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Faith Evans, The First Lady full album zip: A fan's perspective on the music and message of the icon



Faithfully is the third studio album by American singer Faith Evans. It was released by Bad Boy Records on November 6, 2001, in the United States. A reflection of her musical studies, Evans was inspired by a variety of classic R&B, pop, rock, and jazz artists such as Chicago, S.O.S. Band, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughn during the production of Faithfully. The result, a sample-heavy album, which the label described as "old school flavored," features production by Mario Winans, Buckwild, Vada Nobles, Michael Angelo Saulsberry, The Neptunes, Battlecat, and others, with material ranging from ballads to dance tracks that built upon the contemporary R&B, funk music and hip-hop genres.




Faith Evans, The First Lady full album zip



The album earned generally favorable reviews from most critics who called it her best effort yet, though others were critical with its length and the amount of ballads on Faithfully. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album and debuted and peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200, selling 101,000 copies in its first week, and went on to sell more than 834,000 copies, eventually reaching gold status in the United States. Faithfully spawned four total singles, including "You Gets No Love", "I Love You" and "Burnin' Up." Faithfully was Evans' last album to be recorded under the Bad Boy imprint before her departure in 2003.


While Combs and in-house producer Mario Winans would craft the majority of the album production, Evans also collaborated with Battlecat, Bink, Buckwild, Hozay Clowney, Kip Collins, Havoc, The Neptunes, Vada Nobles, Michaelangelo Saulsberry, and frequent contributor Chucky Thompson on Faithfully.[3] Producer duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis were also asked to contribute to Faithfully but declined after hearing previously produced material which they found too good to come up with better material.[2] While it took almost two years to finish Faithfully, Evans noted in a 2001 interview with MTV News that it reflected her music studies of the past five years, saying: "It took months and months of studying the songs, going back, putting in the elements. The feel is 'Faith has grown.' That's what I hope people get from it. I just been trying to get my history together."[5] The album title borrows from the same-titled album track.[4]


Faithfully debuted and peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 101,000 copies in its first week.[16] This marked Evans' highest opening sales up to then.[17] On Billboard's component charts, it reached number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[16] In total, Faithfully sold more than 834,000 copies in the United States.[16] It was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the shipment of over 500,000 copies.[16]


Two years in the making, Evans' second solo effort, Keep the Faith, was released during October 1998. Almost entirely written and produced by her, Evans considered the album difficult to complete as she had initially felt discouraged about the progress at first.[4] Upon its release, however, the album garnered generally positive reviews by music critics, with Allmusic noting it "without a doubt a highlight of 1990s soul-pop music".[5] Also enjoying commercial success, it eventually went platinum and produced the top ten singles "Love Like This" and "All Night Long" prompting Evans to start an 18-city theater tour with Dru Hill and Total the following year.[4]


Evans' third album on the Bad Boy imprint, named Faithfully (2001), involved her working with a wider range of producers, including The Neptunes, Mario Winans, Buckwild, Vada Nobles, Cory Rooney, and others.[6] Her first project with husband Todd Russaw as executive producer and creative partner, the album scored number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, eventually being certified platinum, but yielded moderately successful singles, with the Jennifer Lopez-written "I Love You" becoming the only top twenty entry.[7] Released amid Bad Boy Records' transition from distributor Arista Records to Universal, Evans felt Faithfully received minimum assistance by the company, and during 2004, she finally decided to end her business with Bad Boy as she was convinced Combs couldn't improve her career any more due to his other commitments.[8]


After ending with Bad Boy Evans contracted with Capitol Records company, becoming the first contemporary R&B artist to do so, and started work on her fourth studio album The First Lady, named after her nickname on her former label.[8] As opposed to having an in-house team of producers who supplied most of the previous material, she and Russaw were able to gain more creative control of the album and consulted producers such as Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri, Mike Caren, Pharrell Williams, and Chucky Thompson to contribute to it.[9] Upon its release in April 2005, The First Lady scored at number two on the Billboard 200 and #1 of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Evans' best-charting album to date. It was eventually certified gold by the RIAA.[10]At the end of the year, Evans released A Faithful Christmas, a holiday album of traditional Christmas songs and original tracks. The effort would become her last release on Capitol Records as the company was bought during 2007.[11]


Now that we're far enough removed from the decade, it's time to look back and decide which albums were good, great, and best. On this list you'll find albums that were life soundtracks, from road trips and gradutions, to first loves and breakups. From Aaliyah to Xscape, these are the best R&B albums of the '90s.


