I've always mostly avoided it, figuring that there was much better 60's & 70's soul I didn't own. There's lots of this stuff available from BMG/Columbia House and I'm wondering if any of its worth getting.

Any opinions on:

Angie Stone
Musiq
Donnie
D'Angelo
Gerald Levert
Any Others that I'm forgetting?

Erykah Badu?

Not really knowledgable in this sector, but Maxwell?

I remember liking a fair amount of that first D'Angelo album, but specifics thoroughly escape me now. It's not as good the 60s and 70s stuff, but it's gotta real hot, sweaty sticky low-key vibe to it. Then again, my memory may be tainted because it was August in North Louisiana.

What about Maxwell. The kids used to dig him, didn't they?

D'Angelo is the best of that lot by far. Both Brown Sugar and Voodoo are pretty good, i'd try those first. Just because you like classic period soul, no promises that you'll like this, but in my opinion D'angelo is worth your time.

You recommending Erykah Badu? I'm not sure because you put a question mark after her name.

I'm not expecting any of these to be the equivalent of classic soul but good enough that it won't immediately disappear into my collection.

I meant to include Maxwell in my list but I was making the list from a BMG catalog that came in the mail and didn't see him there.

I could have also included Anthony Hamilton who I already know that I like.

The live Badu album is hot shit for sure (even though she a ho for steppin on my boy Andre). Highly recommended.

I enjoy Voodoo quite a bit as well.

Busty Rhodes (and the Sen. to some extent) are pretty good sources of knowledge on this genre.

d'angelo is awesome.

the rest have bored me, particularly maxwell and musiq.

Jill Scott.

I highly recommend her. And Erykah Badu.

I have Aijuswanaseing by Musiq, and I dig this album. Brown Sugar by D'Angelo is good as well.

I like that Badu live album, but again, I haven't heard any of her stuff in a while. I put the question mark because I wasn't sure if she was left off on purpose, or didn't fit the criteria. In hindsight that was pretty silly on my part.

It's all about Baduizm.

Macy Gray's first record is great. Rest is good-to-meh.

I liked Lewis Taylor a few years back. I need to stick 'Lewis II' in the ol' CD player tomorrow and see if that's still that case.

I like a lot of that stuff. For starters, just grab Baduzium and Brown Sugar. If you like those, you can then go for more, but those are two of the ones that seem to ring bells with the most people from what I've noticed. If you find them both crap, I don't necessarily think the genre would be something you'd be too up for. I do also like Jill Scott and Macy Gray, especially her first one. (Which may have much to do with my hearing it quite a lot while in Amsterdam, along with a Tom Jones song that seemed to be getting a lot of play at the time over there) Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite is good, but after that I kinda lost interest in him.

a hair more "ghetto" or street or whatever you wanna call it, but i enjoy the first half of Jaheims album very much.

the song "fabulous" is adictive and one of my all time favorites.
his voice is great, his albums are so so.

Yes to the above.

Voodoo by D'angelo, Live by Erykah Badu, Mama's Gun by Erykah Badu (skip Baduizm, it's a piece of shit), and take your pick on the Musiq. Levert was also in a group called LSG with Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill that was pretty good, but the production sounds dated.

If you love Voodoo, get Brown Sugar, but don't waste time with Baduizm, especially if you didn't like On & On which was the most tolerable song on the album, although it comes off much better on the Live Album. Slamming band on the live...

-Phil

I've been meaning to check out Anthony Hamilton for awhile now.