Search - Cody Chesnutt :: Headphone Masterpiece

With or without headphones...this IS a masterpiece

chadwick taylor | fort lauderdale, FL | 12/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i would say an instant classic.



sits up on the shelf along-side: Prince, Marvin, Stevie, Sly , Jimi and John Lennon.

(and much more soulful than thee ole' Lenny Kratiz way)



5 stars. own it and be all the more hip.

(also, check out the Dirtbombs)"

Musical genius

A. Lancaster | 12/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have gotten so many people hooked on this man, we cannot wait for another solo album. Cody Chesnutt is a vocalist comparable to the smooth voice of Marvin Gay and the soul of Ray Charles. His guitar rifts and beats he comes up with are by no means simple, either. The Headphone Masterpiece is acoustic, it's good beats, it's soul, it's psychedelic, it's obscene, it's loving, all on a single album. The first time I listened to it the whole way through, I'll admit, I was trying to place the man in a single genre but couldn't and it frustrated me at first, but after listening to it more, I see it is of its own genre and I appreciate the good mood it puts you in instantly, and I love it all. Now that's me, I know people will be people and not like it in its entirety but some gateway Cody Chesnutt songs to get you hooked that you'll be sure to enjoy include: "If We Don't Disagree," "When I Find Time," and "Look Good in Leather." Spread the love, it's just that good."

Lives up to its title

Olukayode Balogun | Leeds, England | 04/01/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is another CD I just had to check out after hearing Chesnutt (apparently, it's written "ChesnuTT") sing on Dave Chappelle's Block Party (Unrated Widescreen Edition). He has a very good voice and, given the company he was keeping on this DVD (not to mention his inspiring guest appearance on The Roots' Phrenology), I was curious as to why I hadn't heard more of him or seen any of his videos on MTV Base.



One listen to this CD and I had my answer. He's all over the place. Not in a bad way but I could immediately see why it might've been very difficult for label execs or commerical radio (or more importantly, for listeners) to categorise or pigeon hole him. In this day and age, such categorisation or pigeon holing seems essential if commercial success is the primary goal.



Sometimes using his natural voice and sometimes a falsetto that while never off-key or flat, always sounds incredibly raw, the man leads on a complex journey covering 36 songs spread across 2 discs, through soul, neo-soul, electronica, hip-hop, spoken word, rock and some of the most sexually explicit lyrics I've ever heard. And I've heard quite a number. The second disc is "enhanced" and I assume this means it does something when you put it in your PC but after the Vivian Green Vivian debacle a few years ago, I will not be attempting to find out. The music alone is more than enough for me, thank you.



"The Headphone Masterpiece" is a very ambitious title for any CD but I think ChesnuTT lives up to it here. Especially when you consider the fact that he's "written, arranged, composed, performed & engineered (recording & mixing)" every single song. If you can stay with him while he takes you over musical valley and hill, I believe you'll find it quite a full and enjoyable experience. You definitely need an open mind though - in more ways than one. This is more Van Hunt than Ne-Yo or Omarion.



Personally, I love it.

"