Speech_(Speech_album)

<i>Speech</i> (Speech album)

Speech (Speech album)

1996 studio album by Speech

Speech is the first solo album by the American rapper Speech, released in 1996.[2][3]

Quick Facts Speech, Studio album by Speech ...

The album's first single was "Like Marvin Gaye Said (What's Going On)".[4] It first appeared on the Marvin Gaye tribute album Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye.[5]

Production

The album was produced by Speech, who also sang on some of the songs.[6][7] He played most of the instruments on the album, and recorded it in his home studio.[8] Speech contains guest appearances from Pappa Jon, Laurneá Wilkerson, and Foley.[9][10]

Critical reception

More information Review scores, Source ...

Trouser Press thought that "Speech shows that he can still construct a lulling, even groovy song cycle, but at this point he just doesn’t have the lyrical chops to give it substance."[16] Entertainment Weekly determined that, "with its rapturous echoes of Sly, Stevie, and Prince, Speech by Speech, the boss of the defunct Arrested Development, is more arresting than anyone had a right to expect."[12] The Knoxville News Sentinel concluded that the album "restores some of the initial promise of his group Arrested Development before the band burned out in a blaze of self-importance a couple of years ago."[13]

Vibe called the album "a mess," noting Speech's "desire to become the male Tracy Chapman."[17] The Boston Globe praised Speech's "gift for poppy, smoothly persuasive hip-hop, rather than the gnashing, in-your-face variety."[18] The New York Times stated that "the sound is rawer and less produced and layered than Arrested Development's music... Where Arrested Development sounded like many streams flowing into a single river, the styles, beats and words on Speech all seem to flow from a single stream-of-consciousness."[8]

AllMusic wrote that, "where his former group sounded rootsy and gritty even at their most laid-back, Speech's record sounds slick, generally lacking in funk or dirt."[11]

Track listing

More information No., Title ...

References

  1. [1]
    Reynolds, J.R. (Dec 16, 1995). "Chrysalis set frees Speech to be solo act". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 50. p. 54.
  2. [2]
    "Speech Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. [3]
    "Arrested Development's Speech". MTV News.
  4. [4]
    McCarthy, Anthony W. (9 Dec 1995). "Arrested Development breaks up: Speech on his own ... new father". Afro-American Red Star. Vol. 105, no. 17. p. B8.
  5. [5]
    Verna, Paul (Feb 17, 1996). "Albums — Speech by Speech". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 7. p. 87.
  6. [6]
    Himes, Geoffrey (14 Apr 1996). "Speech's Latest Developments". The Washington Post. p. G14.
  7. [7]
    Kot, Greg (9 Feb 1996). "Hip Hop Hunkers Down as New Albums Come Up Short". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. O.
  8. [8]
    Strauss, Neil (25 Jan 1996). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C19.
  9. [9]
    Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 650.
  10. [10]
    Deggans, Eric (23 Feb 1996). "Speech: Speech". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 13.
  11. [11]
    "Speech". AllMusic.
  12. [12]
    "Speech". Entertainment Weekly.
  13. [13]
    Campbell, Chuck (23 Feb 1996). "Speech Develops Beyond Arrested Development". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. T8.
  14. [14]
    MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 42.
  15. [15]
    Ashon, Will (March 1996). "Speech: Speech" (PDF). Muzik. p. 96. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  16. [16]
    "Arrested Development". Trouser Press. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  17. [17]
    Gonzalez, Michael A. (Mar 1996). "Revolutions". Vibe. Vol. 4, no. 2. p. 122.
  18. [18]
    Morse, Steve (26 Jan 1996). "Freedom of Speech: Arrested Development's former leader takes a positive step". Living. The Boston Globe. p. 59.
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