Maxwell Now CD

Personnel includes: Maxwell (vocals); Stuart Matthewman, Wah Wah Watson, Hod David (guitar); Bruce Bouton (pedal steel guitar); Andre Roberson (saxophone); Steve Bernstein (trumpet); Clark Gayton (trombone); Etienne Stadwijk, Federica Pena (keyboards); Michael Bland (drums); Paul J. Falcone (programming).
Engineers include: Paul J. Falcone, Mike Pela, Larry Phillabaum.
"Lifetime" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
Maxwell is a gifted record-maker, which isn't necessarily the same thing as a gifted songwriter. He has a nice, sweet voice, a healthy love for classic soul from Marvin to Prince, an appealing arty streak largely missing from contemporary R&B, and he can arrange his self-recorded productions quite alluringly, balancing the guitars, synths, drum machines, and horns nimbly, often coming up with fresh songs. If only his songs were as memorable as his sounds! True, Now is more song-centric than his previous releases, barring possibly his debut, but this is still well-crafted mood music in which the overall seductive sound matters more than what he's saying specifically. That's part of the reason why his cover of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" (revived here after being debuted on his MTV Unplugged) is so startling -- it's not just that he's picked an unlikely source for a great cover, but it's the one time that he marries his sumptuous sound to a song with substance. That's not to say that Now is a bad record -- it's hard to call anything that sounds this good a bad album -- but it's held back by Maxwell's emphasis on sound over song. If he were just making mood music, that would be acceptable, but he's trying to live up to the tradition of Marvin and Prince, and while his productions often live up to that legacy, he has yet to write songs memorable enough to truly justify those comparisons. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Rebounding from the slight sophomore lag generated by 1998's EMBRYA, Maxwell's follow-up NOW abandons the neo-soul man's usual M.O. of using a conceptual arc of songs, and instead focuses on individual cuts. Romance remains the main ingredient found in this Brooklyn native's banquet of song, and although he stands firmly in the neo-soul camp of D'Angelo and Erykah, his use of various stylistic nuances once again stamps him as an original item. Twangy country-flavored licks and subtle DJ scratches pop up throughout the lament "Was My Girl," and scratchy rock guitar riffs are sparingly used over the heavy groove of "Temporary Nite." At the centerpiece is a studio version of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work," a staple of Maxwell's concerts previously showcased on the live 1997 EP UNPLUGGED. Delivered with a crystalline falsetto, delicate strings and subtle pedal steel, it's a daring move worthy of Prince-ly accolades.
Elsewhere, Maxwell easily moves between sly funk (a percolating "Get To Know Ya") and sleek, between-the-sheets posturing (the Isley Brothers-flavored "Changed"). Other highlights include the goosebump-inducing slow jam "For Lovers Only," chugging come-on "Lifetime," and irresistible end-of-album funk workout "Now/At The Party." NOW is a musical outing worthy of silk sheets and champagne.Rolling Stone (8/30/01, p.124) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Continues to mine past gold, integrating rock and jazz elements, and works Maxwell's beautifully supple vocals around old-school styles..."
Q (10/01, p.127) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...A focussed and funky set..."
Mixmag (10/01, p.177) - 5 out of 5 - "...Every track sounds like it has been meticulously crafted to perfection....this album is utterly flawless..."