Uh-Huh, Another Case of a "MSJ"- Missing Slow Jams

Listening to current Slow Jams today make me laugh at times at how corny and extra-suggestive they can be. The other day I found a old-school Slow Jam CD that I made back in '97. The first track on that piece was Luther Vandross "Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me". Hands down maybe the best R&B slow jam written! At the very beginning of that cut Luther sets the mood for a song about a man yearning for his long gone love.

I wanna tell you, baby
The changes I've been goin' through
Missin' you, missin' you, oh...oh...
Till you come back to me
I don't know what I'm gonna do
N-n-n-no, n-n-no

I miss songs like 'Sensuality (Parts 1&2)' by The Isley Brothers, Maxwell's 'Lifetime', Marvin Gaye's 'Distant Lover' (the live version is a beast) or Prince's 'Adore'. Don't get me wrong today's slow jams are great to bump for the beat and such but, the content within the songs don't carry any weight. When R. Kelly made his solo debut in 1993 with '12 Play' the world was caught on fire! Yes, his lyrics of sex and lust were not hidden well but his pen game was so tight that they were eventually overlooked. 12 Play spent nine weeks atop the R&B charts during this period. Hell, you can't even get a single to stay number one for ten days nowadays. Songs like 'Sex Me (Parts 1&2)', 'Your Body's Calling' and 'Bump N Grind' may not have had the sincere and tasteful approach of a Marvin or Stevie Wonder song but they did help redefine and shape the Slow Jam genre. 

How do we define what makes a good Slow Jam? Ask yourself that question. Some may answer that they want a romantic song that they can make babies to or something they can play at their wedding for the first dance, and others just say they want a soft-smooth song to play at work. I guess over the years songs have parted away from the object of love in general and focused on the act of just getting some. Singers like Anthony Hamilton, Eric Roberson and Lalah Hathaway are throwbacks in the sense of creating great songs that simply exhibit the art of the Slow Jam. 

It is funny that over my years of being in radio and just a lover of music in general, that I always find myself gravitating back to the classics, or to songs that capture those characteristics. Hell, I know over the years music goes through it's changes and folks got to eat--I get it. But can we just find another way to express "love and emotions" through song rather than wanting to have the neighbors know our names? Well, I'm off to listen to some Carl Thomas, MJB, SWV, Aretha Franklin, MJ and Donnell Jones amongst others. I guess this case is still cold until we find that ever elusive Slow Jam.

Click Here for some of the best Slow Jams

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Twitter: Stretch166

What are some of your favorite Slow Jams?

Mint Condition - 7 Album Review

It is hard for me to sit here and write this review for a group that has been stellar and consistent in their craft for more than 20 years! Not hard that I think they are not appealing now but hard for me to imagine that time certainly does fly by. The release of their 7th studio album coincidentally called "7" shows us why this band (yes band) has been able to survive and inspire for the past 20 years. This album is some sort of a reunion for die-hard Mint Condition fans with the return of Keri Lewis. The album is laced with 11 tracks that show you the growth that the group has made over the years. Those of you hoping to hear smooth melodic slow jams that made you fall in love with them years ago, you have another thing coming. There are some very funk ladened tracks on here that showcases Stokely's very distinguished voice. Tracks like "I Want It" and "I Can Ease The Pain" are reflective of that statement. In a day in time in music where real musicianship is either a lost art or just totally forgotten Mint Condition shows us that it is still alive and well. Songs like "Caught My Eye" and "Not My Daddy"(co-written by Kelly Price), show us a glimpse of the past that made us all fall in love with this group 20 years ago. My suggestion is that you put this album on right now and just close your eyes and let MC take you to a place where all you need to do is  just relax and relate.

https://sites.google.com/site/stretchsworld/Not_My_Daddy.mp3
https://sites.google.com/site/stretchsworld/Caught_My_Eye.mp3