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Rapture
Anita Baker
1986
Wikipedia
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Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!“Rapture” by Anita Baker (1986) More great music out of Detroit. Anita Baker is a gem, bringing the serious listener a classic taste of R&B, no matter what mood you’re in. Her voice is beautiful, instantly and effortlessly moving from soulful resonance to piercing wail, kind of like your heart, if you’re human. Backing vocals and instrumentals exquisitely performed and mixed, this is an extraordinarily well produced collection of love songs. Delicate hand on the reverb. Great separation and depth. But the voice. The voice. I just bought this album on iTunes and put in on loop. Leave me alone for a couple hours. 5/5
1001 albums you must hear before you die and it’s day 5!! To anyone that isn’t familiar, I have given myself the challenge of giving my own personal take on each and every album listed in the book 1001 albums you must hear before you die, a book by Robert Dimery. I found this book one day in 2016 in Barnes and Noble, and impulsively bought it. Since then, I’ve felt challenged by it every time I would flip through it out of boredom. I consider myself a music nerd but man, there’s a lot of music within 1001 albums. If I listen to every single album without missing a day, it will take me close to three years to finish. AND IM HERE FOR IT!! Without further ado, I got a MONSTER of an album to share with you all! Anita Baker’s 8 million copies sold, 2 Grammy winning sophomore album, The Rapture. Released quietly in 1986, this fucking album was a phenomenon within itself! I won’t sit here and try to act like I knew all about Anita Baker in 1986, when I was four years old, and quite frankly, when I was randomly generated this album to listen to I was a little intimidated... I LOVE QUIET STORM MUSIC! What is quiet storm music? Well, to me, it’s mood setting music. It’s baby making music, it’s ambiance music to fall peacefully to sleep to. It’s music you play after a break up or discovery of a new love. Quiet storm music is calming and can cater to any mood and that’s why I love it so much. Anita Baker had a hard life. Her mother abandoned her early on at 2 years old, she had to live through the civil unrest of the 1960’s, her foster parents died when she was twelve and she grew up in Detroit on top of all of that. Yikes. But there’s an emotion in her voice that I can’t describe any other way than as “pleading”. Not begging, per say, but an emotion that says HERE I AM! I MADE IT THROUGH! NOW LISTEN TO ME! RIGHT NOW! She kept her dream of being a top notch singer and performer and was recruited to join a funk band named Chapter 8, where she met Michael J Powell and boy, let me tell you, they mixed better than tea and sugar! The production and arrangement that Michael J Powell birthed into this project is so, sooo good! Every instrument is a star on every song. The band never took a day off on any of the eight tracks. The bass? Deep, funky and quite frankly... Superb. The drums? Sampled heavily by the likes of everyone from Jadakiss to Mac Miller. It’s impressive how influential Anita Baker has been to Hip Hop, my very first love. Oh yeah, Strings, horns, piano? Sharp as a razors edge. So many songs have since been sampled by other innovators like Ice Cube, A Tribe Caller Quest, Drake and everyone in between. Jeez. Anita Baker broke out with this album in a big way, and so much more was to come in the future for her that it’s hard for me to not visit her next releases (looking at you Giving You The Best That I’ve Got) .. until the generator Gods bestow them upon me! It’s tough to resist because I know there’s gold sprouting like flowers in her repertoire that I already subconsciously know... My most favorite song is Same Ole Love (365 Days) It is upbeat, the bass slaps SO hard, and the chorus is so catchy. My second favorite is the title song, Sweet Love. It’s the epitome of Quiet storm music.. 80’s contemporary R&B. You could still hear the melodies now as if you were in a ghostly memory of an old rusted and abandoned K-Mart of your childhood, still playing Muzak in the changing rooms .. If you can imagine it. Remember Muzak? I’m definitely old enough to remember! To be completely fair, I won’t rank any other songs because they are all crafted so well, that I may change my mind during the many play throughs that I plan on having in the future. PLEASE share your thoughts and memories of these masterpieces in Quiet Storm style music. I can still hear the DJ’s soothing my soul with their calming dialogue before they cue up the next song. Diana Ross once sang the lyric “Im Coming Out!” ... Anita Baker said hold my beer y’all. Damn... Much respect. Last, but not least, albums like this make me excited to hear acts like Sade, Luther, Brian McKnight, Teddy P, Smokey, Babyface and more... Even more. Much love, thanks for reading. Music heals. 🙏✌️
Adult Contemporary. It’s only for adults. Don’t you dare listen to this kids, it’s for the adults. This is the music that’s playing on a paint stained boom box in your neighborhoods open garage. It’s a hot Sunday afternoon in early September. Your neighbor’s dad has half their Chevy in pieces in the driveway and he’s covered in oil stains. He’s smoked a pack of cigs and crushed a 12 pack of Miller highlife before the late games kicked off. This is the album he’s listening to while he curses at the old truck. I haven’t listened to it yet (or checked that it exists) but I know Anita Baker has a great Christmas Album. 3/5. Good to know Baker.
