Search - Toni Braxton :: Libra

Excellent! But get European Version

Keeper | Earth, Universe | 07/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
This is a great CD. Some of the songs might have more of a hip hop flavor to them than some people are used to.. but T.B. pulls each of them off perfectly.. and I found myself thinking.. "If Beyonce had done that song, it would have been a chart topper for WEEKS!" Someone really missed out on promoting this CD to multi platinum. Her vocal acrobatics are unrivaled by any contemporary R and B or pop singer and she certainly straddles these two music genres well. I mean she just takes a lyric and does whatever she wants to it and always does it well. As one reviewer wrote about her, Braxton never over sings. She never makes a song bad.



I am not in love with every song, but I can listen to all but one. The beats of Take This Ring are just too loud, too hard, and too overproduced and hard to tolerate. Nevertheless, Braxton herself is on point with each song and my can this woman bring home a crescendo! If there is a vocal weakness.. and it is more of my personal taste than a weakness .. is the backup singing... Primarily Tamar Braxton does the backup here. She has strong vocals, but I think on many of the songs these two sisters' voices just do not work very well together.



We all know that Toni has a very sensual and adult sounding voice, while her sister just does not. She sounds too much like a young Brandy.. nothing wrong with that.. but it does not work for me paired here with Toni's. The background singing on The Heat was fierce. Listening to Tamar backup Braxton on some of these songs reminds me of listening to Johnny Gill sing with NE. He vocally outclassed all of the other members, and for me.. just did not belong. On the songs where Toni participates more in the background vocals, the blending of their voices is better.



Make sure you order the European version of this that has FOUR extra songs on it.

11. I Hate You

12. Shadowless

13. Long Way Home

14. Time of Our Lives (With il Divo)



I ordered one on Ebay that had all but track 14 on it for abut $7.00 new and delivered from Canada. The sad thing is that I Hate You and Long Way Home are two of the strongest tracks on the CD. Yeah... her record company screwed up all over this!

"

IT'S THIS IMPORT EDTION YOU WANT TO GET THAT HAS 4 (FOUR) SU

Mr. Nightshift | Los Angeles, CA | 03/18/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I made the mistake in buying the 2005 U.S. Edition sometime ago, now don't get me wrong the U.S. Edition is still a good album album with Key Tracks: "Please", "Take This Ring" and "Shadowless", but a year later the "Libra" album was released in the U.K. that boosted 4 (Four) Bonus Tracks! "Suddenly", "I Hate You", "Long Way Home" and "The Time Of Our Lives" featuring II Divo. Surprisingly these Bonus Tracks took a good album and made it Great!!! Old die- hard fans who got hooked on Toni back in the day will really apreciate hearing these Bonus Tracks. You must understand Toni Braxton is moving in a different direction (Musically) on this album...Changed is good! On this Expanded Edition she makes EVERYBODY HAPPY! Who would ever think 4 (Four) songs could make a difference?"