Love in 5 Dimensions: The Cross Examination

As earlier stated, this blog is the cross-examination of the 5 love songs selected by Doc on B.L.O.G. His five choices are: Roberta Flack - "Feel Like Making Love"; Luther Vandross/Cheryl Lynn - "If This World Were Mine"; Kem - "I Can't Stop Loving You"; Raheem DeVaughn - "You"; Jeffrey Osbourne - "Love Ballad".

Roberta Flack - "Feel Like Making Love"
To be honest, I didn't hafta hear this song to know it was dope. The first time I actually heard this song was actually as a sample. I listen to some house music, and I copped this album from the UK by this cat Junior Jack. He had several dope songs on the album, but the one that made me say "I'm gonna buy this" is a song called "Luv 2 U", where a voice chimes what sounds like, "next time... I feel like making love... to you..." And a guitar bends out a sweet melody with a simple, charming bassline riding beneath it. It was the kinda song you could take a long drive to with the one you love resting her head on your shoulder. One day I played the song for my homeboy Swim and Swim said "Dag, he used that Roberta Flack sample!" "Robert Flack?" I answered. And, as it often goes with old school music that's sampled, I've liked the original song ever since.

Luther Vandross/Cheryl Lynn - "If This World Were Mine"
I like this song because of the honesty, despite the lofty theme. So often in love we hear the, "I'll taked you around the world/I'll buy you X, Y, and Z/We'll live in a A,B, etc.". This song is a great song because of one word: if. It's a song where lovers talk about what they want for their love interest, but also realize they're only human and we can't have all that we want. Still, it's beautiful and romantic to tell your companion what you would do for him/her if you had the power, just to let them know that you could never express your deepest, truest feelings for that person in such a lowly form as the ordinary man/woman.

Kem - "I Can't Stop Loving You"
I heard this song once and I didn't really notice it except it was kinda relaxing. Then I heard the song 8 times in one day on a trip to North Carolina, and by the time I got back home, I HAD TO HAVE IT. It was SO well executed by the singer, Kem. His vocal talents are to be admired. There's a particular part on the song where he ad libs, "no matter how hard I try", and I DECLARE HIS VOICE IMITATES A SAXOPHONE! It's so amazing. The song is about a relationship that almost fails except the main character can't let go of his love. I imagine it's either a very long-term relationship or a marriage, possibly a divorce because Kem says, "I think about the love we have for our children". That implies a lot of time invested into the relationship to have more than one child mentioned. And I like how it sounds as if the protagonist doesn't even understand his own attachment to his spouse. And I love how quietly he says "and I don't know why". Honestly, this is one of the few songs I play and put on repeat and could listen to for hours.

Raheem DeVaughn - "You"
This is a VERY talented cat. I knew it when in his first video he stepped out of a car with Ginuwine, walks into a room with his peeps and says "Ya'll need to get on this Kenny Gonzalez". I'm glad anotha brotha out there knows sum'n bout some Kenny Dope Gonzalez (shout to M.A.W.!) The first song I heard him on was "Guess Who Loves You More". At first I thought it was an old school song because I don't hear a lot of dudes sing in higher notes like that anymore. Then he really impressed me with his ad libbing toward the end of the song; it almost sounded like he was gonna create a new song within the song from the libs! lol. Then he really REALLY impressed me when he chimed down the scales singing "Never, never, never, never, never, never, never"; his range is CRAZY.

So now he has a new song out called "You"... The beat is LOVELY (a liiiittle heavy on the snare). The song itself is dope; vocally he didn't let me down at all, lyrically pretty tight. What I love most about this song is the video. That's the one thing I wish was different in the song: I wish he had incorporated the themes from his video into his song. In the video he shows women from all walks of life, and he associates uplifting words too them: inspired, fearless, brave, beautiful, etc. My favorite part is where he shows three girls in the street together with somewhat angry appearances on their faces; I'm gonna borrow a term I don't care much for and say that "hoodrats" comes to mind. But then, instead of something bad like "scorned" or something like that, the word "loyal" comes across the screen. I LOVE that part. The song is meant to be an anthem to women, but I feel that the real anthem is the video and my only grievance is that the song should've incorporated more of those themes.



Jeffrey Osbourne - "Love Ballad"
This song is just so great. The title is fitting, that's all I need to say really. I love how the instruments come in, especially the strings and the horns. To me, it reminds me of the ending theme to a wonderful story. And I love Jeffrey Osbourne's voice; it has the sound of strength and that strength permeates "Love Ballad" to resonate with the strength of love. But my favorite part, and I think Doc mentioned this too, is at the end when he continues to repeat "And what we have is much more than they could see... What we have is much more than they could see..." It's so stirring, not to be sacrilegious (but if it's true love, can there really BE sacrilege ...) but it kinda reminds me of when sometimes the spirit hits you in church. And it makes me think, "This is what God meant love to be; not in content because the song lyrically doesn't go extremely indepth into what love is. But the FEEL of it; it FEELS like love." Definitely will always be a classic.

So there's my cross-examination. I'm gonna... go play these 10 songs now, lol...