4/5
Dream On
How legendary is this? A pair of years after John released his surname self-titled album 'Legend', he's back with 'My Favorite Dream'...or should we say his? All in a big New Music Friday for rap and R&B that sees Detroit's Big Sean release his 'Better Me Than You' new outlook on life, and actor/singer Tyrese give us his 'Beautiful Pain' in the same week as his '1992' movie about the L.A. riots. But where's the love for 'Ordinary People' and Legend's like John, NPR? One who gave his own 'Preach' call to arms a year before the Black Lives Matter moment really took hold in 2020.
Reaching for a 'Bigger Love', Legend released a breath of fresh air of an album right before COVID. I remember listening to it on a break in work a week before we got locked down like the 'Blinding Lights' of The Weeknd. Ir remains one of the overlooked (obviously because of the time) and lost classics of 2020, like Lianne La Havas' self-titled, big third album or Haim's absolute California classic, 'Women In Music Pt. III'. This morning it dawned on me, how the pillow talk, tear-inducing lyrics of 'Conversation's In The Dark' even, in my opinion, bests everybody's wedding song of 'All Of Me', as the ultimate ode to love. So, searching my Spotify to listen to it on the train to work, I saw the face of John Stephens as a child and realized he had a new album out. I checked the date, was I late for a review? Wait...it came out last week? What was I doing?!
Legend might just be the king of the concept, every time he steps from behind his legendary, 'Everything Is Everything' piano, like when Andre 3000 gave him the 'Green Light' for an epic 'Evolver'. More styles than Three Stacks with the flutes that ladies love like Cool James does not, the 'Get Lifted' man of G.O.O.D. music has released old-school soul with The Roots ('Wake Up!) and 'A Legendary Christmas'. The best Yuletide album in recent Xmas memory, this side of a jolly Norah Jones, ensuring both of their trees will be stacked for festive seasons of presents to come. But now his new album is truly a dream, and a favourite (sorry...I'm British) for families. Perfectly produced by the 'Mystery Of Love' that is the great Sufjan Stevens (featured on the 'L-O-V-E' single with the family dynamics of Chrissy, Luna and Miles), this lovely album is one of lullabies like an 'Upside Down', Jack Johnson soundtrack for 'Curious George'.
The story of this children's music for John Legend's top and tenth album is a simple one. If learning the Fisher-Price song 'Maybe' on the piano is easy. I don't know...I can't even play 'Chopsticks'. But let's face it, the next time Legend reunited with The Roots, Jimmy Fallon will have fun with them both on his school instruments section. The family man, John just wanted to make a record for his kids. Like when Ben Harper wrote a lullaby for the late, great 'The Dark Knight' Joker Heath Ledger's daughter, after the 'A Knight's Tale' star directed the vivid ballerina video for the violin beauty of Harper's 'Morning Yearning' off 'Both Sides Of The Gun'. This Republic record took shape after spouse Chrissy Teigen posted a video of a dear John singing 'Maybe' to his children. The viral response was a hit, issuing Legend with a challenge to extend is by reaching for the stars of Seuss like children's music.
Something to keep his kids 'Safe', with sweet, childlike drawings on the album artwork. All the way to the lullaby to 'Go To Sleep', all the way to the morning that will 'Always Come Back'. Not to mention the beautiful bonuses of 'Great, Great Day', 'Friendship' and 'Maybe' itself. Legend lovingly reworks classics like the 'Legend' of Bob Marley himself and his 'Three Little Birds', famous like 'I Am Legend'. He even gives us the best version of the radiant 'You Are My Sunshine' since the Fresh Prince and all those Bel-Air prep sunflowers. Yet, from 'We Are Family' (and its piano solo version), to the soaring dreamworld of 'When We Fly', it's the nine original songs that are a wonder from Legend. Sounding just like classic standards, you feel like you've heard before, like his original and outstanding Christmas compositions. Now that's legendary.
This is 'For You' and your family too. 'When I Feel Sad' like, "When I feel sad/I think of all that makes me glad/I think of all the good times that we've had/And I don't feel so bad/When I feel blue/I think of what I love like you/I think of how it's cool you love me too/And I don't feel so sad/I don't feel so bad." Showing you it's OK to feel that way too. But just wait until he dives 'Deep In The Ocean Blue' like an early days Maroon 5 bootleg. "Deep in the ocean blue/We may find mermaids, turtles too/We'll wave to the octopus/And give that dolphin's nose a kiss/Yeah/Deep in the ocean grand/We'll meet King Crab, who rules the sand/Oh I see a jellyfish/And there's a star, let's make a wish." You don't need a 'Yellow Submarine' to find lines and lives like this. Maybe next up will be a children's book like Springsteen's 'Outlaw Pete'. Stephens and Stevens have given us maybe one of our favorite records of the year. An absolute dream. Now, it's time to sleep. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'We're A Family', 'L-O-V-E (with Sufjan Stevens featuring Chrissy, Luna and Miles)', 'Three Little Birds'.
Spin This: Jack Johnson - 'Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious George'
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