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| | Concrete Rose | | | Music Artist : | | Ashanti | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Def Jam | | Release Date : | | 2004-12-14 | | Store Price : | | $13.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $13.98 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Still Down featuring T.I.
2. Message To The Fans (Skit)
3. Only U
4. Focus
5. Don’t Let Them
6. Love Again
7. Take Me Tonight featuring Lloyd
8. U
9. Every Lil’ Thing
10. Turn It Up featuring Ja Rule
11. Buck 3000 (Skit)
12. So Hot
13. Don’t Leave Me Alone featuring 7 Aurelius
14. Sister Stories featuring Shi Shi (Skit)
15. Freedom
16. Wonderful Remix featuring Ja Rule (Bonus Track)
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 Ashanti Both Lost And Found Herself
Submitted on: 2009-02-14 |
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| Any frusteration one has with the music of someone such as Ashanti is the fact that each album seems to point to unrealized potential-an artistic focus but also a need to follow a current musical path that is overdone and going nowhere fast. Generally speaking a third album finds the artist ironing out the last of their musical kinks and finding an essential focus-especially if they didn't have one before that. This album is no exception.While it would not be the first time a bland contempo R&B album tried to masquerade itself off as something far more important then it really is,this albums title intro really does a very good job at introducing Ashanti's intentions here;the "concrete" is meant to describe the grittier street rap style while the "rose" is the beautiful if thorny style of soul.This basically describes the genre of hip-hop/R&B in a word and is a fitting title for an album that really does follow suite.Even if that sets the stage of a series of interludes that,as many artists have done since imitated the approch from Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 they are all easily overlooked and actually serve in many cases to link the concept together.We're also lucky that at this point Ashanti is still writing her own material and on the somewhat rockish "Only U","Take Me Tonight","So Hot","Don't Leave Me Alone Tonight" and the fairly funky "Don't Let Them" and "Still Down" pretty much embody that sound-they are contemporary and have enough hip-hop beats for "street cred" but are also stripped down and very tasteful in general.Nontheless they don't actually represent anything particular new for this artist. As with much of Ashanti's work what really stand out are the surprises.Both "U" and "Every 'Lil Thing" are both streetwise and catchy but have a refrain that is actually very artsy,jazzy and...believable. It's clear Ashanti and her producers have all been influenced by Prince at one time or another and the synths and drums programs used on "Love Again" could only come from one source point.For fans "old school" funk Ashanti thought of them too-the excellent "Focus" will not appeal much to modern R&B fans seeing as it rejects the blippy electronic soundbites of today in favor of a chunkier,more percussive groove embodying the spirit of the past. You would normally get the same effect from "Turn It Up" except for one crucial problem:while he is an excellent with Irv Gotti at instituting classic funk soundscapes and is a fine rapper in his own right JA RULE CANNOT SING!!!If his duet with Beyonce didn't prove that for absolute certain that his horse,caught-in-the-through style is not suited to vocals outside the rap context."Wonderful",a pretty good modern funk tune tacked on as a bonus cut suffers from the same fate. So in the end,while this is somewhat different then the follow up album The Declaration,which is mildly more Prince sounding but also overproduced here and there this provides a glimpse from the "old" Ashanti to the style she is continuing to develope.And I hope that,as R&B is probably due for a much needed change that Ashanti along with the others working today can be part of the solution rather then just go along for the ride. |
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 it is good
Submitted on: 2008-07-20 |
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this album is real good my favorite songs on here is
don't let them it is very good album ashanti has really grown on this one |
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 Room for improvement
Submitted on: 2007-12-03 |
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Ashanti was always an artist who had lots of promotion with each album, and "Concrete Rose" was no exception. The first single, entitled "Only U", received a great deal of radio and video play, in addition to the fact that her promotions were in many magazines. Because I am a huge fan of R&B music, it didn't take much convincing for me to purchase her third musical effort. After listening to it for the first time, I really disliked what I heard. However, I just listened to it all the way through for the third time, and it's an alright CD overall, but it surely doesn't compare to her self-titled debut.
I find it strange that there are seventeen tracks on "Concrete Rose", but it is only 54 minutes long. Usually albums with that many tracks are more lengthy. This album is pretty upbeat. In fact, there are no true ballads, something I personally would have enjoyed. Oh well. "Love Again" is easily the best song here because Ashanti really came out of her box, and she impressed me immensely. Everything from the unique beat to the melody strays away from what we are accustomed to hearing from Ashanti. Other standout tracks are "U", "Take Me Tonight", "Still Down" and the lyrically magnificent "Freedom." "Freedom" is one of the most deep songs you'll probably ever hear from Ashanti.
I don't know what Ashanti and Irv Gotti were thinking when they released the horrible "Only U". Why on earth would you release the album's worst track as the leading single. I know they don't think that's a fine piece of work! It's a mistake and a misstep in my eyes. While we're on the subject, there are a couple of bad songs on "Concrete Rose." "Don't Let Them", "Don't Leave Me Alone", "Every Lil' Thing", and "Wonderful" remix are all weak songs and should have been omitted from the album.
As previously stated, this album is alright. If you already have her debut and sophomore efforts, I don't see a reason not to pick this one up. However, if you are simply thinking about going out on a limb and purchasing "Concrete Rose", keep your money and just download "Love Again."
Mikeisha's Top 5
1. "Love Again"
2. "U"
3. "Freedom"
4. "Turn it Up"
5. "Focus"
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Surprised!
Submitted on: 2006-12-07 |
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| I got this for my birthday and I thought I wasn't going to like it. It is way better than I thought it was going to be. |
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A Step in the right direction
Submitted on: 2006-10-30 |
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I looked at some of the other reviews and I agreed with some but some others just bashed. I believe with each record Ashanti's voice has got better, but the song writing has not improved much. Concrete Rose I feel is a step in the right direction, must of the tracks on the album could be labeled album fillers but the stand out tracks are "Only U", "Focus", "Take me tonight", and "So Hot". These tracks all show what Ashanti could be capable of if she just breaks out of the just put something out mode. Overall I give the CD 3 stars, it's not the best but it does have some good sounding tracks. Besides she's already done the crappy album "Chapter II" you can only go up from there.
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