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Louder Than Words

Lionel Richie - Louder Than Words Audio CD

A fair review of the Lionel Richie "Louder Than Words" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Lionel Richie reviews here, or go back to the Lionel Richie tabs.

Band: Lionel Richie
Title: Louder Than Words
Rating:

Release Date: 1996-04-16
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Piece of Love 2: Still in Love 3: I Wanna Take You Down 4: Can't Get Over You 5: Change 6: Nothing Else Matters 7: Ordinary Girl 8: Say I Do 9: Paradise 10: Don't Wanna Lose You 11: Lovers at First Sight 12: Climbing

There's Something About Lionel.....
Like McCartney,Peter Cetera and others he has always had the frusterating tendency to be both brilliant and overwelming sappy,both apart and at once often enough. Lionel Richie is one artist I've always had mixed feelings about. In the past there were times where all of that worked like a charm such asCan't Slow Down but by the end of the 80's I'll admit I lost both interest and track of him. When this came out I didn't give it a second thought. Frankly. . . . it came into my hands via a used CD copy I picked up at a local second hand DVD/CD shop a few weeks ago. So tonight while painting I decided to slap it on and give it a listen. The date on it kind of scared me;the mid 90's could be a real wasteland for good R&B,soul and pop in the wrong hands after all. Now that I finished it I can say in all honesty this is actually pretty moving and clever stuff. It's definately as slickly produced,dramatized and intentional as any recent adult contempory album but even with the obvious syrup there's something very sincere about the "words";Lionel had taken a decade off from his last studio album Dancing on the Ceiling to this one and believe it or not there appears to have been some serious artistic growth. True there are no uptempo songs on this collection,nevermind any hardcore funk of the Commodores days (let's put that wishful thought to rest in the this case)nevertheless what is here are a very dynamic set of songs. The focus of course is primarily on his stock-in-trade ballads and for that we're given "Still In Love","Can't Get Over You","Nothing Else Matters","Say I Do" and "Don't Wanna Lose You". On "Piece Of Love" there's a jazzy feel too with sax solos and a late night touch. For my own purposes the lightly rhythmic midtempo tunes are the best of the lost from "I Wanna Take You Down","Change","Ordinary Girl" and the excellent "Paradise" with it's cool sensuality and tasteful,stripped back production really have a jazzy 90's R&B/pop edge,in some ways not too different from what you might find on something like the Isley's Mission to Please of the same year. The two songs that close off this are the most compelling. "Lovers At First Sight" starts off as more or less a love ballad then turns into this high octane jazz fusion epic at the end and leads into. . . . a hidden track called "Climbing",an almost classic sounding piece that,yes is a bit overdramatic but it works with the lyrics. So in the end you have Lionel's first full lengh that really comes closer to being a genuine album then a collection of pop singles and succeds at it's intention. Even if ballads aren't your thing when taken as parts rather then pieces of the whole you will find this a very blissful and provocative listening experience.

Sleeping again are we?
I can say pop/soul unashamedly because you know what Lionel brings to the table. Well you are if you like Lionel Richie, or even good pop/soul. Louder Than Words was easily his best since Can't Slow Down, and yes. it's good enough to be mentioned in the same sentence with the aforementioned gem. It actually gives "Can't" a good run for it's money if the truth be known. It is a fine, fine recording that probably will stand the proverbial test of time. Highlights? Take your pick really. I bought this when it first came out, and as soon as the first track started, Piece Of Love, I knew I'd made a wise decision. By the time I got to Nothing Else Matters, nothing else did. Good music is good music. There are still opportunities to add this to your collection. You may be pleasantly surprised if you choose to do so.

A masterpiece of Epic Proportion
In this great homeland of America we produce some of the best music in the world yet sadly not appreciated. In a world of disposable music and other musical atrocities it is comforting to have music of this caliber. Cds of this nature are bought and later sold for pennies on the dollar like a cheap used car. Music is food for the soul,it should be eaten and digested slowly and savor like fine wine. LOUDER THAN WORDS is a masterpiece and will be historically, one of Lionel Richie best written, best produced album period.

ballads & much more
This is a brilliant collection of songs from Richie, after much time away from recording and performing, and many changes, some of them hard. . in his life. The CD has smooth and lovely ballads, with two great jazzy numbers in the beginning and end. The opener, "Piece of Love", is my favorite, with a great lyric and melody, and a superb vocal performance, as well as musicianship from the band; it's the only song on the CD not written or co-written by Richie, but fits in perfectly with his compositions. The other song with a strong jazz influence is "Lovers at First Sight", and "Change" is another strong number. "Climbing" is an interesting song, with its many time shifts, and almost classical feel.

Better late than never, though I had heard him (it was impossible not to in the '80s), this is the first Lionel Richie CD I've repeatedly listened to, and his artistry is impressive, as a writer and vocalist, with fabulous phrasing and musicality.
This CD was certified "Gold", and unfortunately it didn't spawn any hit singles; it should have done much better, considering the excellent quality of each track.
The insert, which folds out like a road map, has all the lyrics and recording info, and a few photos. The sound is terrific and total time is 61'23.
.

LIONEL IS BACK!
This is how R&B should sound. This album is near perfect! A lot of today's artists ought to listen to this cd and take some serious notes. There wasn't a track on this cd that I didn't like. It's well worth your money. The one track that stole my heart for this album was "Say I Do". It is a beautiful song for lovers and a wedding if it came down to it. I don't know what personal problems he's had,but it didn't affect his songwriting and singing skills at all. GO LIONEL! :).

You can see a complete list of all Lionel Richie discography, or go back to the Lionel Richie tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.