Modern Day Classics: John Legend's Get Lifted and Lyfe Jennings 268-192

Today I had the pleasure of taking some time to listen to two CDs I hadn't heard in some time: John Legend's Get Lifted and Lyfe Jennings 268-192. These two albums are classic but for two totally different reasons. One is modern day Motown, it's the stereotypical story of relationship redemption but with a different twist to it. It's fresh, even today, and he and the lady they sing to live happily ever after. The other is raw, gritty and a poorly produced classic. Don't get me wrong, I'm not downing the album. Going back and listening to it made me appreciate it that much more. Lyfe also has a story of redemption. On the album, he starts envious of the posessions of others, falls in and out of love, goes back and forth to prison, and at the end the listener can envision him walking out and shouting out to his boys still on the inside.

My personal experience with both of these albums and artists goes back to 2005 at Nashville's Dancin' in the District. It was a series of concerts, mostly country music, that people could pay $5 and hear some of their favorite stars. Due to the popularity of him being around Kanye West, I already knew who John Legend was as it was his turn to close out the show. But what was surprising to me was my introduction to Lyfe Jennings. At the time, Lyfe had a van with his picture on it, some background singers, a band, and his boys. Though his album had been out for a while, he thanked Nashville for helping it almost go gold. I sat down with my wife and we listened and were amazed by what we heard. We bought the CD the next day.

Lyfe's first album was modern day blues. It was a brown liquor album that you could sit back, sip, and grit your face to because the stories and examples were so true, vivid, and relevant to the story he was telling. After first hearing "Hypothetically" I remember damn near swerving my car when the female singer said "...and I just can't say for sure if the baby's yours." It was twists like that that made the album like a good book. It set it apart from everything else up until that point because, if you've ever seen life perform, you can just picture him and his guitar. He talked about dating women with kids and the war within himself on how it seemed "wrong to him, exposing them to a man who may one day decide he's tired of the family life." The album was good and introspective. He dealt with a lot and made it a complete package.

John Legend had your typical album release. 'Used to love U' came out and it did well. So did 'Ordinary People.' After listening to the entire CD. He also deals with alot. He goes from being tired of his girl because he's broke and she's apparently a gold digger to being drunk talkin to another man's girl to cheating to making up to struggling to making it. During the album Legend embodies the story of lots of men. On one hand, we don't mind taking you from your man. Sometimes we mess up and mess around. But when we realize you're the one, you've got us for life and we'll do anything to make you happy.

That night after being in the presence of both entertainers and getting my money's worth I can honestly say that's one of the best concerts I've ever attended. Both entertainers gave a full albums worth of performances and rocked it. I'm sure, simultaneously, they created life long fans.

I think the reason why I appreciate both of the albums so much is because they represent me at two different times in my life. On one hand, Lyfe's album is kind of the struggle of a guy trapped in his city and inner circle yet trying to do something positive. Legend's album is a guy who's been through a little somethin' and is now viewing the world from a man's perspective and experiencing life and relationships from that vantage point. I think that's why they are my two favorite albums. If I blogged back when they came out, I woulda reviewed them then, but better late than never right?