Stopping back by the “Urban Hang Suite”, Twenty-Sumthin’-Sumthin’ Years Later…..
The joke was on me when I played Maxwell’s “Ascension” to start my Eleven Song Playlist of all-Maxwell cuts, for a Forty year old Sista’ out on my terrace while barbecuing after dark…
See, so much of my music is outdated, “Pre-Histroic” as my nephew jokingly calls it, Maxwell is my
“Go-to” artist when trying to play something modern and hip (when I’m “pretending” be “Cool” 🙂 )
When Maxwell’s “Ascension” came on my mini-speakers, she said, “Ooooh, I love this song, I remember it back when I graduated from High School” !!
Luckily, my humiliation of thinking I’m jamming modern music was redeemed, as I noticed her singing along and/or bobbing her head to every song on my Maxwell playlist during our nighttime barbecue….
But Damn, it did hit me, that Maxwell’s debut Album/CD, “Urban Hang Suite” is over twenty years old, though it sounds as fresh and vibrant as when it came out…
…it was a “life raft” for all of us with R&B/Soul music in our DNA, who were, in the late 1990’s, drowning in the ocean of the outdated sound of 70’s/80’s R&B, and the increasingly popular Hip-Hop and Rap.
(I don’t think us R&B/Soul purists were were hatin’ on Rap, we just couldn’t listen to it all day…)
“Urban Hang Suite” was so hot, I actually bought 3 “Urban Hang Suite” CDs (kids, ask your parents what a CD was 🙂 ), I bought one for my apartment, one for my car, and one for my CD player at work…
…and somehow, even with that, two of those suckers came up missing!!! What’s up with that??
I’ve followed the entire R&B/Soul music genre after the “Doo-Wopp”, Temptations/Supremes era.
And, not counting cross-over, Pop-Soul, mega-superstars like Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and I’d have to include songstress Sade in this category of crossover Stars…..
….Maxwell is, from my research [I think, but not sure, leave a comment if I’m wrong], the only true R&B/Soul artist in the history of Soul Music, whose first four Albums/CDs went platinum.
(Luther Vandross had a string of 10 straight Platinum Albums starting with “Never Too Much” in 1981, but that was “technically” his third Album, as he had two albums with his band “Luther” prior to that, which failed to chart)
(…it just popped in my head a couple of months after publishing this post that “The Brother’s Johnson”, their first 4 albums went Platinum… “Look Out for #1” [1976], “Right on Time” [1977], “Blam” [1978], and “Light Up the Night” [1980])
(…also forgot about Alicia Keys, not sure if she is a pure soul artist or in the same soul/pop crossover category as Sade, but her first 4 albums went mega platinum, “Songs in A Minor” [2001], 16X Platinum, “The Diary of Alicia Keys” [2003] 8x Platinum, “As I Am” [2007], 6x Platinum, and “The Element of Freedom” [2009], 4x Platnium )
Maxwell’s first 4 Albums/CDs, “Urban Hang Suite” [1996], “Embrya” [1998], “Now” [2001], and “BLACKsummers’night” [2009], all went platinum (“Urban Hang Suite” went double platinum).
His fifth release, “blackSUMMERS’night” [2016], though critically acclaimed, was in the post-CD era, but assumedly would have went platinum, as it hit #3 on the Billboard Charts and #1 on R&B Charts.
…though it seems, at least to me, outside of his loyal and appreciative fan base, Maxwell is not as internationally known as would be expected, as say, for example, one of my other fav’ singers, Seal.
I still argue within myself on this, but “Embrya” and “Now” were hotter than “Hang Suite” to me!!!
(P.S., can one of you kids doing tutorials on YouTube do guitar Tutorials for Maxwell’s “Get to Know Ya”, “Temporary Nite”, “Pretty Wings”, “Luxury Cococure” and “Matrimony”? Thanks in advance 🙂 )…
For some reason, a lot of White college kids up here in Seattle always try to impress/connect with me via their appreciation for R&B/Soul music [outside of Rap/Hip Hop], and that’s kinda cool….
…..and I always ask them. “Have you ever checked out Maxwell”?
And 99% of the time, those Millennials respond something like, “No, I don’t know who he is”…..
…and I’ll respond with something like, “Aw, you gotta check out some Maxwell”!!!
I’ll go on to say something like…..
“I think he defines what Modern R&B/Soul [now called “New-Soul”] is, or perhaps what it should be!! His sound is organic, genuine, timeless, great uptempo cuts and great slow jams, truly ‘Real Music’ ” .
[below] Maxwell: “Ascension” (Official Video)
[below] Maxwell: “Ascension” (my cover version)
Interesting quote from Maxwell on his 2002-2009, seven year hiatus:
“Up to that point I’d been on the road and didn’t have a chance to really live. But I write about real life experiences, so it just felt like I had to sit back and let these experiences happen and inspire me all over again.” “People ask, ‘Why so long?’ and I say, ‘It’s easier to take something that’s of the moment, but so much harder to say something that will resonate today, tomorrow and for all times.’ I want my music to last forever. I never want my music to be dated,” .
“ ‘Pretty Wings’ falls into that. I met this girl who I still respect very much, and although it didn’t work out, I got lots of inspiration from it. This track speaks of my time with her.”
-Maxwell
As pertains to the Maxwell photography in this post: No copyright infringement intended, I claim no ownership rights. Everything here is just appreciation for the Artist in a not-for-profit Wellness Blog.
(see copyright disclaimer at bottom of post)
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Life, just like music, is all about…..
“…finding your ‘Frequency’ ”
“…finding your ‘Vibration’ ”
“…finding your ‘Wavelength’ “
-Doug Wallace (me)
~stay healthy~
Click here or photo below for all my tracks in….
“Music is the Best Medicine”!!!
(a.k.a., “The Soundtrack of My Life”) 
Copyright Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended, just appreciation of the original artist via a Not-For-Profit Health Blog. All rights belong to the original artist, I don’t claim any. Right to use photos of the artist claimed under: Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
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