cletta1201's Full Review: MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 by Lauryn Hill
”Fantasy is what people want but reality is what they need and I’ve retired from the fantasy part” –Lauryn Hill
The theme of Lauryn Hill Unplugged is reality. The reality is that Lauryn Hill is a changed woman, she’s not the same woman from The Fugees or even the same woman from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Imagine winning 5 Grammy’s and trying to follow that up? Imagine the pressure to succeed and to conquer. Next, take all of that pressure and mix it with motherhood and day-to-day b.s. and you’ve got Lauryn Hill Unplugged.
Her voice isn’t always mind-blowing and for that she is unforgiving, but all in all she is L-Boogie. She is the woman most of this country fell in love with but is stripped down and surprisingly candid. She lays her foibles and shortcomings on the table for the world to see and at times you might even think she’s divulging too much, but that’s the new and improved Lauryn.
Qualms I Have With Lauryn Hill Unplugged
1. Quality – I mentioned L’s voice and how it’s not always “perfect”. Well, if you’re a stickler – you might want to stay away from this one because her voice cracks, creaks and breaks often. I’d love to say that it adds “character” but my ears are accustomed to studio records that have been produced to the limit, and I know that L has a beautiful voice – at times she sounds tired and weary and that’s cool but this is MY money, sound good. Also – the sound levels aren’t even so during the “interludes” you have to turn the music up and then lower it when the music kicks in.
2. Repetition - Because L is no Lenny Kravitz on the guitar, A LOT of the songs seem to have the same basic guitar riff. I can picture myself listening to this and thinking damn – didn’t I just listen to this song?
3. Talking - I put this here for people who don’t like a lot of talking . I think part of the beauty of unplugged is that artists’ do get to share their stories but at the same time, L gets a little chatty sometimes and you want to just keep moving for momentum’s sake.
4. Alzheimer’s??? - Now, I understand when artists’ have large bodies of work that from time to time they might forget a word or two but there are times when Lauryn has to stop and start songs over. In some ways it’s as if she wrote the songs last week and just wanted to “try ‘em out” on the audience.
So, did you like anything at all?
Funny you would ask, because yes I did. I respect that Lauryn has taken her own sweet time and even though as a fan there were times when I was impatient and just wanted her to release something, anything – some of the material here has made it worth the wait. Everything that Lauryn is attempting to convey through words and music says that for her, this is a rebirth. She has struggled for identity and what you see and hear is what you get. The lyrics are heavy hitting and at times (few times) the audience interaction is tender.
So, what about the songs you haterater?
Funny you would ask, there are songs on this CD (it’s a double disc by the way, no old stuff). Mr. Intentional is the first track and just might just be the best song on the album.
”Stuck in a system/ That seeks to suck your blood/ Held emotionally hostage by what everybody does/ Counting all the money that give them just because/ Exploiting ignorance in the name love/ Stop before you drop because/ That’s just the way it was/ Please don’t justify me/ Mr. Intentional/ Oh, one dimensional”
If I could write all the lyrics – I would, because this one song divulges much about what Lauryn has gone through. To me it speaks directly to the music company and seeks to reconcile self. Carrying a bit of a Spanish guitar sound, this song is solid and reminiscent of old Lauryn.
If you like your Lauryn Hill rapping, fear not – there’s a few tracks, one of the better ones is Freedom Time. I’m not going to be a lyrics junkie, but true to form – sometimes you just have to stop and be amazed at this woman’s poetry. Musically, **snore** not much different than any of the other tracks. I Find It Hard To Say does change a little musically (in key and tempo, not in repetition) and also L’s voice sounds much stronger than on a lot of the other tracks.
I Gotta Find Peace Of Mind is another standout. Searching is another theme that runs throughout this album. What I find in this song is conflict in a relationship, wanting to leave, re-thinking it and then understanding love. This song, like most of the others feels strangely intimate but that lends to its beauty. I Get Out with that same guitar riff, manages to be just a bit refreshing. Breaking out of boxes and chains of struggle, another throwback to old Lauryn. Again, the vocals are fairly strong and lyrically, beautiful. It does abruptly stop when L can’t read the lyrics anymore, but picks back up and is enjoyable.
So Much Things To Say (doesn’t that seem grammatically incorrect?) is another of my favorites. A bit political and very thoughtful – you see that Lauryn Hill is more than just some woman torn with emotional dilemmas but a social conscious. This song, for the record was written by Bob Marley who happens to be the father of Lauryn's husband - Rohan. The rest of the album's material is original and written by Lauryn.
So, Should I buy it or not?
[SOAPBOX] I think as fans sometimes we should support artists that we love even when the material is not up to our “standards”. In an email conversation today with Roheblius he told me if I wanted to I could check out the streaming audio on Netscape. I didn’t go because Lauryn Hill is one of those artists that I trust. I trust her musical judgment and as a fan, I support that even though at times I might not get the full “bang for my buck” [END SOAPBOX]
So for fans I say this is a definite go-getter. For new listeners, go back and get the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and then move forward. And if you just have to have this disc, know that Lauryn Hill is this, but SO much more.
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