Track Listing

1. For Your Money
2. Impossible
3. Change - Daniel Merriweather,
4. Chainsaw
5. Cigarettes
6. Red
7. Could You
8. Not Giving Up
9. Getting Out
10. Water and a Flame
11. Live by Night
12. Giving Everything Away for Free

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13702 in Music
• Released on: 2009-06-02
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Album Description
2009 debut album from the Australian R&B singer/songwriter. Merriweather's first commercially released recording was a guest appearance on the track "All I Want" from Australian dance act Disco Montego's self-titled album in 2002. This was followed by a guest appearance on Mark Ronson's Here Comes the Fuzz album ("She's Got Me") in 2003. His debut solo single "City Rules" (produced by Ronson and featuring raps from New York MC Saigon) followed in early 2004. In 2005 he co-wrote and coproduced much of friend Phrase's debut album Talk With Force. A 2006/7 collaboration with Mark Ronson (a version of The Smiths' "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"), had huge commercial success in the UK where it was released as the lead-off single for Ronson's album Version. Now, Merriweather stands on his own as a unique and focused artist with Love & War. 12 tracks. Sony/BMG.

Customer Reviews

It's hard not to love these Nu-Soul gems ! A new star is born!
Having been discovered busking on the streets of Melbourne, it has only taken a few years for Daniel to release his debut album, "Love & War".
He was championed by Mark Ronson, on whose debut album "Versions" Daniel sung the vocals on a couple of tracks, two years back.
Daniel's big break came with the vocals of the hit "Stop Me", a Motown variation of The Smiths song.
And it's no surprise that the Ronson-produced "Love & War" picks up where the pair left off.
On this album, Daniel has collected a number of songs that are immediately catchy but, more importantly, will remain catchy rather than become the repetitive annoyances of many other pop songs.
The hypnotic beats of Impossible then ensue as Merriweather's vocal acrobatics and his backing vocalist's doowops create a thoroughly old school, Motown vibe.
A great singing voice that has an intriguing edge to it that makes you feel he should, and probably will, go far.
"Love & War is a mixture of funky beats and soulful, sun-soaked retro sounds - the perfect showcase for Daniel's soaring voice. There are loads of highlights: the single, "Red", is beautiful and "Cigarettes" is bluesy and lovely.
He is so naturally gifted, and just opening his mouth in the vocal booth can let loose some laryngeal magic, the Australian can sometimes sound semi-detached, especially on the tracks (Chainsaw, Getting Out) that bear too smothering an imprint of Ronson's commercial soul and the predictable sense of politesse that can convey.
Elsewhere, though, and beautifully so, Merriweather throws back his head and lets fly on nu-soul gems such as "For Your Money" and the aforementioned "Red", swooning through melodies indebted to Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke et al, and, because he's not cruising, absolutely nailing the song.
The flagship track, the radio smash "Change" - with its contagious 'la-la-la-las', sing-song delivery and slick raps from Wale - sounds more like a John Legend collaboration with Kanye West: the rap and soul elements are absolutely flawless.
The other partnership features the critically acclaimed soul sister Adele. They duet in "Water and A Flame", a heart-warming ballad which can catch you out if/when you suddenly stop to take it all in : a song that proves to be another wise move - her magnificent set of pipes compliment Merriweather's husky, smoky tones perfectly.
The album is distint, surprising, enjoyable, strong, catchy.
One word: gorgeous.
Do you remember when we first listened to Amy Winehouse's Back to Black?
Well, we are here on the same territory.
A new star is born.
This CD will be your summer's soundtrack!
Version
19

An instinctive, huge talent. A true global success in the making
Over the last two years, Daniel has been working on his debut studio effort, "Love and War" produced entirely by Mark Ronson, who, as he did with Amy Winehouse with 'Back To Black', has managed the trick of injecting a surprising amount of freshness into the frequently cringe-inducing and moribund blue-eyed soul genre.
In keeping with his work with Amy Winehouse, Ronson has encouraged Merriweather to move away from modern R'n'B and focus instead on incorporating vintage Motown and 60s soul influences into his sound.
But Merriweather is quite clearly his own man with the sort of soulful voice most people would kill for. It's deep, rich and breathless, and is bound to win him fans well beyond this restrictive genre.
Much of the success of this album is down to Merriweather and his extraordinarily emotive vocal range, an instrument thankfully given space by the stripped down arrangements.
It's hard to really classify what Daniel Merriweather's genre is.
At first, you think he's a prolific black soul singer from the Motown era. His vocals are passionate, powerful and genuinely great. It's a new spin on soul, essentially. Despite his songs cracking the R 'n' B niche - a genre as varied as describing a song as "rock music" - he has a very distinct style.
The 1st single, "Change" - featuring Wale - debuted at #8 on the UK singles chart, while the track is currently already top 10 in many European countries.
While "Change" gives you an insight into his young, fresh vibe, the 2nd single "Red" - featuring Sean Lennon on guitar - shows us another side of Daniel's artistry - a pop song with a knack for melody and lyricism that people of all ages can relate to.
"Chainsaw" is a Hammond organ-led song about the pain of infatuation, whilst "Cigarettes" and "Red" are both tender songs of heartbreak, destined to soundtrack loneliness and emotional distress everywhere.
On "Water and A Flame", Daniel duets with soulstress Adele in a fantastic fashion.
Taken as a whole, this is a melodically infectious pop-R&B album full of hooks, soul and funk.
It's his soulfulness that comes over most in his music. He pushes himself to the limits and then some, and the end product is incredibly captivating. A major hit in the making.
"Change has already provided him with a top 10 hit; ballad Red should follow. An immaculately laid curate's egg."-Johnny Davis
"Like Amy Winehouse (but without the drugs) and Joss Stone (but without the cheese), Merriweather is a 21st century prodigy of old school, classic soul. Remarkably and thankfully, his Mark Ronson-produced debut album, Love and War, fulfils all expectations".-BBC

Version
Back to Black
Introducing Joss Stone
19

More Blue-eyed Soul!
Looking for some retro Soul Motown/Philly style? Look no further than Daniel Merriweather's solo debut "Love & War".

Produced by Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Adele, Kaiser Chiefs), there are horns, organs, and harmonies a plenty. Daniel was the vocalist on Ronson's 2007 hit "Stop me", and if you liked that, there's more where that came from.

Opening cut "Impossible" is a horn drenched soulful number that sounds like some lost Motown classic. "Could you" is a beautiful sunny song that cleverly nicks its chorus from The Mamas and The Papas "California dreaming" to very good effect. My favourite!

Lead-off single "Change" is a groovy upbeat Hip Hop tinged song with a rap from Wale and lyrics taking a look at the state of the world. "Not giving up" is a bouncy Motown-style number, while the bonus track "You don't know what love is" is funky.

For ballads, we have the piano driven "For your money", the absolutely incredible "Water and a flame", a Jazzy duet with a very Amy Winehouse-sounding Adele (and my other favourite). Others are the acoustic "Red", the soulful "Live by night", the Gospel-tinged "All of the people" with wonderfully layered harmonies ("Invade them then cheat them, talk about freedom, and that's how the West was won" go the lyrics in part), and the beautifuly wistful "Giving everything away for free".

Daniel is definitely one to watch!