Comparing R&B here to the 60s, it is night and day. Nina and Aretha in the 60s make you feel something. Anita’s album has a strong vocal performance with perfect production, but it takes itself too seriously and ultimately feels lifeless. Nothing to hate, but it hardly goes beyond an average score for an R&B record.
While Anita Baker has a nice voice and these songs are perfectly fine, I don't find anything revelatory about this album. I can't say I've ever thought "I'd like to hear an Anita Baker song now" or ever heard one of the hits from it and thought "Wow! What a great song!" The chime-y keyboard sounds, along with some of the other production, place it squarely in the 80s soft-pop genre, and it's unfortunately mostly forgetable.
I'm a sucker for eighties soul production. This album was fantastic on that alone. Add in bakers vocals it was a homerun
Absolutely blown away by Anita's beautiful voice. This old school RnB was such a breath of fresh air and it will be in heavy rotation for me.
Classic R&B sound. I didn't really listen to this in the "idea" setting (I was at work), but Baker's powerful voice and the songs' melodies still were readily apparent to me.
When I was 15, my uncle gave me a cassette of this album for Christmas. As a proper Smiths-listening weirdo of the mid ‘80s, I really didn’t get it, nor did I have an interest in getting it. I obviously wasn’t mature enough for this kind of music at the time, but I can say that I appreciate it now. This is classic R&B mood music of the old school. Baker’s vocals are immaculate and the production is flawless. This is a great album to relax with. Favorite tracks: “Sweet Love,” and “Caught Up in the Rapture.”
July 20, 2021 Her voice is beautiful, and there are songs I like on here. An easy listen, although not my preferred genre(s). Great ambiance.
Gran voz, gran instrumentación y duración corta. En cuanto lo escuchas, percibes los 80. Mood: mellow
Dance floors and neon lights, Anita Baker's 'Rapture' is soulful pop with a tinge of R&B. 1980s pop production called for reverb-heavy drums and hall vocals, all accompanied by a simple 4/4 beat - this album delivers just that, providing some predictability. However, Baker's vocals is graceful and soulful, fitting the musical description of what the music wishes.
Ahhh 80s-90s sex music. Nothing bad to say about it except that the full album wasn't on spotify and out of order on youtube so I probably didn't get the intended listening experience
I preface this by admitting that my ears know nothing about R&B, just that sometimes I enjoy it. That said, this feels by-the-numbers, but the numbers are about twice as big as usual. Very pleasant listening.
Okay, I went into this album expecting to dislike it because of my general disdain for Jim Morrison. Honestly, I thought it was a pretty fun album. Morrison's attempts at poetry bog it down at times, but the music is great throughout. 4/5
Very different than anything I've listened to. While I can objectively say her voice is amazing, this is not my kind of music.
I'm normally not much of a consumer in the whole chanteuse vein though I certainly recognize vocal talent. This was definitely a cut above though. The lyrics though solid were just not that interesting.
Not really my thing, but not overdone diva-style antics which I can sometimes find grating. A pleasant background listen. Fave track - "Sweet Love" is undeniably iconic
Rhythms that almost make you forget you’re slowly being lulled to sleep in the warm embrace of the laundromats heat and wafting scent of fabric softener.
Recognized one of the tracks ("Same Ole Love"), otherwise I had no clue about this artist.
"I won't be neglected I won't be denied The pleasure of your kisses The pleasure of your smile" (Been so long) ¡Qué voz! Por lo menos terminamos bien esta semana <3
great voice, some of the tracks just felt a little lacking in energy and could have used something to push their sound more. not bad though, 3/5
Nice little album. Basically Smooth Radio manifested in album form. I knew Sweet Love but none of the others. Best song: Same Ole Love.
I somewhat liked it. Very pleasant to listen to while working. But not something I'd listen to with full attention.
Interesting album cover, makes you wonder what instruction the photographer gave during the shoot. Lovely album.
R&B music sung by a powerful voice, this album sits along side of its contemporaries in Tina Turner, Sade, Whitney Houston & others. Unfortunately, Baker doesn't display the same range or creativity that these others do. As a result, while solid, this album comes up short when compared to classics.
Good R&B album....unfortunate that Spotify doesn't have 3 of the songs so couldn't give it a proper listen
What a great voice, and recognized Sweet Love. All and all a nice album to listen to. I'm giving it a 3 only because it is a bit sedate for my liking.
Anita Baker sure can sing. Beautiful voice. The mid 80s adult contemporary production is what makes this a 3 out of 5 for me. Not really my cup of tea even if I really enjoyed certain touches like a fun bass line here, great sax solo there. Won't be revisiting anytime soon but I'll definitely always remember Baker's voice.
I imagine this is an album that was played on many occasions in the late 1980s to signal it was time for sexy times. The slinky bass and emphatic saxophone layers say “Hey there, are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” Ms. Baker’s mesmerizing vocals say “Yes, let’s get down.” According to expert resource cosmopolitan magazine (2017), the average sex session lasts 19 minutes, including foreplay. Rapture clocks in at 38 minutes…plenty of time.
