Track Listing

1. Set It Off
2. Still
3. Party, Party
4. Get Up Again
5. Envious
6. Meaning Of a Woman
7. I Don't Know Why
8. Fed Up
9. Our Child
10. How Long
11. Read It In My Eyes
12. You Will Never

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126851 in Music
• Released on: 2002-01-29
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Dawn Robinson's vocals are so much a part of R&B that it's hard to believe Dawn marks her solo debut. A former member of '90s girl group En Vogue and neo-soul-funk act Lucy Pearl (not to mention a former Dr. Dre collaborator), Robinson possesses an instantly recognizable sweet and salty soprano. That voice is potent enough that you'll be compelled to pay attention, even if the songs aren't nearly as intriguing as the singer. Working with relatively unknown producers and songwriters (and collaborating on several tracks), Robinson is eclectic and often highly engaging. She shines on cuts like the sassy and sure-footed anthem "Fed Up," the undulating and jazzy "Set It Off," and the album's strongest cut, the hushed acoustic ballad "Get Up Again." That track, laced with an emotive mournfulness, may not be autobiographical, but its directness offers a real glimpse into Robinson's heart and soul. Had that rawness and intensity been present throughout, this CD would have been great instead of good. --Amy Linden

Customer Reviews

Pleasing
The biggest question surrounding this is why, indeed, a woman like Dawn Robinson who easily handled lead vocalist chores for the likes of En Vogue and Lucy Pearl, has been on the R&B scene for WELL over 10 years, has proven that she has mass appeal on a variety of genres, yet could not have the assistance of such high profile producers, like Jimmy Jam & Terri Lewis, Babyface, Jermaine Dupri, hey, at this point even Puff, oh 'scuse me, P. Diddy (geez) would have been okay. The point being a woman of Dawn's caliber/talent deserved much more than new/unknown producers. The end result is a CD worth getting simply because it is Dawn but only a few standout cuts which fuel the CD. I certainly don't regret buying it and if you generally appreciate Dawn's talent, you won't either. But you know, it's like eating Chinese....excellent when you finish the meal but in a couple of hours, you are starving....In any event, I look forward to her next outing because I honestly think she has what it takes. Hopefully, she will have garnered the artistic respect she deserves and getter a better caliber of producer.

Trying to keep up with the times...badly
To say that this record was a disappointment would suggest that I thought it might be good and then, upon listening to it, that it failed to meet my expectations. Fortunately, I can say that this much is not true. Her interviews during the noticeably brief, quiet press junket she went on to promote this record always gave the impression that she had resigned herself to this record more than believed in it and after even just a casual listen you can understand why: it's utterly non-progressive, and with the state of R&B music today, that's not even close to being a good thing. The record sounds smooth and well-produced, but some of the vocal arrangements try to make her voice do the work of a trio or a quartet and it just ain't happenin'. That, and the music just doesn't go anywhere we haven't heard a hundred times just TODAY.

Actually, I take that back: it goes everywhere. In what must be an attempt to keep up with the kids today (most of whom have stolen notes from En Vogue's journal) we are subjected to the Destiny's Child rip-off song (#10 How Long"), the Missy Elliot rip-off song (#3 "Party, Party"), the Aaliyah rip-off song (#8 "Fed Up"), the half-of-the-already-wack-radio rip-off song (#5 "Envious" and #12 "You Will Never") and the I-don't-need-En Vogue rip-off song (which I guess makes it another Destiny's Child rip-off song; #6 "Meaning of a Woman"). The record starts off promising with the first track, but then veers into questionable territory soon after.

#7 - "I Don't Know Why" - saves this record from a pure 1 star (read my 2 stars as 1 and a half).

A Treat Worth Waiting For
I've been waiting for a solo album from Dawn Robinson for a couple of years now. Though she has been involved with groups of talented singers, her vocals have always seemed to stand out from the rest. This album's release took a lot longer than I initially hoped it would, but it was worth the wait. My personal favorites are Set It Off(an instant favorite that will command repeated listens), Still(a tight rock-type track), Don't Give Up and Read It In Your Eyes. Those fans of Dawn's work with EnVogue and Lucy Pearl will pleased with this album because it is a combination of the two styles of music. But Dawn Robinson's sassy vocals and commanding style are what make this album distinct. I recommend this album and hopefully, you will enjoy it as much as I do.