Get Lifted

ソウルフルな歌唱（ピアニストとしても超一級！）で、世界中のソウル/R&Bファンを魅了する実力派。ソニー≪ブラビア≫CFソングの“What A Wonderful World”を収録したデビュー作。グラミー賞では最多8部門ノミネートとなり新人賞を含む3部門を受賞。

Rolling Stone (p.108) - 4 stars out of 5 - "His brand of soul is mannered, even elegant. And he's got range..." Spin (p.88) - "[M]ashing up Sunday-service passion and request-line soul. His voice leans on subtlety more than melisma, and his sound has a crisp live-band jump, rather than canned neo-soul static." - Grade: A- Entertainment Weekly (p.85) - "Like Ray Charles, Legend joins the spiritual and the secular in satisfying, sexy ways....Almost every tune seduces with catchy hooks and soulful singing..." - Grade: A- Q (p.121) - "[He has] a gift for writing crowd-pleasing songs, whether upbeat and funky or spare and introspective..." Uncut (p.132) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[H]e introduces some intriguing new variations on the retro R&B template....Jeff Buckely is surprisingly brought to mind in Legend's passionately fragile delivery." Vibe (p.144) - 5 discs out of 5 - "It's refreshing to hear a male vocalist who has enough talent to be more than a legend in his own mind." Mojo (Publisher) (p.63) - Ranked #43 in Mojo's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2005" - "[L]ayering choral gospel on hip hop's brag in a style bowing to Stevie and Curtis."

If you've listened to Top 40 radio or flipped through the video channels during the past few years, odds are pretty good you know something about John Legend. He played piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything" and might as well be considered Kanye West's sidekick, having assisted the producer and MC on several sessions -- Jay-Z's "Encore" and Slum Village's "Selfish" being two of the more prominent 2004 singles featuring his work. A former choir director, he has also released a handful of energetic live discs, some of which are credited to his less hubristic birth name, John Stephens. And though he claims "I've got something new," you've also heard substantial chunks of Get Lifted in records made decades ago by Sly & the Family Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Quincy Jones, and Bill Withers. This might not be a problem for listeners who crave anything that recalls the music they first heard in their youth, but Legend's over-reliance upon his inspirations is an impediment as much as a slick way to grab attention. That's because he has more than enough talent and charm to get by on his own. His own lyrics and hooks are unique and clever enough to get the point across that he's no everyday R&B artist and, just as importantly, he has a personable and instantly fetching voice you could listen to all day long. However, the association with West -- whose Sony-distributed boutique label released the record -- is very helpful. Without it, Legend would likely be zoned into neo-soul (2003's Live at SOB's New York City really makes this notion apparent), thereby standing little chance of reaching the ears of anyone younger than 30. The production work supporting his songs strikes a fine balance between soul and hip-hop, allowing him to appeal to those who are coming from either angle. This is a very good record. It's a given that Legend is destined to make at least two others that top it. ~ Andy Kellman

超ロングセラーを記録しているジョン・レジェンドの傑作メジャー・デビュー・アルバムが、日本盤のみの完全限定仕様で再登場。CD＋DVDの2枚組となり、CDにはローリン・ヒルとの共演が話題の“So High”の新ヴァージョンを含むボーナス・トラックが!　また、DVDにはジョンの気さくな人となりに触れられるインタヴューやライヴなど盛りだくさんの内容で、ジョン初の映像作としても重要だ。通常盤を持ってても欲しい!
bounce (C)佐藤 ともえ

〈カニエ・ウェストの秘蔵っ子〉という印象がありますが、このジョン・レジェンドはすでにインディー盤やライヴCDをリリースしており、多くのソングライトやセッションもこなす地力のあるアーティスト。歌えて、曲が書けて、ピアノも弾ける……となると〈男版アリシア・キーズ〉と言われそうですが、実際それくらいの才能を感じる傑作。塩辛めのヴォーカルと、カニエ節のソウルフルなトラックはとにかく美味。聴けばわかる!
bounce (C)池谷 昌之