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Here I Stand

Usher - Here I Stand Audio CD

A fair review of the Usher "Here I Stand" 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 Usher reviews here, or go back to the Usher tabs.

Band: Usher
Title: Here I Stand
Rating:

Release Date: 2008-06-03
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Intro 2: Love in This Club - Usher, Young Jeezy 3: This Ain't Sex 4: Trading Places 5: Moving Mountains 6: What's Your Name - Usher, will.i.am, 7: Prayer for You (Interlude) 8: Something Special 9: Love You Gently 10: Best Thing - Jay-Z, , Usher 11: Before I Met You 12: His Mistakes 13: Appetite 14: What's a Man to Do 15: Lifetime 16: Love in This Club, Pt. 2 - Beyonc�, , Lil Wayne, Usher 17: Here I Stand 18: Will Work for Love

Great CD
Must have. I have been listening to this CD all day long, me and my co workers are really feeling it.

Derrick Dunn "DJ Aftermarh" gives a great review of this CD.

"After a four year hiatus, Usher returns with one of the best mainstream R&B CD's of the year. Just as Usher as grown and changed as a man so has his music, which is a great thing in my opinion. Stand out tracks on the CD for me were Love You Gently,Something Special, Prayer For You and the title track. The not so great one for me is Moving Mountians which is one of the worst songs he's ever recorded. My detatiled review can be found below.

1. Intro - This is a basic Usher intro where he sets up the vibe of the album.
2. Love In This Club featuring Young Jeezy - Unless you've been living under a rock you've heard this song.
3. This Ain't Sex - Another one of my personal favorite tracks. Even though it's a throwback to his My Way days, it has a Michael Jackson Rock With You type feel as it's just a feel good track about dancing.
4. Trading Places - (written by The- Dream and produced by Tricky Stewart): A hot slow jam similar to Can You Handle It. This is one of personal favorite tracks as it shows Usher's fully matured tenor.
5. Moving Mountains - The second single still confuses me every time I hear it. The Dream gives me his first disappointment as a writer and Tricky Stewart gives us a mediocre beat. I think this is one of the worst songs Usher has ever recorded.
6. What's Your Name featuring will. i. am - This is an ok track, however it sounds better suited for Craig David. Will I Am gives a catchy beat as always but the vocals aren't really special.
7. Prayer For You Interlude - With the impending birth of my own son, I can really identify with Usher and there's nothing stronger than the bond between a father and son.
8. Something Special - This song reminds of walking in the park with my wife and making our way to a picnic. It has a laid back summer feel to it and reminds of a seventies Stevie Wonder.
9. Love You Gently - Now this is the Usher I like to hear. Love You Gently is easily on par with Nice & Slow, Twork It Out and Can U Handle It as Usher's throwback to Bobby Brown's Roni & Rock Witcha. I can easily see this being his "concert song" when he tours.
10. Best Thing featuring Jay Z - Nothing too special a standard my girl left me track and I want her back. Usher doesn't over sing on this track or under sing and I highly doubt it'll be a single even with the stamp of the Jigga man. It doesn't really go with the Vibe of the new CD and would have fared better on his previous CD.
11. Before I Met You - This is an ok song, nothing to special and Usher kind of under sings it. Basically he's talking about how his life has changed since he met his current girlfriend and he refuses to go back to his old ways.
12. His Mistakes a. k. a. I Can't Win- (Produced by Stargate & written by Ne-Yo) - This can basically be described as Can't Help But Wait Part 2. Usher's strong vocals make the song work; however with the riffs being similar to the Trey Songz hit it's nothing really impressive.
13. Appetite - Appetite is kind if the red headed step child to Before I Met You. Even though he's a happily married man and in love he's still a man who loves the ladies.
14. What's A Man To Do - This song has some truth to it and Usher's vocals make it work since the beat isn't to promising. Usher is one of the few singers who can sing anything and he'll sound good as he does with this song. This is another song that would have gone better on the Confessions CD.
15. Lifetime - Usher's little brother J-Lack continues to show he's a wonder kid when it comes to making beats and this is a nice mid tempo ballad.
16. Love In This Club Part II featuring Beyoncé & Lil Wayne - A great remix tops the original and Love In The Part II does just that. Truth be told Usher should have released this version as the lead single instead.
17. Here I Stand - Just like Can U Help Me, Separated and Burn before it, Here I Stand is Usher's big ballad on the CD. Here I Stand may upset some female fans as it's a testament to his love for his wife but it's one of my favorite songs on the CD and Usher has never sounded so strong vocally.
18. Will Work For Love (Produced by J. R. Rotem) - Usher easily sings this feel good track and while the chorus can get annoying this songs seems better suited for Akon.
Usher recorded upwards of sixty songs for the CD and some of the tracks such as The Realest feat. Jermaine Dupri, Lights Camera Action feat. Nelly, and At The Time featuring T-Pain were cut and remain unheard. However the tracks mentioned below can be found on the web, import versions of the CD and mixtaspes.

CUT TRACKS & Bonus Tracks
Flash - (Produced by The Neptune's) - A horrid sounding track from the once reliable Neptune's which didn't make the album. The Neptune's and Usher had amazing chemistry on his 8701 CD, however they strike out this time.
Echo -This is one of the best tracks from Bryan Michael Cox that was cut. The song reminds me of Alexander O Neal's Hearsay.

Play Me - (Produced by the Avilla Brothers) - This is a winner that won't be on the initial release of the album, however it's rumored to be on the re-release. The Avilla Brothers who produced That's What's It Made For, from the Confessions CD, give Usher another winner in this track. I don't know how it would fare in the states but in the UK (where I used to DJ) I could easily see the Brits liking this track with its techno driven beat.

Dat Girl Right There - (produced by Rich Harrison) - The third time isn't the charm for Luda and Usher on this track. This song seems better suited for Day26 or Omarion as Usher vocals are to strong for this track and Luda's verse is second rate at best. The beat from Rich Harrison is also a huge disappointment as he's known for Go Go styled drum beats.

Just Like Me - Another song that doesn't really go with the grown man vibe Usher was going for on This CD. It's basically talking about how Usher and his girl are both doing dirt and I'm happy it didn't make the final cut.

Forever Young - This is a longer version of the intro.

Revolver - No thoughts really on this song it's just another song.

All in all a fine album and this is easily one of the best mainstream R&B albums along with Mariah Carey's E=MC2 to be released in 2008. Usher has once again claimed his throne as one of the kings of modern R&B and shows he's not ready to give up the throne yet. "
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You can see a complete list of all Usher discography, or go back to the Usher tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.