Product Description

After writing for and performing with the likes of Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, and Twista, Ohio born singer and pianist John Legend releases his debut album 'Get Lifted'. A mix of mild mannered soul and hip hop production, the album featuresguest performances from Kanye West and the Black Eyed Peas'Will.I.Am.

Track Listing

1. Prelude
2. Let's Get Lifted
3. Used To Love U
4. Alright
5. She Don't Have To Know
6. Number One Feat. Kanye West
7. I Can Change Feat. Snoop Dogg
8. Ordinary People
9. Stay With You
10. Let's Get Lifted Again
11. So High
12. Refuge (When It's Cold Outside)
13. It Don't Have To Change Feat. The Stephens Family
14. Live It Up Feat. Miri Ben-Ari

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1167 in Music
• Released on: 2005-01-10
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Like a fresh breeze in the sometimes-arid landscape that can be R n B, this album amply illustrates that John Legend is up to being mentioned in the same breath as Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, by way of R. Kelly and Jay-Z. Direct comparisons are redundant however as Get Lifted is a sparkling diamond of an original. Legend blends soul, R n B and hip-hop with a dash of Motown and gospel that will, as the title suggests, lift your spirits and revive your faith in beautifully crafted lyrics and talented musicianship. Legend's reputation precedes him, having worked with artists such as Alicia Keys and Kanye West, and he seizes this moment in the spotlight with both hands.

Get Lifted is a sort of relationship rite of passage. It encompasses the strutting, boastful unfaithfulness of a lad-about-town in "She Don't Have To Know" ("When I meet you/ Got my shades on to cover up my eyes/ Hoping that no-one sees me passing by") to a man who grows a conscience in "Number One" ("I've been playing around but now I'm coming home") and a repentant "I Can Change" ("I gave up all those girls I used to know…Take me to the river and baptise my soul."). On the way are such gems as "Ordinary People", a haunting piano ballad that soars with its heartfelt melody, and "Stay With You"--a perfect showcase for Legend's vocal versatility.

Get Lifted pulls off that rare feat of being both upbeat and thoughtful and Legend's audience will no doubt echo the sentiment in the last track – "We're flying high/Don't want to come down" – after hearing this sublime debut. --Amy Anderson

From the Label
You know more about John legend than you think. His music and talent are known and respected worldwide. A musical protégé from an early age, 23 year old Legend has worked with some of the biggest names in music, and now he is to release his debut album, Get Lifted. Legend's talents made him BMI's sole choice to receive one of the five 2002 Songwriter's Hall of Fame Scholarships, just check out these accolades: Featured as a vocalist, pianist and co-writer on several tracks from Kanye West's debut album, The College Dropout; Vocalist and pianist on tracks from Jay-Z's The Black Album; Vocalist and co-writer on "You Don't Know My Name" and other tracks, from The Diary of Alicia Keys; Co-writer & pianist on Janet Jackson's single "I Want You"; Lead vocalist and co-writer on the Black Eyed Peas song "The Boogie That B" from Elephunk; Pianist and video appearance on "Slow Jamz" by Twista & Kanye West and Jamie Foxx plus many, many more.

Watch out for John legend. He is set to be one of the hottest new acts of 2004.

Customer Reviews

Soooo soulful, sooo good
Every track is different, but everyone oozes class. A brilliant production, helped with the influence of Kanye West' talents, this CD just grows and grows. It has guest features from Snoop Dogg to Kanye West himself. The album runs smoothly and builds itself on being easy listening, catchy and varied. With so much quality in every track, its hard for me to say its not one of my favourite cds ever, buy it!

SUB ZERO-OR SKIM A CD FIFTYONE TIMES
When I first heard this singer I was sitting in the lobby of the River Island Hotel in Castle Island County Kerry at the start of the Padraig O Keefe Festival at the end of October looking out on a bitterly cold day and lashing down rain.
To then have to listen to this drivel of lyrics telling me from the same track endlessly played again and again by one besotted Irish receptionist that it was cold outside but it will be all right was torture of the intense kind.In fact if that experience has not permanently scarred my psyche it won't be John Leg ends fault that is so for I am sure a definite attack was made inadvertently on my sanity for the body of his work fails utterly to be endured or even less enjoyed by me since that day.I can only compare the experience to a week I spent many years ago in a Leipzig Prison for being caught smuggling Bibles into the then East Germany when I was taught Prussian drinking songs by one of the guards. If I ever hear ha ha ha the way he sang the choruse's and the open handed slapping by himself of his knee at he same time on some of the songs it will be far too soon.He managed in his boundless and endless enthusiasm for singing these songs to break the small blood vessels near the surface of his skin and stain one leg of the trousers of his uniform with blood.Still perhaps the CD is good for skimming over let's say the Atlantic allowing for a bit of distance and depth to be hopefully reached in the skimming.Hopefully it will not float.For that reason alone it is awarded a reluctant star of one. Pity there is no sub zero classification.I could have been tempted.

Yeah, unsualual, but good
I don't usually like this type of music, but i just can't deny that Legend is very good! He has a great voice and i really admire his piano skills, and he is one of my inspirations in piano playing!
He makes great songs and also combines his kind of 'Balldy Jazz' with hip hop, which is unusual, but works very well!
Get if you are a fan of any type of hip hop or jazz.