Music Addikts

Ladies…the doctor is in! And his name is Dr. Robin Thicke.  ‘Mr. Blue Eyed Soul’ is at it again.  The ADDIKTS are excited to see him back on the scene! We’ve been fans of Robin, for quite some time.  We’ve had the pleasure of seeing his live show several times, but most recently at the Essence Festival this past Summer.  ”It’s ya body, you can love if you want to, love if you want to,” he says.  Well alright! Look forward to this new album, ”Sex Therapy”, to be released in December.

keep your soulHIGH!

 If you’ve ever been to a basement house party that was so off the hook, you danced your heart out and don’t even remember the face of the person you danced with – then you were likely at a party that played at least one song by this man. Born James Ambrose Johnson Jr., Rick James was a Grammy award winning musician who wrote the classic party anthems, “Mary Jane”, “Superfreak” and “Give It To Me Baby”. All are timeless classics that both old and new schoolers jam to. If you’ve been following MusicADDIKTS’ “We Miss You Wednesday” posts, then you know that like so many others we’ve remembered, Rick James’s story doesn’t have a happy ending.

The 70s and 80s were his hey day, because in came the 90s and so did James’ troubles. Instead of making headlines with his music, James made the news with his wild lifestyle, drug abuse and legal problems. In later years, Rick James’s past antics made for good comedic material as seen on  The Chapelle Show. Dave Chapelle single handly made the phrase, “I’m Rick James Bi#?!” a running household joke.

Although Rick James and his music were far from a joke, we suppose it’s better to be known for something than nothing at all, so today we remember Rick James – The King of Funk and his “Superfreak” abilities to get a party started.

Vh1 calls John Mayer’s new album a “handbook for the heartbroken”. After a quick listen, this ADDIKT agrees. The hum of Mayer’s guitar on the first track, “Heartbreak Warfare”, lets you know that this album is definitely a reflection of the personal ups and downs Mayer has gone through. Even if you’re not a card carrying member of the Lonely Hearts Club, a true ADDIKT will appreciate “Battle Studies.”

Some call Mayer a faux-folk artist trying to play real musician. I tend to disagree. This guy has some serious street cred.  He plays a mean guitar and has collaborated on some hot songs with the who’s who of R&B and hip-hop including Alicia Keys, Common, Kanye West and Jay-Z. Hell!  The man performed at Michael Jackson’s funeral! You don’t get more official then that.

From the block to the bandstands, Mayer has proven his ability to make good music with anyone, evidenced by his collaboration with country music’s sweetheart Taylor Swift on “Half of My Heart.”

Two of my favorite cuts from the new album are “Assassin” and “Edge of Desire.” Classic John voice. Classic Mayer sound. Good feelings.

Due to technical difficulties with the Vh1 media player, I wasn’t able to listen to the entire album. That’s what I get for jacking free wireless from my neighbor. No matter, I was already sold. I’ve been a John Mayer fan since he released Continuum in ‘06.

I got my copy. Click here to get a listen to Mayer’s new album and you can decide for yourself if he lives up to the hype.

Track listing:

01            Heartbreak Warfare

02            All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye

03            Half Of My Heart (With Taylor Swift)

04            Who Says

05            Perfectly Lonely

06            Assassin

07            Crossroads

08            War Of My Life

09            Edge Of Desire

10            Do You Know Me

11            Friends, Lovers Or Nothing

4daLove