Track Listing
1. Freedom (Intro)
2. No More Rain (In This Cloud)
3. Green Grass Vapors
4. Everyday
5. Coulda Been You
6. Visions of You
7. Life Story
8. Just a Pimp
9. Trouble Man
10. Bone 2 Pic (Wit U)
11. Man Loves His Money
12. Love Junkie
13. Black Diamonds & Blue Pearls - (interlude)
14. Heaven Help - (bonus track)
15. (Untitled) - (hidden track)
| Details | | Contributing Artists: | D'Angelo, Lenny Kravitz | | Distributor: | BMG (distributor) | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes
Personnel includes: Angie Stone, Lenny Kravitz, D'Angelo (vocals); Stephanie Bolton, Sekou Aiken, Gerry DeVeaux, Tenita Jordan Dreher, Gemini, Juliet Roberts (background vocals); Chalmers "Spunky" Alford, Tim Donovan, Joe Belmaati, Iran, Jonas Krag, Aaron "Freedom" Lyles, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Joe Quindy, Rex Rideout, Craig Ross.
Producers include: Lenny Kravitz, Gerry Deveaux, D'Angelo, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Russell Elevado.
Engineers include: Aaron Connor, Tim Hunt, Angie Stone.
This is a solo debut by a long-time backup singer who's worked with everybody from Lenny Kravitz to Buckwheat Zydeco. Kravitz and similarly retro balladeer D'Angelo are among the producers here, so the old-school soul sound of most of these tracks shouldn't be a surprise. "No More Rain in This Cloud," for example, cops its groove from early '70s groups like the Chi-Lites (its lyric quotes from Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears") and there's a very effective update/cover of Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man" to boot. Proof that BLACK DIAMOND was made in the '90s: "Man Loves His Money," in which Stone declares her love for a paramour in bottom-line financial terms.
Editorial Reviews
...Solid songwriting....highly effective [production]....Stone's sound is a throwback to the good ol' days....Arista [record label] only gets mo' betta with Angie Stone's addition... - Rating: B
Rap Pages (12/01/1999)
3 stars out of 5 - ...a low-key album of quietly poetic soul, epitomized by the muffled funk of 'Green Grass Vapors'....a meandering and overpolished at times, but, in the main, hints at a sparkling future.
Q (03/01/2000)
...Cultured, musicianly and old-sense soulful....it's a pleasure and relief to once again hear someone singing with confidence and a lack of constriction...
Mojo (05/01/2000)
6 out of 10 - ...a snazzy set of streetwise R&B missives....[her] honey-toned voice boasts an impressive grasp of soul history...and she displays the sort of assured songwriting ability that even Missy [Elliot] would be hard pushed to beat...
NME (02/26/2000)
3 stars out of 5 - Nice to hear someone like this - a legendary diva who has guested on everybody's records ever - on an album in their own right...
Melody Maker (03/21/2000)
...fresh and relevant....classic-sounding soul production accents her butter-smooth delivery...
CMJ (11/08/1999)
5 stars out of 5 - ...Superb vocals produced with pristine feeling in songs that definately reach and one to play in 20 years time or more - classic black music.
Muzik (01/01/2000)
Included in Q's 50 Best Albums of 2000.
Q (01/01/2001)
4 out of 5 - ...[BLACK DIAMOND] continues the the work of Lauryn Hill in taking soul back to a place it was at somewhere in the mid 70s....[it's] handled adeptly, sidestepping the curse of 'retro', and is a joy from start to finish...
Mixmag (03/01/2000)
...pairs sensual R&B with tastefully lean production, allowing her raw emotion to roam free....the illumination feels like a hard-won victory. - Rating: B+
Entertainment Weekly (11/19/1999)
3.5 stars out of 5 - ...features an all-star list of collaborators...and a variety of sometimes bluesy, often jazzy pop sounds, with lyrics that range from whimsical free association to candid expression...[It] shines with the intensity of brilliant soul.
Rolling Stone (10/14/1999)
...deserves more creative license than most wannabe starlets....Angie's listeners are nothing but rewarded with her ambitious freshman bow.
The Source (10/01/1999)
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