Top 3 favorite Neo-Soul albums

[Stratofreak]

So I'm laid up in bed with the flu, reading a recent post on TGP about Pino Palladino and decided it's been far too long since I've listened to my favorite neo-soul album, which Pino happened to play on, "Mama's Gun" by the queen of neo-soul, Erykah Badu.

What an amazing album! Every song is great. Particularly "Orange Moon".

So I got to wondering, what are the top 3 favorite neo-soul albums of my TGP brothers and sisters?

Here's mine:

1. "Mama's Gun" - Erykah Badu
2. "Brown Sugar" - D'Angelo
3. "Urban Hang Suite" - Maxwell

[bobmc]

Feel better buddy, I am watching this thread for suggestions myself. I don't know anything about the stuff but I dig it. Always up for new music.

[jb70]

not really up on my neo-soul but d'angelo's voodoo would be in my top 3

[mudster]

Well, I'm not actually sure what neo-soul is, but here are a couple of good albums of contemporary soul

"Set the Tone" Nate James

"My Soul" Leela James

"Under the Monka Moon" Alice Russell is also pretty good.

I don't know about the production and song choices, but Leona Lewis can REALLY sing - I'd catch her live in a minute, but I'm not that into the albums. Not as "cool" as Maxwell (in musical terms, not 'cool' as in 'hip')

[Stratofreak]

IMO, it is a great genre of music! To me, it feels like a natural extension of the great soul music that I was fortunate enough to be exposed to by my parents.

As well as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu and Maxwell, checkout Lauren Hill, Tony Rich, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, India Arie, Raphael Saadiq (founding member of New Jack Swing group Tony!Toni!Tone! and neo-soul producer extraordinaire), Soulquarians, Alicia Keys, The Roots, etc.

Here's a great clip from an older music award show of D'Angelo and Tony Rich performing 4 different Stevie Wonder songs, 2 simultaneously at a time ("Superstition/"Livin for the City" and "I Wish"/"Higher Ground").

Good stuff!!!