Search - Chocolate Genius Inc :: Black Yankee Rock

If "black radio" wasn't so narrow-minded to begin with...

Manuel | California | 11/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Marc Anthony Thompson is quite an artist. I currently have all three of his albums under the Chocolate Genius moniker and NONE of them have failed to move me in some way, shape, or form. Even more surprising was that upon further research, it turns out that Thompson actually came on the scene back in the mid-'80s with a self-titled debut that wound up landing on deaf ears (the same going for his critically acclaimed '89 sophomore release Watts & Paris as well). He's basically a peer of the likes of Lenny Kravitz and the artist "formally known as" Terence Trent D'Arby, except he's managed to outlast both of them with better material and an utter lack of blatant egotistical tendencies. The kind of music Thompson excels at is something for which the terms "genre" and "categorization" no longer apply. Instead, it's the sheer emotional resonance of his singing and songwriting coupled with sympathetic backing from well-respected sidemen like frequent collaborators Marc Ribot and Abe Laboriel Jr. that truly show what he's all about in that regard. Unfortunately, it's this open-ended approach to the music that has pretty much kept him from becoming a household name up to now. Personally speaking, Thompson's the type of artist the music industry should be rallying behind for the sake of preserving whatever credibility it has left as an industry.



As for the meaning behind the title in my review: for anyone who knows how hard it is for a black artist to get anything played on those stations that isn't tailor-made for the musically "dumbed-down" hip-hop/R&B crowd, Thompson's certainly no exception here. Hopefully the day will come when such tight-fisted conservatism is thoroughly vanquished in light of true diversity and freedom of expression in music. In the meantime, treat yourself to some Black Yankee Rock. Just because you never heard of it DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT GOOD!

>;-D



"

Black Yankee Rock...An Incredible Purchase

Amy B. Birnbaum | 10/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An unequivocal myriad of sound, color and taste, Black Yankee Rock re-introduces its listener to the roots of rhythm. With soul-stirring tracks, inflective, lyrical poetics and melodic riffs in abundance, this cd is in a category of its own. Appealing to the avid listener and music enthusiasts alike, Black Yankee provides a fine juxtaposition of hard-driving songs (The Beginning Of Always) and saddened anthems (Chasing Strange). It is so rare that we find an artist who seamlessly blends the use of fine-tuned instrumentation and vocal prowess. A classic album that will leave an indelible mark on music history and have you hungry for more..."

I guess he is a genius!

amm | brooklyn | 04/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is no voice quite like Marc Anthony Thomson's. It is a deep, sexy, uncannily intelligent voice that hits a listener in three places at once-- the head, the heart and the tip of the tailbone. The song he might be most well known for is a cover of, "Julia" from the film I Am Sam. There are not many people who can take on a Beatle song and make it both their own and wonderful, he is one of them. In this, his, I think third album, he sounds great. His ability to take a person right next to him, to make a person feel that they are living what he is living along with him is amazing. The opening song, The Beginning of Always shows, in his Black/White rocky way, what a mess he is and we all are and how its going to be all right anyway. A later song, Down So Low, is what is needed when you know its not going to be all right, but there ain't nothing nobody can do about it. It is a song that might well make a cold cynic believe Billie Holiday has been reincarnated into a strong male body--after listening to Jimmy Hendrix.



The title of the Album , "Black Yankee Rock" cracks me up!"