Priceless

Priceless

Priceless is a pretty ambitious name for a CD, but Frankie J's second English-language disc does play like something that ought to be brought to shoppers' attention by way of a loudspeaker and a gleaming blue strobe light. As of opening track "That Girl," the man who launched a thousand comparisons to Usher comes out swinging and bobbing to a Chamillionaire- and Mannie Fresh-enhanced beat: "shake-it-shake-it-shake-it-shake-it-shake-it," Chamillionaire commands when he's not fueling Frankie's obsession for a girl with a "face like a supermodel/body built just like a Coke bottle." Forty-five minutes of pure R&B flow, some of it laid atop a hopped-up dance vibe, follow: "Never Let You Down," featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, could be part of a producer's PowerPoint presentation on the expert scuffing of a pretty ballad; "If He Can't Be" conjures the spiky-haired spirit of Billy Idol (or at least his inescapable hit "Eyes Without a Face") for a sneaky seduction; "Hurry Up" hustles out of the speakers with thump-hearted urgency; and the midtempo "I Ain't Trippin'" coasts on glass-clear vocals--"Even though you've got a man, even though I've got a girl/I like the way it's going down," sings Sir J in a Timberlake-reminiscent falsetto. Latin, R&B, dance, and hip-hop fans will like what's going down here, too--if Priceless proves anything, it's that Frankie's bent on freeing himself not only from comparisons with other sexy crooners but from genre conventions as well. The former Kumbia King has entered an exploratory phase, and it's serving him well--if he keeps it up, don't count on seeing his discs in the sale rack anytime soon. --Tammy La Gorce



Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0828768508428
Label: Sony
Manufacturer: Sony
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: 2006-10-17
Studio: Sony



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Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Summary: His best album, and no one cares
Comment: I never questioned Frankie J's vocal ability, but his albums as a whole were never very exciting. His first album What's a Man to Do didn't really have much to offer outside of "Don't Wanna Try", and although his second album The One had more hit material, it also still had about the same amount of filler. Plus, no one really paid attention to it after "How to Deal" lost fire (possibly because it sounded a little too much like Usher's "Burn"), even after tacking on a decent remake of Extreme's "More Than Words". This is probably why Frankie released a Spanish album only a few months later, and then he released his third English album (yes, editorial reviewer; this is his THIRD English album, not his second) Priceless a few months after THAT. While normally that would be the sign of a rush job, this is actually his best album.

One relieving thing is that Baby Bash is nowhere to be found on this album (I hear he has a new album coming out this year...*sigh*), but other guest rappers hold up pretty well. While "That Girl" (with Chamillionaire and Mannie Fresh) didn't exactly get people running to the record store, the song is pretty good. Layzie and Krayzie Bone also deliver good stuff on the aptly titled "Never Let You Down".

And speaking of that, Frankie is a lot better with fast songs than he used to be. When he tackles extramarital affairs, he impresses, whether he ends up getting away with it ("I Ain't Trippin'") or caught ("Hurry Up" -- although it's hard to picture when he talks about the other man being 7'9"). And "If He Can't Be" does a good job of interpolating Billy Idol's "Eyes Without a Face". But Frankie also still scores with ballads, as evidenced by "Still" and the title track.

"Top of the Line" (featuring Slim of 112) doesn't really help or hurt the album, and the necessary song with a message ("Daddy's Little Girl") is a little hard to get into. But the corny "Dance" should have been left behind (especially when Frankie talks about liking the girl's Janet Control). But this is still a great album. Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if Frankie is dropped from Columbia, especially considering this album has been out for almost a year and this is only the tenth review for it. But Priceless is still worth picking up.

Anthony Rupert

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: nice cd
Comment: his first cd was good nice songs this one isnt as good but still great

i like never let you down and is this what you call love

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: Frankie!!!!!
Comment: I would give him 100 stars if I could! I love this CD. I loooove Frankie J! He is my favorite R&B singer and no one has a voice like he does. He's sooooo awesome!

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: The Best Yet.
Comment: I own all of Franke J's CD's and this is the only one where I love every single song on it. On all of his other efforts there seems to be a handful of songs that I like and the others seem to be just plain bland and boring. It is great from beginning to end. This CD has the perfect blend of great slower songs to uptempo R&B jams. Frankie has such a good, smooth and captivating voice that just draws you in.

1. "That Girl" - The first single released from this CD with a great melody and catchy beat that makes you want to bounce. A hook that you will find yourself humming and/or singing to. 5/5

2. "Priceless" - The title track from this CD is a nice slow jam with great vocals. Not one of the best slower songs on here but, it still great. 3/5

3. "Never Let You Down" - Love this song! A great feature from Bone. A nice midtempo song with a great melody. 5/5

4. "Daddy's Little Girl" - WOW! One of the BEST tracks on this CD. A tight ballad from start to finish. His vocals are on point. A great message! 5/5

5. "If He Can't Be" - My FAVORITE song on here!!! Awesome sample from the 80's smash "Eyes Without A Face" by Billy Idol. A hot midtempo groove. The vocals are perfect. You will repeat this song several tims!! HOT!

6. "Say Something" - A nice slower-midtempo song. Not one of the best on here but, his voice shines throughout. Good melody. 4/5

7. "Hurry Up" - Tight song! Makes you want to bob your head. Very refreshing sound. 5/5

8. "Is This What You Call Love?" - A top notch ballad! Very beatiful sound! A highlight on this CD. The vocals are amazing! A very infectious song 5/5

9. "Top Of The Line" - A faster song with a good beat. The melody is not as exciting. Not much substance to the words. The beat makes the song. 3/5

10. "Dance" - Good song. Just like the title says: You will want to DANCE. Hot beat! 5/5

11. "Still" - Nice melody and lyrics. A great midtempo songs. His voice is so good. 5/5

12. "I Ain't Trippin'" - A good song to close the album with. A more upbeat song with a good lyrical melody sung in a great falsetto tone. 5/5

Frankie J is always so underrated but his CD is a MUST have!! It's an excellent addition to any music collection.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: Another One
Comment: Frankie J did it again...if you love R&B, this is a must have.
Top 3
Never Let You Down
Is This What You Call Love
Top Of The Line


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