If there were to be a combination of popular talents to perform a series of classic soul and R&B covers, it would be tough to find a better combination than John Legend and The Roots.
Legend said the idea to recreate the songs came about when he was campaigning for Barack Obama in 2008. He and The Roots began working together, and the album “Wake Up!” was created. Legend said the political atmosphere of the nation inspired him to approach songs with themes of social awareness. How the election of the first black president inspired the group to tackle songs like “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free,” is irrelevant because the results are excellent.
Some critics have complained that the album simply seems like a rehash of old music and that modern styles aren’t properly represented. However, Legend has the voice and The Roots have the chops, and there isn’t any reason not to exercise them. It would be difficult for a listener to confuse Legend’s distinctive tone with that of the original vocalists.
If that isn’t enough, guest stars help to distinguish the new versions from the originals. Roots vocalist Black Thought raps on opening track “Hard Times” and “Little Ghetto Boy,” while rapper Common joins in with Legend on the single “Wake Up Everybody.” The final track on the album, “Shine,” is an original track written by Legend and the lone original track on the album.
The rest of the band is given the chance to jam like a ‘70s soul band on the 11-plus minute song, “I Can’t Write Left Handed,” including some impressive guitar soloing from “Captain” Kirk Douglas.
