| | |  | Vinyl | Home » » Get Lifted [Vinyl] | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | LEGEND, JOHN Best Seller.
Label: COLUMBIA LEGACY CAT | | | Product Details: | | | Vinyl Release Date:
| March 22, 2005 | | Studio:
| Sony | | Number Of Discs:
| 1 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 388 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | 1. | Prelude | | 2. | Let's Get Lifted | | 3. | Used to Love U | | 4. | Alright | | 5. | She Don't Have to Know | | 6. | Number One | | 7. | I Can Change | | 8. | Ordinary People | | 9. | Stay With You | | 10. | Let's Get Lifted Again | | 11. | So High | | 12. | Refuge (When It's Cold Outside) | | 13. | It Don't Have to Change | | 14. | Live It Up | |
| | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 388 customer reviews )
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137 of 145 found the following review helpful:
 Expect Great Things From Him For a Long Time to ComeJan 30, 2005
By Rudy Palma
"The Writing Fiend"
Although his surname may be something he picked up from an old friend in Chicago, John Legend's debut album "Get Lifted" proves a definite validation in the making. A gifted singer, songwriter and pianist, he has already gotten his hands dirty as a session player and songwriter for the likes of Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys and Twista. He even played piano on Lauryn Hill's 1999 Top 40 hit "Everything Is Everything" when he was still a teenager, and his work on Kayne West's debut album "College Dropout" that helped yield sizzling success last year led West to produce "Get Lifted."
Although criticism that he has relied too much on his influences to guide his musical direction is semi-justified, Legend (real name John Stevens) has more than enough talent and charisma at his disposal that one listen to the album will leave no doubt in the minds of listeners that he is something special. With his sparkling strokes on the keys of his piano and his singing expressive and powerful, "Get Lifted" will make some think that Alicia Keys' male counterpart has arrived on the scene. It is appropriate, then, that she utilized his talents on her "Diary of Alicia Keys" album and has him to support her on her forthcoming tour.
Although the initial single "Used to Love U" was the most obvious song for radio play, it is a mere taste of what the album has to offer. Current single "Ordinary People," which is currently ascending the Hot 100, is full-fledged musical rapture, infused with crystalline passion and grace. Anyone who has heard this song and is not smart enough to appreciate the talent behind it will not like the rest of the LP either.
A particular highlight comes when he waxes romanticism on the radio-ready "Refuge (When It's Cold Outside)":
"When it's cold outside/There's no need to worry cuz/I'm so warm inside/You give me peace/When the storm's outside/Cuz we're in love I know/It'll be alright."
The sunny, smile-inducing "Number One" which features a wonderfully exuberant rap by West is an absolute delight:
"You know that I love you/There's no one above you/I said it the last time/But this is the last time/Don't make me over/Cuz I can be faithful/Baby you're my number one."
Other highlights include the infectious "I Can Change" featuring Snoop Dogg, the soul-searching "So High" and the closing "Live It Up" where his awesome interpretation of his lyrics combined with colorful production and vinyl crackles brings his disc to a regretful conclusion.
John Legend has crafted an album that is pure candy to the ears and spotlights a wealth of talent that is truly all his own. If there is any artist out there worthy of all the hype surrounding them, he is the one. Expect great things from him for a long time to come.
22 of 24 found the following review helpful:
 Nothing "Ordinary"... (4.5 Stars)Feb 26, 2005
By Andrew Jacob
They say, "Persistence pays off". After years of working behind the scenes (like playing on Lauryn Hill's 1999 "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill": "Everything is Everything" and title track "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill") John Legend (Stephens) is finally the front man. "Get Lifted" is one impressive debut that ranges from R&B/Soul ballads to R&B/Hip Hop hybrids, both complemented with the piano. Highlights include the instantly intriguing "Let's Get Lifted", its vocally impressive counterpart "Let's Get Lifted Again", the catchy "I Can Change" & "Alright", the beautiful "Ordinary People", the soulful "Stay With You", and the best song on the album, the incredible "She Don't Have To Know" where the perspective is switched onto the two people cheating. Noble? No. Unique? With the way John Legend presents it; definitely. The only place where the album falters is the collaboration with Kanye West; "Number One" sounds like an obligatory track between the "mentor" and "protégé" (and Kanye just kills the song with his verse). But overall, the album is exceptional from start to finish. With innovative and fresh-sounding material, John Legend proves that he is not just another "throwaway artist", but rather an artist that has potential and whose talent will inevitably extent far into his career.
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
He's got it!Mar 15, 2005
By F. Ross Whittendale
Remember when Alicia Keys first came out and a lot of haters said that she really couldn't sing, and that she was just this poor little Clive Davis puppet? Years later she proved that she belongs, and I think that John Legend will do the same.
