Music | Darian Johnson's Favorite Things

Ten Songs from 2015 that you should be listening to: #9 Jill Scott’s Prepared

music2-1-57b0cc5098090001[1] I’m a sucker for artists that write and record from the heart; maybe that’s why I have every studio album that “Jilly from Philly” has released. I find her honesty refreshing: everything’s not always ok, sometimes things are good, sometimes bad… and everyone likes grits.

Her 2015 release, Woman, is another peek into her life; however, it feels like the drama has subsided since 2011’s Light of the Sun¹. When I first listened to the album, I heard a theme of cleaning up the messes we make along the way. That speaks to me; maybe it’s what I love “Prepared”.
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Ten Songs from 2015 that you should be listening to: #10 Yasiin Bey’s Sensei On The Block

Last September, the underground hip-hop community lost their stuff when a new Mos Def track dropped out of the sky. The track, “Sensei on the Block”, featured the Brooklyn rapper at his finest, over a killer steel-drum beat by Ski Beatz¹. Many, me included, thought that this was a return to glory for the Mighty Mos Def – both from a lyrics and titular perspective (in late 2011, Mos decide to perform under his gov’t name – Yasiin Bey).
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My Favorite Albums: Songs In The Key Of Life

Last week, I ported over a 4-part series about Steve Wonder’s from my old blog. The posts were about his greatest recording period – the late 60’s and his 1970- 76 “Classic Period”¹:

As I re-read the posts, I realized two things:

I never covered his “Commercial Period” (the 1980’s – where he was one of the most commercial artists of the decade).
I talked about the albums from a technical viewpoint, but not from a personal point of view.

Maybe I’ll write about Stevie’s 1980’s output later on. Today, I’ll cover my favorite Stevie Wonder album; his magnum opus: Songs In The Key of Life. Continue reading “My Favorite Albums: Songs In The Key Of Life”

the “REAL” Best Break-Up Songs – #1: Angela Bofill – I Try

[Note: This was originally posted on March 9, 2011. I’ve updated the post with new context and footnotes.]Angela Bofill recorded a number of great songs, but none stand the test of time like “I Try”. Recorded in 1979, “I Try” is the gold standard for R&B break-up songs. It’s is her signature song, from her best album (Angel of the Night).

Angela sang all that bitter teenage angst like as if she had a copyright on it.

Angie’s got a lot of heartbreak in her songs. “Song For a Rainy Day”, “Let Me Be The One”, and “Accept Me” are all about rejection and lost love. But those songs, while beautiful in their own way, can’t hold a candle to “I Try”. Recorded in 1979, “I Try” is the gold standard for R&B break-up songs. It’s is her signature song, from her best album (Angel of the Night). It’s her magnum opus. Continue reading “the “REAL” Best Break-Up Songs – #1: Angela Bofill – I Try”

the “REAL” Best Break-Up Songs – #2: Stevie Wonder – Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)

[Note: Originally posted on March 2, 2011. Updated with new context and footnotes.]

I love this song. I absolutely, positively, emphatically love this song. It’s easily one of my top 5 favorite songs EVER.

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“Superwoman…” is a song in two parts. The first part is about “Mary”, who wants to leave and become a movie star; the second part (“Where Where You When I Needed You”) has Stevie wondering why his lady hasn’t returned yet¹.

The truth behind the lyrics are such: The song is about Stevie’s relationship with Syreeta Wright (to whom he was married to for 18 months in the early 70s). Stevie produced much of Syreeta’s music, but she wanted to go off and do her own thing and Stevie wasn’t so into that (supposedly he can be a control freak in the studio). You hear this in the lyrics – “Mary wants to be a superwoman and try to boss the bull around.” Mary is really Rita (Syreeta’s early recording name) and Stevie is “The Bull” (Stevie is a Taurus; he named is production company Black Bull)².

Continue reading “the “REAL” Best Break-Up Songs – #2: Stevie Wonder – Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)”