Royal Jones: Reviews commentary

Royal Jones: A Dear in the Headlights
The Royal Mr. Jones is back, and this trip is more polished and sophisticated. The music has taken a massive step up, with killer piano, funky horns, demanding bass, and Motownish female backup vocalists with harmonies to die for. It would be classy enough for the Upper East Side, if Mr. Jones would just put on a tux and behave himself. Fortunately for all of us, he doesn't. (Reviewed by Jennifer Layton) Read this review

Blends elements of the familiar and the experimental with a unique flair!

Royal Jones ~ A Dear in the Headlights
Date: Sunday, September 07, 2008 @ 16:01:15 EDT
Topic: Reviews

Artist: Royal Jones

CD: A Dear in the Headlights

Home: New York City

Style: Funk/Soul

Quote: "It would be classy enough for the Upper East Side, if Mr. Jones would just put on a tux and behave himself. Fortunately for all of us, he doesn’t."

By Jennifer Layton

I had the pleasure of reviewing Royal Jones’ debut You Broke the Circle a few years ago, and I’ve been wondering when this naughty funky boy diva would show up again. Circle was full of life and soul, along with tales of wonderfully skanky behavior mixed with upscale-club sophistication. Like smoking a joint while enjoying a martini. Excuse me – my editor is grabbing the keyboard. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Jennifer has never smoked pot in her life, and if she did, she didn’t get it from us. Drugs are bad.]

Um, OK. I’m back. The Royal Mr. Jones is back with A Dear in the Headlights, and this trip is more polished and sophisticated. The music has taken a massive step up, with killer piano, funky horns, demanding bass, and Motownish female backup vocalists with harmonies to die for. It would be classy enough for the Upper East Side, if Mr. Jones would just put on a tux and behave himself. Fortunately for all of us, he doesn’t.

Take, for example, the groove of "If I Ever Come Down," a sexy, daring dance track. How can you not be drawn in by the rueful line, "If I ever come down, I’ll behave, I’ll be good"? I think this song is actually built around a lyric from another song I liked on the first album. Looks like Jones still hasn’t come down yet. And just in case you think he’s being too vague, please enjoy the next track, "A Little Vice." It’s a languid, dazed little number that starts off with "I’m really stoned, you got the wrong number, but I’m glad you phoned." This is a good song to get stoned to. [EDITOR’S NOTE: We didn’t say that. We don’t even know this reviewer. Drugs are bad.]

Royal Jones and his brilliantly talented team of funksters are obviously having musical as well as lyrical fun, moving from the snappy, playful jazz/funk of "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" to the smoky piano lounge feel of "Echo." The one suggestion I would make for the next album is that the vocals do need to be turned up a little – the voice does get a little overpowered by the instrumentation. However, the sass still comes through. The moods may change, but the attitude-laden yet fun vibe still infuses every song like the smoke from a well-rolled – um, never mind.

Indie-Music Profile

Artist Website: http://www.royaljones.com/








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"NO TIME LIKE TODAY" (single)
Excerpt from TAXI review
“No time like today” by Royal Jones
A memorable hook…first line makes you want to hear more…this is a great sounding recording...background singers are also great... a fun enjoyable listen

great idiosyncratic funk - soul

by steve s.
REally cool jazzy funky original voice with lots of attitude - just what we need in the 21st century!

from AM NEW YORK publication
ROYAL JONES ~YOU BROKE THE CIRCLE
You wouldn't guess it from the album art,but this guy is a MOTOWN soul
machine, and totally danceable.

Yes, the strangely soulful falsetto of Royal Jones really does come from a middle-aged, blue-eyed, white guy. Think Nina Simone mixed with Mick Hucknall. In fact, much of the well-produced "You Broke the Circle" sounds like "A New Flame"-era Simply Red, especially on "Epiphany." .... he's a man doing his own thing, modern tastes and musical fads be damned.

Artist: Royal Jones
CD: You Broke The Circle
Home: New York City
Style: Soul/Pop/Dance
edited as to look better...for myself that is...
"Cheer up, Mr. Jones, you've made a great CD."


This CD has one of the most credible street vibes I've heard in a long time. This man leads a colorful life. He opens the CD with "Sylvia of Boston," a morning-after voice mail message from someone who's been rode hard and put up wet. Then the music kicks in. Brace yourself. We're going underground and experiencing what made Sylvia sound that way.

You Broke The Circle is a trip through dance clubs and time itself -- on "Echo," we fade into old-fashioned dance hall cha-cha-cha. On "Confused," Jones gets so incredibly Motown, I could swear I'm listening to Gladys Knight and the Pips. And I really mean Gladys Knight. Jones sings like a Motown queen. I could have sworn this was a female singer if it weren't for the occasional dip into bass territory.

My favorite track is "Ride Out of Control," a tribute to 70s funk, complete with a horn section and lazy, drawling rapping. The hook is the refrain, "If I ever come down, I'll behave, I'll be good." I can easily imagine Chef from South Park taking on this one. Somebody get me Matt and Trey.

The bottom line is that you will move to this. Yes, it's sample-happy and completely synthesized, but it's bursting with soul. Make it your soundtrack for a Saturday night and see if you don't sound like Sylvia from Boston the next morning.

Royal Jones es un personaje más que interesante, desde que era pequeñito grababa su poesía y música, y se preguntaba como podría llegar a ser una gran diva del soul siendo un hombre blanco, la respuesta llega así de contundente..."¡yo soy el arte, no el negocio!", paseó por clubs cool y diferentes escenarios hasta que el destino lo colocó en Nueva York cantando soul en el 79, conoció a Steve Sandberg, con el que trabajo en el proyecto "Ruffle in a bag of pain", más tarde conocería a Codde, importante productor que ha trabajado, entre otros, con Mary J. Blige (Marcus Miller, Nancy Wilson,...), y fué él el responsable de que saliera a la luz "You broke the circle", el trabajo y la voz de Royal Jones, bajo el auspicio de Mbibe music.

Royal Jones se mueve como pez en el agua en el terreno soul, y su voz de alto barítono hace de este álbum una auténtica rareza dentro del mundillo.

Con una introducción a cargo de la voz de una tal Sylvia (of Boston), una conversación telefónica que abrirá camino al disco, comienza con "You broke the circle", quizá la más movida de este trabajo, se desliza con un drum and bass machacón, y unas voces que parecen cantadas por el coro del ejercito rojo, para dejar después a Royal Jones, que su privilegiada voz arremeta sin tapujos contra el "soul diva" más descarnado.

Temas como "Confussed" dejan el poso a sabor Curtis Mayfield, ese sonido tan característico, ese funky meloso que sólo podía salir de la cabeza de aquel genio, aquí parece homenajeado, a destacar la increible producción de Codee, mucha clase.
Mientras que en "Pain stain" crece con la concepción musical más TTD, si bien Royal Jones consigue un ambiente mucho más evocador y relantizado.

"Beware" huele a clásico por los cuatro costados, desde los ritmos de la batería, los coros negros y las guitarras preciosistas, dejan los samplers aparcados y ofrecen toda la realidad de una gran banda soul.

Otro tema destacable es "Reality (play loud)", el artista se embarca en un viaje soul alucinogeno simplemente para demostrarnos sus capacidades vocales, africanismo y oscuridad en un ambiente amenazador.

Royal Jones ha creado con "You broke the circle" un álbum original, rico en matices soul y con mucho gancho, sin duda es una gran diva, ya lo ha conseguido.