50 Years of Soul Power

Posted February 20, 2013 by J Matthew Cobb in Features

Raphael Saadiq
The Way I See It
(Columbia; 2008)

Apart from his Tony! Toni! Tone! pals, Raphael Saadiq reinvents himself as a solo artist using Buddy Holly glasses, a sharp shiny black suit and tunes that are entirely inspired by the collections of Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, Motown and Stax. He’s in very good company: Funk Brothers are on board, Stevie Wonder steps in on “Never Give You Up” and string dynamo Paul Riser and retro tools like the SSL 9000 and a vintage Ludwig drum kit are all present. But it is Saadiq’s smart composition skills that declares the album’s preeminent power. “Sure Hope You Meant It,” “100 Yard Dash,” “Love That Girl” and “Keep Marchin’” are spoiled with delicious melodies and sing-a-long choruses. He does slow things down with the prom doo-wop of “Calling” and the Thom Bell-sounding “Oh Girl.” Saadiq penned most of the album on his own, which feels epic when you consider the fact that Motown’s biggest assembly-line hits were culled by a trio (Holland-Dozier-Holland) and sometimes more (The Corporation).