Road to Freedom (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Road to Freedom
Type = studio
Artist = Young Disciples


Released = 1991
Recorded = October 1990-November 1990
Genre = Rock, acid jazz
Length =
Label = Talkin' Loud
Producer = Demus, Young Disciples
Reviews = *Allmusic rating-5|4 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:abfuxqy5ldfe~T1 link]
Last album =
This album = "Road to Freedom"
(1993)
Next album =
Misc = Extra album cover 2 | Upper caption = 1993 Reissue | Type = studio |
| Lower caption = Limited Edition, with bonus EP

"Road to Freedom" is the 1991 debut album of rock band Young Disciples, the only album the band ever released. Issued on the Talkin' Loud label in the UK and on Polygram in the US, the critically well-received album was influential in the music genres of acid jazz and neo soul. Containing two charting singles, "Get Yourself Together" and "Apparently Nothin'", the album itself reached a chart position of #21. It was reissued in 1993 in limited edition with a bonus remix EP of the song "Apparently Nothin'".

Background

The Young Disciples were formed when British duo Femi Williams and Marco Nelson invited American vocalist Carleen Anderson to join them.cite news | first = Rahul | last = Verma | title = Carleen Anderson: The disciple of soul | work = The Independent | date = 2004-09-17 | accessdate = 2008-10-08] The trio released two singles, each of which charted separately twice: "Get Yourself Together" at #68 (1990-10-13) and #65 (1991-10-05) and "Apparently Nothin'" at #46 (1991-02-23) and #13 (1991-08-03).cite book |last=Roberts |first=David |title=Guinness World Records British Hit Singles |edition= 15th ed. |year=2002 |publisher=Guinness World Records Ltd. |location=London |isbn=0-85112-187-X | page = 512] A 1992 eponymous EP also charted, reaching #48 (1992-09-02).

"The Independent" described "Apparently Nothin'" as "era-defining", indicating that singer Anderson "became on of the most recognisable voices of the soul, jazz-funk movement" of the time and that the emergence of the band along with acts Soul II Soul, Omar, Incognito, D'Influence and Galliano "was as groundbreaking an era as black British music has ever known." But in spite of the success of the singles and the album, which charted at #21,cite news | last = EW | title = 78-94 | work = The Observer | date = 20040-06-20 | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2004/jun/20/shopping.davidbowie2 | accessdate = 2008-10-08] it was the only album the trio ever produced. According to Anderson, the album was a "fluke", as Nelson "never felt comfortable or wanted the role of being an artist".

Release history and variance

The album was first released in the UK in 1991 on the label Talkin' Loud. It was later released in the United States on Polygram Records with some changes in the track list. On the British edition, the songs "All I Have" and "Step Right On" are instrumentals, but vocals by Anderson were mixed in for the US release. The album was re-released as a limited edition in 1993 with an additional disc, a remix EP of "Apparently Nothing."

Critical reception

The album was critically well-received. "Trouser Press" described it as "a masterpiece of understated soul, a seamless blend of samplers and studio musicians and a blueprint for the nascent acid jazz and trip-hop movements."cite web | first = Jeff | last = Chang | title = Young Disciples/Carleen Anderson | url = http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=young_disciples | site = Trouser Press | accessdate = 2008-10-08] "The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" listed it as among the ten best albums of 1991, with reviewer Robert Tanzilo noting that " [t] he cream of London's jazz/soul posse get the formula right...." [cite news | first = Robert | last = Tanzilo | title = 1991: Music worth bragging about | work = Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | date = 1991-12-27 | accessdate = 2008-10-08 | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MWSB&p_theme=mwsb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB826D510E5FDC2&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM] "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" stated that " [w] ith each track on "Road to Freedom," the road gets a little easier to travel." [cite news | last = Staff | title = Album reviews | work = The Atlanta-Journal Constitution | date = 1992-08-01 | page = L/16] In 2004, the album was featured at #84 in an "Observer" poll of 100 music industry professionals of "The 100 Greatest British Albums". [cite news | last = Staff | title = the 100 greatest British albums | url = http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/idx/0,,1242360,00.html | work = The Observer | date = 2004-06-20 | accessdate=2008-10-08] In its review at the time, "The Observer" indicated that the album did not reach the sales it deserved as "a record that revels in understated soul and sample-savvy jazz, rare groove and hip hop."

