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By: ANDY ZEFFE
COMMENTS
 
IF YOU TURNED ON VH1 this past spring, you couldn’t watch more than a few
seconds without catching a glimpse of Joss Stone.
The channel was promoting her as a hot artist almost before anyone heard a
note come out of her mouth.
With her cover girl good looks and sultry sex appeal, it appeared that Stone
was just another pretty girl who could sing decently enough and, therefore,
share some of the same musical pie as Britney and Christina.
The novelty was that this 17-year-old blonde from Britain had a soul sound.
VH1 put her on their “Divas” special alongside Patti LaBelle, Jessica
Simpson, Cyndi Lauper and other already established greats. Stone butchered
a duet with Debbie Harry, and though she fared somewhat better with Gladys Knight
she seemed far from the earth-shattering new superstar that VH1’s marketing
department was trying to make her.
BUT STONE’S NEW ALBUM, “Mind, Body & Soul” is a reason
to give this artist a second look.
Perhaps it is because the album is partly produced by ’70s soul sensation
Betty Wright, best known for her classic hit “Clean Up Woman.” The
tracks on this collection have the same sassy grit and working class, tell-it-like-it-is
quality that gave Wright so much spunk.
Whatever the reason, “Mind Body & Soul” has an earnestness
to it. It doesn’t sound like an album written strictly to have a few radio
hits. If anything, the songs may be too rooted in funk to spawn heavy mainstream
radio airplay.
Stone doesn’t go for “American Idol”-style vocal tricks and
gratuitous yelps and screams. She sings it straight and smooth for the most
part, something many of her contemporaries could learn from.
Things get off to a soulful start with the opener “Right to be Wrong,”
complete with groovy Stevie Wonder keyboards, triumphant drums, the increasingly
rare guitar riffs, and almost gospel-like choir back up singers.
The feel-good grooves continue on “Jet Lag.” The lyrics are certainly
the stuff of those late night love broadcasts, with: “I’ve got jet
lag and I’ve never even left the ground, it’s like that every time
you come around.”
And Stone co-wrote 12 of the tracks.
WHILE STONE IS BUSY establishing herself, diva Dolly Parton continues to retain
her status as a gay favorite and an even bigger Tennessee tycoon.
The country superstar is adding 10 new rides and more acres to Dollywood, the
cash cow theme park that attracts 2.2 million visitors a year. So why shouldn’t
the country queen use her domain to record “Live and Well,” her
new double CD and live DVD?
“Live and Well” was filmed and recorded in December 2002, during
Parton’s “Halos & Horns” tour.
The voluptuous blonde is right at home at Dollywood’s Celebrity Theater,
and her performance doesn’t disappoint.
Parton performs 22 numbers, ranging from newly penned tunes to old favorites.
Surprisingly, the longest number isn’t one of her tunes or even a familiar
country tune by another songwriter. Instead, it is a more than seven-minute
version of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Parton takes
this Jimmy Page and Robert Plant classic rock staple and makes it all her own.
She closes out with what wasn’t her biggest hit, but her best-known song,
“I Will Always Love You.”
“Alive and Well” is a must have for any Parton fan.
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