Baker's Rapture helped define contemporary R&B from the mid-80s onwards. She's a sexy singer, and the use of jazz and synth accommodates for smooth, easy listening that gives off calm 80s nostalgia. "Sweet Love" and "Captured in the rapture of love" are my favorites, and other first side tracks appealed, but I felt the tracks sounded too much like each other, and hardly contrasted each other in subject matter or technique. But that's fine. It's not a masterpiece, and her fanbase tends to hit a very targeted audience, but this album is a soothing, luxurious listen, and that's enough for me to give a re-listen in the future.
Album was not on Spotify apparently due to the artist's request. I was able to track it down and give most of it a listen
I do enjoy this kind of soul music sometimes. It's a little cheesy in places, but still some great tunes
Exquisit disc de r&b/pop amb producció totalment vuitentera, però que en aquest cas encaixa com un guant amb les composicions de fàcil escolta, on destaca la poderosa veu d'Anita Baker, que va ser arribar i moldre, però que endavant mai va aconseguir arribar a les cotes, de qualitat i ventes, de 'Rapture'
Mf doom samples the first track. That was sort of the highlight for me. I do miss the time when big pop diva albums sound like Sega genesis tracks
This album was incomplete and scrambled for me on spotify. So take this rating with a grain of salt.
Beautiful voice, but difficult to rate for me. Most songs are nice, but I'm not sure that I'd ever really seek them out. Same Ole Love was definitely a stand-out, though.
Ok cute little album, not amazing. 3,5 but rounding down because I probably won't put it on again.
Easy listening for the background but the songs itself were too similar to not make this another decent album that will be forgotten after a few days
This is miles away from what I normally listen to. Certainly not offensive, but unlikely to revisit!
Bland. I mean, clearly the woman can sing, but really it goes nowhere, does nothing exciting that we haven't all heard a billion times before. Even in 1986 when this was released it was tedious and overdone. I gave it a 2 to be a bit polite.
Very sweet and easy listening, "Sweet Love" is indeed a very relaxing bop and Anita has such an amazing voice! Not a thing I'd ever return to, but I dig listening to it :)
I was thrilled about the prospect of listening an 80's quiet storm album, but this ended up being too poppy and overtly polished for my tastes. Had this been a Latin American album, it would've been part of a telenovela soundtrack.
I was bored. Anita Baker has a great voice, nothing can be taken away on that account. But the keyboard-driven style of this kind of 80s stuff does nothing for me. That was a lot of generic songs about love too - I wish the writing could measure up to her voice.
Sweet Love is a classic I forgot about. It immediately made me nostalgic for my mom's friend's station wagon in ways I don't understand completely. The rest of the album is beautifully sung, if predictable. It is soft, like a unicorn baby blanket. Nice, but maybe not for me.
It's hard to listen to a full album of just one genre of music in the 80s, as a lot of the songs blend together. This doesn't take away from the vocals and heavy jazz/soul feel she creates, but the songs mesh together in a sort of bad way. Its listenable, but is it as enjoyable if there was more variety in the sound?
What'd the overworked pastry chef say to the restaurant owner? Anita Baker! In the late 80's this was the best album to play when hoping to seduce your young Wall Street assistant while doing lines of coke on your mirrored coffee table. Fortunately, unfortunately Spotify only provided access to five of the songs, probably due to licensing issues. So, my rating may have been higher if somehow the rest of the album sounded nothing like those first few...
Boring Her voice is impressive but the songs...nothing interesting. The arrangements just studio-made formulaic muzak. Nothing about any of it says to me that these are real people making real music. The antithesis of everything I crave from music.
You can tell it's quality and I enjoyed some of the songs but it's just not my thing so I gave it a 2.
Only a few songs were on Spotify, but from what I heard I did not like it. Boring, annoying 80 RnB.
A significant portion of this is just 80s easy listening with a nicer than normal voice on top. Best track: Watch Your Step
Baker’s vocals are outstanding, but the backing tracks fail to live up to the vox with their dated synths (the drums and sax still rip tho)
Groovy, bluesy, but doesn't stand out for me. A bit adult contemporary and bland, but good for an 80s background groove.
Lovely jazz bass. I got pretty excited for the first thirty seconds, but the rest of the album was too sleepy and schmaltzy. Wouldn't be on my version of this list = 2.
80's soft soul and R&B. The type of music that gets played when Tom Selleck is looking deep into the eyes of Steve Guttenberg. Best Tracks: Sweet Love; Caught Up in the Rapture; No One in the World
As has been the case before, I fail to see what's so special about this album. At least with this one, it's not from a genre I'm familiar with.
I really, really don't get along with this type of music. I won't give it one star because 'Sweet Love' is a good song and because objectively it's probably not that bad... it's a close-run thing though.
Really not for me, maybe some value as backing music in a romantic film but not one to listen to on its own
Nice smooth soul that is otherwise ruined by cheesy 80's production. These synths are doing more harm than good.
8M people bought this. Like aural mogadon. Boring / bland meh 80s soul. even the hits are boring.