangle album of all time and one of the greatest concept albums in soul music. Can listen to it every other week if only for "The Rap" alone. I can't decide on ONE Bobby Womack album. The man lived it all. He knows that woman's got to have it and that's how I feel about soul music.
Comments
In terms of a modern album, this one is worthy:
Every immaculately performed and produced track concerns lost love or longing in some shape or form. Essential listening for serious soul heads.
SG
For personal reasons this is the Badu album in my life.
PS: Pacman, you're welcome. Stop and on by and share your records and experiences.
Me too, although objectively I feel Mama's Gun is a better collection of songs overall.
Faux, start your hatting.
as is this
I was 23 when I last heard this and HATED it. Must get better with age.
Well, it is the epitome of that much maligned, but Guzzo-endorsed genre...
Modern Soul.
And to each his own. It's not vastly different from any of his other LPs, IMO, but a bit smoother and creamier.
yes.
Here are some enjoyable"grown folks" albums:
1. "Bitter"-Me'Shell Ndegeocello.
2. "I Want You"-Marvin Gaye.
3. "Happy People"-R. Kelly (yeah, I said it).
4. "Human Being"-Seal.
Also, co-sign on the "Nina Sings the Blues" and "Here My Dear".
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
this album has been growing on me at an astonishing rate and I think to myself, am I getting old or what?
Not that it's a 'grownup sound' but I think it takes a little time to appreciate, or maybe it is a grown folks sound, I don't know. not that it deals with real grown folks issues, but this album's pretty damn good. I don't know what I'm saying. Bottom line: this album is good.
Modern soul is filled with grown and sexy music some prime examples:
Collins & Collins[/b] "S/T"
Jeffree[/b] "S/T"
Michael Orr[/b] "Love Will Rise" (dude from the Spread Love jawn)
Prince Phillip Mitchell[/b] "Make it Good" & "Top of The Line"
Keith Barrow[/b] "Physical Attraction"
Randy Brown[/b] "Welcome to My Room"
Bobby Caldwell[/b] "Cat in the Hat" & "S/T"
Champaign[/b] "How Bout Us"
Stairsteps[/b] "2nd Ressurection
and whole lot more
Got this one since i'm 19. So it's been 10 years i'm holding this record. "Did You Hear What They Said?" is my tune.
This is what you can call "the closest thing to perfection", production-wise...
I grew up on that..."King Heroin" is my choon.
Ann Peebles - Straight From The Heart (all ready mentioned.)
Bonnie Raitt - Nick Of Time (I don't care how yuppie it is I like it.)
Aretha Franklin - Now
I want to hear that new Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder - Hotter Than July (Master Blaster side)
Robert Cray - Bad Influence all his stuff is grown up.
Dan
strangely enough I couldn't get into this one either for a long time. I must've bought and resold 4 copies of this before I gave it an open minded listn and decided it was really good.
Definitly gets better with age.
as for Curtis Mayfield that LP from '76 never did it for me, too much of a disco vibe, however this one from '77 is an underrated essential
but may i add Main Ingredients-Tasteful soul. one of my favorite albums ever. grown and sexy sweet soul
As good as these two cds are, his best work is yet to come. When he gets more personal and really injects his past (incarceration, addiction, etc.) into his music on a deeper level, it's gonna be
gotta admit, i wouldn't have picked this up if not for AP's lil section in WaxP.
But damn, "peaceful" is beautiful. and boy did "Yesterday's Lies" hit me hard recently. shit was HEAVY, esp. the latter track.
love the textures of this LP, as well as his singing.
"give the little man, a great big hand". The messages in it are so positive and full of humility. Definitely something that's lovely to hear after a long day at work.
edit: woops my bad...didn't see the 30+
Very grown, very sexy
Man, I don't ever look in the gospel music section.
Kem is the grown-up soul champ amongst grown up black people in 2005, batch. Are you a grown up over 30 black person, batch? No. STFU and go fix me some pancakes.
Who's Marvin Gaye?