They said Keys was overated. No! She was not overated, but she was over-hyped. There is a difference. We got tired of seeing her on the cover of every mag and hearing how good she was. Once Mr. Stephens gets out on tour and away from the shadow of Mr. West he'll prove that he is more substance than hype as well.
He's not the female Alicia Keys, he's more like the male Mary J. Blige. And you know what I mean by that, his voice IS NOT pitch perfect; but damn if he doesn't put enough emotion in his sung lyrics to take your mind back to the same situation he's singing about. He's the truth.
True R&B is pretty miserable right now. This album is not just another I love you, I need you, I want you R&B record. In time and with polish he'll be among the elite as Maxwell and Brian Mcknight are now.
54 of 70 found the following review helpful:
I have been waiting for this CD release since October....Jan 12, 2005
By Linda D. Robinson
"The Queen"
when I heard him on Chicago's radion staion B96, in the studio with the piano singing Ordinary People. The CD was supposed to be released in November, early December but the release date was pushed back. Anyone who can go into a radio station and literally sing his heart out like, Mr. Ledgend did, deserves all the kudos he is getting right now. In the time of these NONE artists out here, here is someone who is a writer, musician and singer like Alicia Keys, making his mark. He will be around for a very long time. Good breakthrough start for Chi-Town's Kanye West's new label.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
The best album of 2004Apr 01, 2006
By Lucas W. Reynolds
"doctor_mindbender"
With his debut album, Get Lifted, John Legend manages to avoid the over-commercial/under-creative stigma of many R&B singers without pigeonholing himself with the label of "just another neo-soul artist". Beyond that, he puts forth an honest and cohesive statement that he is a force to be reckoned with, especially when paired with mercurial producer, Kanye West.
There is an unmistakable narrative in Get Lifted. It starts with Legend spouting braggadocio and unapologetic accounts of womanizing over slick hip-hop beats. The production on "I Used to Love You" is one of Kanye's finest moments, and provides the album with an early highlight. "Alright" and "She Don't Have to Know" (which cops the opening of Sly & the Family Stone's "Luv & Haight") both breach the subject of infidelity, but nowhere near as audaciously as "Number One". With its bouncy Curtis Mayfield loop and campy guest spot from West, "Number One" is one of the most infectious tunes on the album. Legend's lyrics are so flippant, though, that it comes off almost insulting, but it perfectly captures the mindset of the habitual cheater. By the time "I Can Change" comes around, we have no doubt that the song's title is a bald-faced lie. The song turns out to be a pivot point for the whole album, however. Starting off in the same vein as all of the previous tracks, "I Can Change" is a hip-hop/R&B hybrid with dense horns, a steady groove and even a verse by Snoop Dog. Legend is re-treading much of the same ground as he did in "Number One", but there is an actual touch of sincerity to his voice. Somewhere along the way, Kanye and John completely flip the script and take us to church, dropping the horn samples and the bass and bringing in a full choir while Legend makes us believe that a change really is going to come. We have no idea.
"Ordinary People" is one of those songs that grips you instantly the first time you hear it, but takes several listens to fully appreciate. On the heels of seven terrifically produced songs complete with full instrumentation and samples, the track is a little disorienting. Stripped of all bells and whistles, "Ordinary People" relies only on Legend's robust voice and a single acoustic piano to survive. It is at the same time the most powerful song on the album and the most fragile, mirroring the subject matter perfectly. In addition to serving as Get Lifted's centerpiece, it serves to cleanse our palate for the second half.
Here is where the soulful side of John Legend gets a workout. The focus becomes more about Legend's voice, and the subject matter deals with life after the attempted reconciliation of "Ordinary People". Unabashed love songs like "So High" and the Solomon Burke-style "Stay With You" suggest that the reconciliation worked. In addition, Legend has shifted his focus from hook-ups to family life, as in the glorious "It Don't Have to Change" (which features his actual family) and "Live it Up". Even though the sexual energy hasn't dried up, it is presented in a monogamous context. The title track, featured early on, is a cocky come-on to one and all, boasting Legend's prowess by comparing it to a drug. The reprise of the song, nested comfortably in the second half of the album, is much more intimate and focuses only on seducing the woman he loves. What separates these songs from contemporary R&B is partly their production, but more importantly the choices that Legend makes with his vocals. He has a very good voice, but it isn't particularly awe-inspiring. Fortunately, he has the control to push his voice to its limit without going too far, and the maturity to avoid the type of self-indulgent caterwauling that is popular with so many of today's pop divas (men and women both).
The dichotomy of Get Lifted is such that it almost feels like two different albums. John Legend's songwriting is so strong that they would be two considerable debuts if forced to stand alone. When combined, however, the listener is taken on a journey through the mind of a man (it isn't clear how much of Get Lifted is auto-biographical) as he makes mistakes, gets hurt, hurts others and ultimately grows. It is an intoxicating effort that it is impossible to take out of your CD player. I can't wait to see what's next for the best new talent around.
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