Good day all
For old school Friday I thought my favourite Common album would be in order. I was going to post one of the songs from the album but thought, actually, it's the whole album that needs to be focussed on.
As you might know, Like Water for Chocolate is originally a book by Mexican novelist, Laura Esquivel. But that's not what I'll tell you about. When this album was released in 2000, the Soulquarians were officially formed. The collective comprises of ?uestlove, Jay Dee (from Slum Village), keyboardist James Poyser, D'Angelo and bassist Pino Palladino - with numerous other collaborators. They featured on this album and would also feature in Common's following album, Electric Circus (I personally didn't enjoy that one).
The album's cover photo was taken by Gordon Parks for 1956 Alabama. It's a photo of a young black woman in Alabama dressed for church and drinking water from a Coloured Only drinking fountain.
Like Water for Chocolate borrows from the Afrobeat genre on the track Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela), the Tony Allen sampling Heat and the Slum Village-assisted Nag Champa (Afrodisiac For The World). MC Lyte joins Common in the amusing A Film Called Pimp - Common also has a skit depicting himself as a hypocritical woman-beater. Mos Def also features in The Questions.
Like all Common albums, Like Water for Chocolate closes with spoken word recited by Common's father Lonnie "Pops" Lynn. A slightly altered version of the album was released after its success on the charts, with the Macy Gray-assisted Geto Heaven Remix T.S.O.I. (The Sound of Illadelph) replacing the original.
*An extra note I just remembered: In this album, Common also did a tribute song for Assata Shakur called A Song for Assata. This is probably my favourite track in the whole album (I'm shocked I forgot to mention it). Assata Shakur was an African-American activist and member of the Black Panthers. She was wrongfully accused of a number of crimes in the States and seeked political asylum in Cuba. This song is a story about the hardships she went through and her strength.
Classic
Thanks for that extra knowledge Writer Chick.
This album is part of my life's soundtrack. I must have played it for a month straight following my fathers funeral.
Its a DOPE album. And as a Dilla groupie, he just made it that extra bit of special with the Thelonius track.
nice pick.
A song for Assata still tugs at my heart strings...