Black Diamond

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.

What the critics say...

Rolling Stone (10/14/99, pp.120-2) - 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."
Entertainment Weekly (11/19/99, pp.150-1) - "...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+
Q (1/01, p.94) - Included in Q's "50 Best Albums of 2000".
Q (3/00, p.109) - 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."
Mixmag (3/00, p.153) - 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..."
Muzik (1/00, p.127) - 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."
CMJ (11/8/99, pp.22-3) - "...fresh and relevant....classic-sounding soul production accents her butter-smooth delivery..."
The Source (10/99, p.240) - "...deserves more creative license than most wannabe starlets....Angie's listeners are nothing but rewarded with her ambitious freshman bow."
Melody Maker (3/21/00, p.46) - 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..."
Rap Pages (12/99, p.158) - "...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
Mojo (Publisher) (5/00, p.96) - "...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..."
NME (Magazine) (2/26/00, p.37) - 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..."