Alicia Keys
Unplugged
(J/Sony BMG)
Unplugged she may be. But alone she most certainly is not.
For this 72-minute live album, neo-soul piano diva Alicia Keys is backed by a full band including a drummer and percussionist, an electric bassist, horns, strings and backup vocalists.
OK, so maybe these reworked cuts from her two studio albums aren't exactly the introspective, bare-bones versions you might expect from an Unplugged disc. But they are somewhat stripped-down, as Keys reshapes her songs, editing and stretching arrangements to deepen grooves and give her more room to vamp and improvise vocally.
Those who want to hear Xerox-perfect copies of How Come You Don't Call Me, If I Was Your Woman, Karma, Heartburn and others might be disappointed.
But those who prefer their Unplugged albums to have a few unexpected twists and turns -- like a duet on the Stones' Wild Horses with Maroon 5's Adam Levine -- won't mind joining Alicia and her posse for an evening.
Track Listing:
1. Intro A Cappella
2. Karma
3. Heartburn
4. A Woman's Worth
5. Unbreakable
6. How Come You Don't Call Me
7. If I Was Your Woman
8. If I Ain't Got You
9. Every Little Bit Hurts
10. Streets Of New York
11. Wild Horses (Feat. Adam Levine)
12. Diary
13. You Don't Know My Name
14. Stolen Moments
15. Fallin'
16. Love It Or Leave It Alone (Feat. Mos Def & Common) / Welcome To Jamrock (Feat. Damian Marley, Mos Def, Common & Friends)