Musical influence

In spite of underselling, it became a highly influential album in two genres. 2002's "The Techno Primer" indicates it was "very influential" in acid jazz, as the band "set the tone for this movement." [cite book | title = The Techno Primer: The Essential Reference for Loop-based Music Styles | first = Tony | last = Verderosa | coauthors = Rick Mattingly | publisher = Hal Leonard Corporation | date = 2002 | isbn = 0634017888 | page = 34 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=VT7_x7m-RWcC&pg=PA34&dq=%22Road+to+Freedom%22+%22Young+Disciples%22&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U3uzjAuAxKTHVSaP5F9Y7MbUAvYTg] In the latter half of the 2000s, BBC disc jockey Trevor Nelson featured the album as "album of the week", noting that due to the album's combination of influences—"muscular" funk, jazz, R&B and British Hip Hop—with "clever, unpredictable productions" and Anderson's "low, smoky vocals", the album "is still deemed to be one of the most important albums to emerge from the acid jazz scene." [cite web | first = Trevor | last = Nelson | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/nelson/albumweek_youngdisciples.shtml | work = BBC Radio 2 | title = Album of the Week: Young Disciples' "Road to Freedom", Wednesday 13 August | accessdate = 2008-10-08] 2006's "A Change is Gonna Come" also cites the album as important in neo soul, including it along with R. Kelly's "R.", D'Angelo's "Voodoo", Maxwell's "Urban Hang Suite", Aaliyah's self-titled final release and Faith Evans' "Keep the Faith" as among "the starter kit" for the genre. [cite book | title = A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race & the Soul of America | first = Craig Hansen | last = Werner | publisher = University of Michigan Press | date = 2006 | isbn = 0472031473 | page = 327-328 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=TRnEdRBTih4C&pg=PA328&dq=%22Road+to+Freedom%22+%22Young+Disciples%22&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U02TiuGBKUR6zEGljlDHl4r4-yISQ#PPA328,M1]

Track listing

#"Get Yourself Together" (Carleen Anderson, Marc Nelson, Femi Williams) – 6:13
#"Apparently Nothin'" (Anderson, Nelson) – 5:22
#"Funky Yeh Funki (Mek It)" (Nelson) – :40
#"Talkin' What I Feel" (Masta Ace, Nelson) – 4:08
#"All I Have (In Dub)" (Anderson, Demus, Nelson) – 5:22
#"Move On" (Anderson, Nelson) – 3:29
#"As We Come (To Be)" (Anderson) – 4:35
#"Step Right On (Dub)" (I. Bellow, Nelson, Williams) – 3:56
#"Freedom Suite: (I) Freedom/ (II) Wanting / (III) To Be Free" (Anderson, IG Culture, Demus, Michael Talbot) – 15:58
#"Young Disciples Theme" (MC Mell'O', Nelson, Williams) – 1:58

Bonus disc with 1993 limited edition

"All tracks by Carleen Anderson and Marc Nelson."
#"Apparently Nothin' (Edit)" – 3:57
#"Apparently Nothin' (Soul River Edit)" – 3:53
#"Apparently Nothin' (The Re-Rub Edit)" – 3:37
#"Apparently Nothin' (Large Professor Rap Mix)" – 4:07

Personnel

*Carleen Anderson – keyboards, vocals, horn arrangements
*Maxton G. Beesley, Jr. – drums
*M.C. Bellow – rap
*Chris Clunn – photography
*Demus – arranger, record producer, audio mixing, beats
*Pee Wee Ellis – tenor saxophone
*Phil Hudson – guitar
*K-Gee – scratching, rap
*Masta Ace – rap
*MC Mell'O' – rap
*Marc Nelson – organ, bass guitar, guitar, scratching, melodica, beats
*Maceo Parker – alto saxophone
*Spry – percussion
*Swifty – design, typography
*Michael Talbot – piano, keyboards, clavinet, Moog synthesizer
*Fred Wesley – trombone
*Steve White – drums
*Femi Williams – percussion, drum programming
*Young Disciples – arranger, producer, mixing, concept

References