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I have to agree with the other review: Raymond v. Raymond is definitely better than "Here I Stand", but it's definitely not as good as "Confessions".
This is a mature Usher, who has gone through the pain and heartache of a bad breakup and has become older and wiser. There are the sexy ballads, the player songs, and the tender tracks that reveal both the joy of being in love and the terrible feelings that come when that love is broken beyond repair.
My favorites are "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)", "There Goes My Baby", "Papers", "Foolin' Around", "Making Love (Into the Night)" and "More".
I'm not as fond of the many player songs, though I do like "Pro Lover" for its smooth, easy quality. It's a player song without hitting you over the head. However, there are other songs like "Lil Freak" and "So Many Girls", which don't do anything for the album. Just how many "I'm a player who can get any girl I want" songs do we need in one album?
Overall, I do enjoy Raymond v. Raymond. Usher is at his best when he's sincere, when he's conveying an emotion whether it be desire, love, heartbreak, or remorse. But, in the attempt to maintain his player image, there are way too many songs about meaningless one-night stands rather than songs about sex within the context of a love relationship. Confessions was a much better blend of love, sex, and guilt and the complications that come from modern relationships.
This is a mature Usher, who has gone through the pain and heartache of a bad breakup and has become older and wiser. There are the sexy ballads, the player songs, and the tender tracks that reveal both the joy of being in love and the terrible feelings that come when that love is broken beyond repair.
My favorites are "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)", "There Goes My Baby", "Papers", "Foolin' Around", "Making Love (Into the Night)" and "More".
I'm not as fond of the many player songs, though I do like "Pro Lover" for its smooth, easy quality. It's a player song without hitting you over the head. However, there are other songs like "Lil Freak" and "So Many Girls", which don't do anything for the album. Just how many "I'm a player who can get any girl I want" songs do we need in one album?
Overall, I do enjoy Raymond v. Raymond. Usher is at his best when he's sincere, when he's conveying an emotion whether it be desire, love, heartbreak, or remorse. But, in the attempt to maintain his player image, there are way too many songs about meaningless one-night stands rather than songs about sex within the context of a love relationship. Confessions was a much better blend of love, sex, and guilt and the complications that come from modern relationships.
Raymond vs Raymond is everything an usher fan could want. Its not Confessions but Michael never made another Thriller either. With songs "Lil Freak', 'Papers' and 'OMG' keep you wanting more but the lack of story line and the uninspiring "So Many Girls" hurt the album and keep keep it from being an instant classic. But it is worth the wait clearly better than "Here I Stand".