Angie Stone : Releases >>
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Josh Groban In Concert (with Bonus DVD) >>
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The Art of Love and War >>
Angie Stone has soul to burn, as hordes of breathless fans who stand by the excellence of 2004's Stone Love know, and despite a change in record labels and hairdos, her mighty reserves haven't dwindled--The Art of Love and War, on the re-launched Stax label, is as full-bodied an affair as this old-school-leaning, incessantly self-exploring diva has delivered. The comparisons to Jill Scott should dead-end here: Songs like "Baby," with the gospel great Betty Wright, and "Sometimes," with backing singers who strut right through the beat and into the part of the brain that makes swaying happen, are all Angie. Which is to say their edges are never going to need sharpening, but they're also porous enough to let in softness and a sense of hard-won maturity. A couple of late-disc numbers pull off the excellent feat of also letting the funk in--"Play Wit It" captures a Lauryn Hill kind of cool, groovy but substantial, and "Pop Pop" goes for (and achieves) full-on fizziness with an undercurrent of sophistication. --Tammy La Gorce
More from Angie Stone
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Mahogany Soul >>
Mahogany Soul perfectly describes the rich, deep, and lived-in music Angie Stone makes. This veteran singer/songwriter, who was one-third of rap trio Sequence, led acid-jazz combo Vertical Hold, and had a major hand in creating D'Angelo's Brown Sugar, follows up 1999's critically acclaimed Black Diamond with another collection of grown-up R&B that's sexy, satisfying, and smart. Along with (wo)manning the helm herself, Stone links up with like-minded visionaries. Chief among them are Raphael Saadiq, who produced the single "Brotha," which moves with a purposeful, rugged, old-soul swagger, and Andrea Martin, coproducer with Swizz Beatz on the vibrant and aching "Wish I Didn't Miss You," which features a dope "Backstabbers" loop and Stone's husky vocals. At 17 cuts, there's a bit of drag, but not enough to deter you from Stone's wise and determined ease, and on the gritty "Twenty Dollars," Stone gives all those R&B princesses something to really chew on. --Amy Linden
Black Diamond >>
There's been a lot of attention given to the so-called neo-soul sound, most of it focused on male artists. So how come the folks making the best records are women? One spin of ex-Vertical Hold leader Angie Stone's solo debut and it's clear you are listening to a grown-ass woman, not some kid with stars in her eyes who's dictated to by a producer or three. No, the deeply felt grooves and offhand sexiness that make Black Diamond sparkle are things that can only come when you've lived a little. Like Macy Gray's On How Life Is and N'dea Davenport's criminally ignored self-titled disc, this is the wondrous sound a woman makes when she's free to create her own music but smart enough to keep the status quo satisfied. On tracks like the smoky "Green Grass Vapors" and "Everyday," Stone, with her rich Gladys Knight-like voice and finger-popping élan, conjures up soul's past without making herself a prisoner of it. Not surprisingly for this key collaborator on D'Angelo's Brown Sugar, Stone kicks a laid-back, fluid vibe, but her clear tone and off-kilter way with a melody make you sit up and pay attention. --Amy Linden
Stone Love >>
It's been five years since Angie Stone's debut and her third album, Stone Love, is still taking the neo-soul approach with dabbles in hip-hop, funk, and classic soul from throughout the years. The big song is "I Wanna Thank Ya," a funky, up-tempo hip-hop break that sees Stone dueting with Snoop Dogg--the production is a fresh take on the old skool sound while Stone's melody has a breezy disco-soul vibe. "Stay for a While" with Anthony Hamilton and "You Don't Love Me" are two highlights from the selection of silky smooth numbers where the warmth in Stone's voice is enhanced by the subtle arrangements. There are some poppier moments in "My Man" and "Lover's Ghetto" where the sound is influenced by the decadence of 80s soul, best summed up as a hybrid of Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan.
Stone Love is another great album for both soul lovers and people who like their pop with a bit of soul in it. There is very little filler and above all, with Angie Stone's experiments in all things urban, it never gets repetitive or boring. --Georgina Collins
Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone >>
Angie Stone (born Angela Laverne Brown in 1961 in Columbia, South Carolina) is an R&B, hip hop, and neo soul musician whose music possesses a clear old school soul music influence, and her vocals recall those of Aretha Franklin. Here she sings 18 of her greatest hits including 2 bonus tracks that do not appear on the US version 'Lovers Ghetto' and 'Wish I Didn't Miss You' (Pound Boys Remix). Sony. 2005.
Life Goes On >>
Stone Love >>
Japanese release featuring a bonus track
U Make My Sun Shine b/w When Will We Be Paid? >>
London Soul: Soulful Rhyme from the Capitol City { Various Artists } >>
London Soul bears threads of music from around the world, hot step raga, afro beat, lovers rock all find their way into the hybrid of Soul on this compilation. Featuring Bugz In The Attic, Hil St Soul Ft Roots Manuva, Incognito, Don-E, Lewis Taylor, 4 Hero, SpaceK, Omar FT Angie Stone, Shaun Escoffery, Terri Walker, D'Nell and many others. Unisex. 2005.