Bilal - 1st Born Second
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CD Details
Artist: BilalEdition: Music CD
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Published: 2001-01-01
CD Release Date: 2001-07-31
Music Label: Interscope Records
Soundtracks:
- Intro
- For You
- Fast Lane
- Reminisce - Bilal, Common, Mos Def
- All That I Am (Somethin for the People)
- Sally
- Sometimes
- Love It
- C'mere
- Soul Sista
- When Will You Call
- Queen of Sanity
- Love Poems
- You Are
- Home
- Slyde
- Second Child
Music reviews of 1st Born Second
Music Review: A lovely and innovative debut
Rating: 5 Stars
Philadelphia R&B singer Bilal Oliver released his debut "1st Born Second" at age 21 in 2001 to an anticipating audience after collaborations with Common and Guru. The first thing that jumps out about Bilal is that he's got a show-stopping voice that's also quite versatile. He's got incredible range well into the upper register, wonderful tone, sound, and delivery, and is extremely powerful and expressive. Still, he's equally comfortable sounding silky-smooth and soulful and executes a wide variety of styles brilliantly. But more than just a voice, Bilal is a true artist and musician, and "1st Born Second" is a creative masterpiece as well as a technical one.
"1st Born Second" has a little bit of everything, with songs ranging from two minutes to over seven: slick rap collaborations, space-age numbers where Bilal channels his inner George Clinton, classic soul ballads, experimental songs, smooth slow jams, and sunny jazz tunes, but somehow it all sticks and forms a cohesive album. As a member of the Soulquarians crew, Bilal enlisted a dream team of producers including Jay Dee, ?uestlove, Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, Raphael Saadiq, James Poyser, and Mike City to make a gorgeous musical backdrop for him to shine over. Opening with the frenetic "For You" and two upbeat hip hop productions featuring Jadakiss, Common, Mos Def, and Dr. Dre, the album moves into the beautiful "All That I Am (Somethin for the People)" and crazy yet appealing "Sally." "Sometimes" is a sprawling, deeply personal seven-minute piece ripe with self-doubt and soul-searching. "Love It" is a joyful, irresistible song among the best on the album, although the gem is "Soul Sista," a magical, mood-setting masterpiece with an ingenious instrumental. The emotional "When Will U Call" is a beautifully executed, vastly appealing work of classic soul, and the emotional "Queen of Sanity" and cleverly-written "Love Poems" are pure gold. "You Are," "Home," and "Slyde" are each delightful, and the long "Second Child" is a powerful closing statement following such joyful songs, where Bilal avers, "I'm a second-class citizen...spawned by kings."
"1st Born Second" is a lot of things, but most of all it's an immensely impressive 76-minute showcase of an R&B giant. Bilal is a boundless talent, and it's hard to imagine any music graced with his voice sounding anything but great, but his debut is so excellent because the material itself is equally strong and one gets the feeling that he poured his entire soul into this effort. It's the rare record that's both a statement and display yet is so much fun to listen to. Since his debut, Bilal has been shafted by record labels such that the follow-up has yet to arrive. Until justice is served and his sophomore effort is released, listeners should not hesitate to pick up the brilliant "1st Born Second."
Description of 1st Born Second
Riding in on a D'Angelo-spawned wave of shivery voodoo groove, 22-year-old Bilal Oliver tries to flip the neo-soul script on his long-awaited, oft-delayed debut. It's an ambitious effort, a collection of 17 tracks on which this latest inductee into the Soulquarians collective (who's made appearances on Common's Like Water for Chocolate and Guru's Streetsoul, and produced tracks on Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun) proves he's worth his salt in hype. A host of A-list producers--Mike City, James Poyser, Dr. Dre (who rolls out a fine slice of funk on "Fast Lane"), and the ubiquitous Raphael Saadiq (behind the slinky "Soul Sista," which first appeared on the Love and Basketball soundtrack)--provide backing tracks that show off the young singer-songwriter's depth and range. Equally at home in reggae riddims ("Home"), anguished balladry ("When Will You Call"), and carnivalesque, Busta Rhymes-style sardonics ("Sally"), Bilal wants to show us he can do it all, and winds up spreading himself a bit thin at times. The best moments on the album happen when the classically trained vocalist lands on solid, soulful hooks (as on the sweetly aching melody of "All That I Am" or the haunting hum of "Love Poems") that allow his limber pipes to swoop gorgeously from gravelly basso to full-bodied falsetto, evoking shades of Prince and Marvin Gaye along the way. --Sylvia W. ChanContemporary Blues CDs
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