Usher Confessions CD

To Ari63982 As Of Monday 9/27



This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel: Usher (vocals); Ludacris, Lil Jon (rap vocals); Thicke, Rich Harrison (various instruments); Bobby Ross Avila (guitar, piano, Wurlitzer piano, keyboards, Moog synthesizer, programming, vinyl scratches); Daniel Marino (guitar); James Wright (Wurlitzer piano, bass); Jimmy Jam (Fender Rhodes piano); Larry Cox, L-Roc (keyboards); LaMarquis Jefferson (bass); IZ (drums, percussion, vinyl scratches); Sean Garrett, Darcy Aldridge, Paula Patton (background vocals).
Producers include: Just Blaze, Valdez Brantley, Jonathan "Lil Jon" Smith, Usher raymond, James Lackey.
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel: Usher (vocals); Ludacris, Lil Jon (rap vocals); Thicke, Rich Harrison (various instruments); Bobby Ross Avila (guitar, piano, Wurlitzer piano, keyboards, Moog synthesizer, programming, vinyl scratches); Daniel Marino (guitar); James Wright (Wurlitzer piano, bass); Jimmy Jam (Fender Rhodes piano); Larry Cox, L-Roc (keyboards); LaMarquis Jefferson (bass); IZ (drums, percussion, vinyl scratches); Sean Garrett, Darcy Aldridge, Paula Patton (background vocals).
Producers include: Just Blaze, Valdez Brantley, Jonathan "Lil Jon" Smith, Usher raymond, James Lackey.
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel: Bobby Ross Avila (guitar, strings, piano, Wurlitzer organ, keyboards, drum programming, scratches, background vocals); Iz (guitar, keyboards, drums, percussion, scratches); E Bass, Ken Lewis (guitar); Jimmy Jam (Fender Rhodes piano); James "Big Jim" Wright (Wurlitzer organ); L-Roc, Larry Cox (keyboards); Darcy Aldridge, Sandy Garrett, Patrice "ButtaPhly" Stewart, Paula Patton, Jonathon "Lil' Jon" Smith, Usher Raymond (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: John Frye; Manny Marroquin; Ken Lewis ; Jermaine Dupri; Jon Smeltz; Jonathon "Lil' Jon" Smith; Andre Harris; Phil Tan; Serban Ghenea; Tony Maserati; Vidal Davis; Richard Furch.
Recording information: Baseline Recording Studios, New York, NY; Blue Jay Studios, LA, CA; Circle House Studios, Miami, FL; Doppler Studios, Atlanta, GA; Flyte Time West, Santa Monica, CA; Hitland, Atlanta, GA; Larrabee North, North Hollywood, CA; Larrabee Sound West, West Hollywood, CA; Record One Studios, LA, CA; Right Track Studios, New York, NY; Rondor Studios, LA, CA; Sony Studios, New York, NY; SouthSide Studios, Atlanta, GA; The Village Recorders, LA, CA; Wavelab Recording, Philadelphia, PA; Zach Digital, Atlanta, GA.
Photographer: Anthony Mandler.
Confessions' most detracting factor is its length. At an hour in duration, it could be stripped of five songs and be far more powerful, especially since no one would have to do any wading to get to the meaty parts. On the other side of the coin, the smartest move Usher makes here is in allowing the Lil Jon-produced "Yeah!" to take its rightful place as the only club track; any attempt at doing something stylistically similar would've failed miserably in its presence. "Yeah!"'s crunk-meets-R&B foundation, featuring an instantly addictive eight-note keyboard vamp and one of Usher's most muscular turns, is so absorbing that Ludacris' 1500th guest verse floats by with little notice. The following "Throwback," produced by Just Blaze, sounds like it was made for the sole purpose of trailing Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name." Like that hit, "Throwback"'s sensitively treated soul sample provides a nostalgic tint that complements the wistful, regret-filled tone of the lyrics. A small batch of Jam & Lewis productions, including the effortlessly gliding "Truth Hurts," continue to help raise Usher's loverman stock. Another pair -- the upbeat "Caught Up" and the aptly titled "Burn" -- also rate as some of the vocalist's best moments yet. He's been doing this for ten years now. NRolling Stone (4/15/04, p.151) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[Songs such as 'Yeah' create] sensual panic by combining Usher's jumpy attacks with [Lil Jon's] sublime, frayed beats."
Rolling Stone (p.153) - Included in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Records Of 2004 - "[A] ballad-heavy blockbuster..."
Entertainment Weekly (3/26/04, p.72) - "The vocalist reveals his new-found maturity by opening with the grittiest song he's ever done....The ensuing track glides smoothly between club-friendly hip-hop soul and ballads." - Grade: B+p
Q (p.107) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[H]e's a fully grown R&B sensation....[With] addictive R&B hooks and all-dancin', all-lovin' subject matter boosted with hot production tweaks."