Ok, first of all, I am not into vocal jazz. Very few jazz songs do I like with singing...but...for some reason the song 'Anything' on the 20th Anniv. CD has really caught my attention in the past month. I was on my way to the beach in my wife's car listening to the CD and 'Anything' came on. I have herd the song before and usually skip over it. My wife's car has some really kicking infinity speakers and I was moved. Maybe it was the mix of funk & classical guitar. I added it to my running playlist on my Zune. This song sound like something off a Boney James cd. Is anyone else diggin this tune? If so...why.

peace
roge

...hmmm. Not so much huh? Hope you at least went back for another listen. I would give "Anything" three thumbs up if the vocals were cut. I'll still give it two considering Jeffery Osborne was singing. (Sorry Jeffery. Nothin personal. I love your pipes!)

peace
roge

You gotta love Brian McKnight, so versatile with his singing.

Oh yea...no doubt about Brian Mcknight. I'm not quite sure who sang on the Ripps ANYTHING. Was it Brian or Jeffery? Ironically...Brian is playing here tonight at a small club here in Columbia, SC called RUST. Would love to go but I have to save $$ on a jazz show in Charlotte tomorrow.

If I made a car CD of that album, I would leave that song off of it. To me that song is not even the Rippingtons. To each his/her own and all, but I can't stand that song. Peace and goodwill.

Hi ya Mark. Wow, can't stand that song huh? How come, besides "to me that song is not even the Rippingtons." Just wondering...is their any other Ripp songs you can't stand?

I am really not trying to start anything here, just curious.

peace
roge

I'm with Mark although I love R&B and Funk music. It's not the Rippingtons. It's just Russ playing a guitar track over an already finished song that someone else (Brian) produced. These types of tracks have no place on a 'smooth' jazz cd, IMHO! Having said that, I have created a cd with nothing but all the vocal tracks off all the Rippingtons cd's. But when I'm in a smooth jazz mood, I don't want to hear vocals!

It sounds like a song that didn't make the cut for a Brian McKnight album.

I do not care for modern "R&B" vocals at all. Just because Russ is on the track does not make it the Ripps. Although it is on a Ripps CD, I do not think of it as the Rippingtons because none of the others on the CD play on it.

I REALLY like the rest of that CD. Peace and goodwill.

Would you like it if he did a modern country vocal with Kenny Chesney? Brian McKnight is not really considered modern R&B. Try, for example, Shaffer Smith, Aliaune Thiam, and Terius Nash as examples of modern R&B.

Why all the questions? I do not like it. Get over it. I am just one unimportant person. I think songs of that type are part of what dumbs dowm America, whatever they are called. Sheese.

I hit "skip" on every Ripps vocal song of every cd. I just don't care for it. But I loved the use of Mark Williamson's scat/background vocals on Black Diamond.

Frankly, I don't understand how a sappy love song can be part of what is dumbing down America. However, Russ Freeman reserves the right to put forth whatever he feels will make for an entertaining recording.

The fact that you cannot understand it somewhat proves my point.

well.... I did like Jeffrey Osborne's vocals and the Whispers vocals on Sahara and Brave New World. Not sure about Chante Moore... it was nice enough, but I did find myself skipping it often when I would play Wild Card ...

Sometimes I enjoy the vocals, other times, I just want to hear the music.

I like some of the vocal tunes on Ripps albums, just not that one. Peace and goodwill.

I'm not big on the vocal tracks, but I've always been fond of "If I Owned the World". And I loved it when the late/great Carl Anderson sang on the Live in LA video concert.

Like I said before, I am not really into vocal jazz either. I usually skip over all the ripps vocal tracks (except the ones with Carl Anderson doing his island scats). If you have a good ear and a mix board in your head, turn down the vocals and turn up the classical funk guitar and let it roll with the bass or synth and drum....its really groovy. (oops, did I say groovy?) Yea, I did. So what.

peace
roge

BTW Pastor Henry...Great chops!!

peace
roge

Thanks- I appreciate the kind words!!!

I decided to go back and listen to this track after seeing the comments here. I for one do enjoy jazz vocals....but this really does not fit into that area at all. Just another watered down r&b song used for fill on a smooth jazz cd. I am usually at a loss to understand the ongoing need of groups who specialize in the instrumental sound to add a vocal or two. You don't see vocalists adding an instrumental track or two to their discs.

Song itself is not bad, but not great either, doubt it would stand on it's own, but serves as fill track rather well.

Ya know, what I don't understand is why this song was put in as a "filler" on a twentieth anniversary cd. Especially since almost everyone agrees that it just an R&B that did not make it on the writers cd. Seems like a "filler song" would be a song(s) that someone in the band wrote that maybe just wasn't up to par or didn't have room on the last cd. Sapphire Island I think would be considered a "filler" on the Ripps 1st greatest hits. Thing is, is that I LOVE that song! That was a great filler! Takes me back to the days when I was in Haiti.

Hey if you love the song more power to you. Just because some of us here may think otherwise does not mean your choice is wrong. My own reference to filler music is based on my dislike for any vocal song that gets lumped into an instrumental cd. I have seen the Rippingtons over a dozen times going back to 93-94 somewhere in there and never saw a vocalists with them. I like the band for that great instrumental sound and I think that adding the once or two vocal tracks to any smooth jazz cd is just filler. That my choice, you loved the song...that your's.

Now don't worry about what I or anyone else here thinks, enjoy the song to your hearts content. And for the record I am not trying to be a smart a.. here, I mean it, enjoy the song. We all have favorites.

Dave, my midwestern friend, I think you misunderstood. I like "Anything" and I love "Sapphire Island". If you go back some on this thread, you will see that I agree with you on the vocal jazz. Very few vocal jazz songs that I do like. shucks, I would rather hear "Anything" without the vocals.

Worried about what others think about my taste? ...I don't. It ain't worth the time. No harsh feelings here.

Oh well, I guess it's time to put this mule to sleep before someone fall off. BANG!