Literally 30 years ago, Dionne Farris did the thing

April 6, 2024 6:04 PM

Dionne Farris recorded an album released in 1994 that, if you're grooving on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album, might feel like it's a similar vibe. Wild Seed – Wild Flower [YT Playlist] comes from the vocalist of the band Arrested Development's song Tennessee, and Beyoncé's new album had been giving me whiplash in a lot of ways. Maybe, if you like Bey's new album, you'll like this older example of the same musical genre. Previously.
posted by hippybear (9 comments total)

I know what you’re doing, and it’s not gonna work this time.
posted by Naberius at 6:56 PM on April 6 [8 favorites]

Now I'm going to have to go look and see if I still have this CD. I really enjoyed it, and I absolutely love her cover of Blackbird.
posted by EvaDestruction at 8:54 PM on April 6 [1 favorite]

This is a great album
posted by girlmightlive at 9:41 PM on April 6 [1 favorite]

Thank you so much for posting this! I just now ordered the LP and I can't wait 'till it gets here.

Wonderful music! Why did I not know about her 30 years ago?
posted by james33 at 7:30 AM on April 7 [1 favorite]

Oh, I wore OUT that Dionne Ferriss album and I never understood why she wasn’t the biggest thing ever. My family still sings all the songs at the drop of a hat.
posted by susiebright at 11:35 AM on April 7 [3 favorites]

Thank you hippybear! it's been too long since I listened to this album; things that you love can just get lost in life's shuffle. . .
I loved how this album just flattened the notion of genre and just let it be Dionne Ferriss music . . . and such good music. I really appreciate the idea of Cowboy Carter, but this album just moves me so much more.

(granted, I am moving towards the olds and there ain't a thing that's new under sol . . . and we like what we loved . . . )
posted by pt68 at 4:54 PM on April 7 [2 favorites]

Wow, I posted this thing and now I try to escape from it and but no! I have to listen to the album yet again!

I wish Farris had done a bunch more, but this one album is a perfect artifact that feeds my soul really well, and that's all we can ask music to do, right?
posted by hippybear at 8:42 PM on April 10

I loved how this album just flattened the notion of genre

I was astonished by this when it was released and I continue to be astonished by it. How does one characterize this album? On some level I want to say "it is every black music genre you can imagine" but I don't want to say that because I'm a white guy in my Fifties and I fucking LOVE this album.

Maybe the best thing might be "it's a female doing a genre summary of everything you love about Stevie Wonder" and also modernizing it.

I don't know how to categorize this album! Like maybe just listen to it? It was impossible when it was released and it hasn't gotten easier.
posted by hippybear at 9:08 PM on April 10

Also, if you're familiar with the album or maybe just I Know, here is I Know (Acoustic Roots - Extended) which I promise you will enjoy if you're this far into this thread.
posted by hippybear at 9:29 PM on April 10