Product Description

If John Legend hadn't made his name working with Kanye West, producing Jay-Z, and playing on Lauryn Hill's classic THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL, his 2004 studio debut GET LIFTED would have still established him as a true frontrunner in the world of R&B. His studio follow-up, 2006's ONCE AGAIN, is better than its predecessor; the music is still steeped invintage 1960s- and '70s-flavored R&B, but Legend's songcraft, productions, and nuanced singing are even more appealing.
Most impressively (especially for someone who swapped his birth name for "Legend"), the music is remarkably understated, subtle, and textured. The cool-toned groove of the album's lead-off single, "Save Room", is a case in point, as is the beautiful, mid-tempo "Show Me", which floats on intricate electric guitar patterns and swelling strings. The vibe isdeep on ONCE AGAIN, and beautifully restrained; the productions are contemporary and tinged with hip-hop aesthetic, yetthey're never overbearing. Horns, piano, tasteful strings, and a pulsing rhythm section provide a sweet canvas for Legend's seductive croon and falsetto swoops. ONCE AGAIN is a true soul record, and Legend is rapidly gaining on his competitors as the king of the neo-soul mountain.

Track Listing

1. Save Room
2. Heaven
3. Stereo
4. Show Me
5. Each Day Gets Better
6. PDA (We Just Don't Care)
7. Slow Dance
8. Again
9. Maxine
10. Where Did My Baby Go
11. Maxine's Interlude
12. Another Again
13. Coming Home

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8628 in Music
• Released on: 2007-02-26
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
It takes guts, if not outright egomania, to abandon your given surname and adopt a loaded one like Legend, but the former John Stephens must have sensed that loftiness would one day be his calling card. Once Again, the follow-up to the Grammy-gobbling, platinum pile-on that was Get Lifted, surpasses expectations. Not that it bears much relation to its predecessor. Again again trots out a stable of talented, modern-minded producers--Raphael Saadiq, Legend comrade Kanye West and the unsinkable will.i.am--but it's nowhere near as self-conscious about embracing the old-school as the knowing, R&B edge-skimming Lifted. Don't expect a derivative mash of smudgy, nostalgia-filching sounds, though, because despite its retro leanings, what's in store somehow crackles with currency. Call it neo-retro if you must, but never call it unimaginative: first single "Save Room" coasts, drifts and floats along a ponderous path spiked by a cool keyboard-y crescendo; second single "Heaven" busts out a big, busy beat over a slow seduction; and a couple of selections--"Each Day Gets Better" and "PDA"--are so bright and twirly they seem custom-made for dizzy love scenes or jaunty, sunny-day skips through the park. Maybe the most unusual track is "Show Me," a rock song that pilfers elements of Hendrix and finds Legend climbing a few octaves to sound, weirdly, like Jeff Buckley, but it works: so slippery is its beat and so affecting are its hope-laced lyrics that, oddness aside, it's among the disc's best. Sandwiched as it is among 14 songs that all sound like future classics, that's saying something. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

The Legend lives up to his name!
'Get Lifted'was without doubt my favourite album of last year and a day rarely went by without me listening to it. I worried that John Legend would find it difficult to produce anything that came even close to living up to the success of that album. But he has truly proved the appropriateness of his name by bringing us a stunning album that is completely different to but equally as brilliant as his debut. This has a more mellow sound to it but retains Legend's wonderful ability with lyrics resulting in some deeply emotional and exceptionally beautiful tracks. I thought it almost impossible but his voice has developed too, I can't imagine ever tiring of hearing this man's sound. Some stunning love songs - 'Each Day Gets Better' and 'Where Did My Baby Go' mix with the more risque lyrics of 'PDA (We Just Don't Care) and 'Another Again' and there are some more upbeat numbers there too 'Stereo' and 'Save Room'. This would be a perfect soundtrack for a night in with the love of your life!

I'm sure this album will have a more widespread appeal than his first and will bring appreciation of his talent to a wider audience. At the moment it seems that he can do no wrong. If you liked 'Get Lifted' you'll love 'Once Again', if you haven't yet tried John Legend you could ask for no better introduction.

Buy this album you won't regret it.

Living up to his LEGENDARY status!
John has done it again! No sophmore jinx here, John has put together a beautiful album, great from begining to end and not like anything else out there today. And if you are expecting "Get Lifted pt. 2" forget it, but u will Get Lifted AGAIN. Yes there are songs that can easily go on the Get Lifted album but Once Again is differfent, for those of us old enough to remember, certain songs take you right back to the "good old days" of SOUL music. And dare I say that Johns voice is FLAWLESS? OK I WILL, John's voice is flawless! You dont want to miss "Once Again" I suggest you approach it as if you have never heard of John Legend before, go in with an open mind and come out with a musical experience you won't forget!

True Legend
As a follow on from the excellent debut, this is a truly impressive progression and proves that Legend is living up to his name. Greater variation, subtlety and depth than his first album, which makes it slightly less accessible but more rewarding long term. If you like blues and soul you will not fail to enjoy the talent this guy displays with every track. Saw him live and his performance was flawless, confirming he is a true legend in the making. If he can keep focused and productive, will take his place in the hall of fame among Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder et al. Not many other artists, if any, of the last 20 years can make such a claim.