It's the first Harry Chapin collection to come out on vinyl for the independent record store community in the "modern" reissue era--and it's got all the hits in their rare single versions! Issued with the full cooperation of the Harry Chapin Estate, Story of a Life--The Complete Hit Singles includes liner notes and photos. Limited to 2000 copies worldwide, pressed on yellow "Taxi" vinyl!1. Taxi2. Sunday Morning Sunshine3. Better Place to Be4. WOLD5. Cat's in the Cradle6. I Wanna Learn a Love Song7. Sequel; Story of a Life


A recording of the singer/songwriter's show from a July 8, 2000, performance at the famed New York showcase club. Fronting his four-piece band, the Rough Squirrels, Forbert draws from then-recent studio records Evergreen Boy and Mission of the Crossroad Palms, and selected favorites from his first two albums, among them "Goin' Down to Laurel" and the hit "Romeo's Tune," are also included. Forbert's earnest, wry lyrics, which he sings in a rusty, expressive tenor, shine throughout.1. Real Live Love2. Goin' Down To Laurel3. Good Planets (Are Hard To Find)4. Strange5. The American In Me6. Now You Come Back7. Evergreen Boy8. Rose Marie9. It Sure Was Better Then10. So Good To Feel Good Again11. Oh, To Be Back To You12. Something's Got A Hold On Me13. She's Living In A Dreamworld14. Complications15. The Sweet Love That You Give (Sure Goes A Long, Long Way)16. Romeo's Tune17. Nadine/You Cannot Win (If You Do Not Play)


This RSD Black Friday release brings together four studio demo sessions from The Heartbreakers (Johnny Thunders, Walter Lure, Billy Rath & Jerry Nolan) from 1976 and 1977, compiled onto one album for the first time.


The first album of the acclaimed Drought Season series between Bay Area heavyweights, The Jacka and Berner. Certified as a Bay Area classic, the album was Berner's first to chart and one of his most successful albums to date. With production from some of the Bay's top producers, such as Cozmo, Dunce, Gennessee, Rob Lo & Stinj-E, Drought Season taps in to a stable of cutthroat MCs, featuring the likes of Fed-X, Baldhead Rick, Don Toriano, Mike Marshall, San Quinn, Dubee, Cellski, Matt Blaque, Sky Balla, Goldtoes & Equipto.


Their biggest selling album. #1 in 1967 for 18 weeks, it was also the first ever rock album to be the Best-Selling Album Of The Year (also 1967). Featuring the big hit singles "I'm A Believer" and "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" this would be the biggest album of their career and one of four Monkees albums that were all #1 in 1967. Mastered impeccably by Joe Reagoso , from the original Colgems Monophonic tapes.1-She2-When Love Comes Knockin' (At Your Door) 3-Mary, Mary 4-Hold On Girl 5-Your Auntie Grizelda 6-(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone 7-Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) 8-The Kind Of Girl I Could Love 9-The Day We Fall In Love 10-Sometime In The Morning 11-Laugh 12-I'm A Believer


Havoc and Bright Lights marked a rebirth for Alanis Morissette, the first album she recorded as a newlywed mother. Delivered a full eight years later, Such Pretty Forks in the Road is the second act of the story, an album about learning how to find contentment at middle age. Morissette wrestles anxieties, origin stories, addictions, parenthood, and partnership throughout the record, searching for reasons and a diagnosis, achieving a sense of peace with having her sense of calm being disturbed on occasion. Appropriately for an album that's decidedly focused on an inward journey, Such Pretty Forks in the Road simmers, never boils. Hooks force themselves into the center stage on "Reasons I Drink" -- the rare tune here that could be called catchy -- but otherwise melody takes a back seat to mood. This doesn't necessarily mean Morissette's words are pushed into the spotlight. Such Pretty Forks in the Road is lacquered in immaculate gloss, a sound that accentuates the interior journey of the songs without quite inviting exploration. A close listen reveals all the troubles rolling around Morissette's mind, but the nice thing about Such Pretty Forks in the Road is how its smooth, placid surface makes the record feel like an album-length guided serenity meditation.Side A1. Smiling2. Ablaze3. Reasons I Drink4. Diagnosis5. Missing The Miracle6. Losing The Plot 2ff7e9595c


 
 
 

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