Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Macy Gray is such an assured, original vocalist that it's hard to believe On How Life Is is her debut album. She recalls a number of other vocalists, particularly jazz singers like Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, but she is unquestionably from the post-hip-hop generation, which is evident not just from the sound of the record, but the style of her songwriting, which is adventurous and unpredictable. Thankfully, she's worked with a producer (Andrew Slater, who pulled a similar trick with Fiona Apple's debut, Tidal) that lets her run wild and helps her find sounds that match her ideas. That's not to say that On How Life Is is a perfect album -- at times, Gray attempts more than she can achieve -- but it's always captivating, even during its stumbles. And when it works, it soars higher than most contemporary R&B.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Jeremy Ruzumna, Composer, Organ, Piano - Jinsoo Lim, Guitar - Dawn Beckman - Musiic Galloway - David Wilder, Bass - Arrik Marshall, Guitar - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, Percussion - Andrew Slater, Producer - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Frank Harkins, Director - James Dowdall - Rose Noone - Sherry Sutcliff - Darryl Swann, Drum Programmer, Engineer - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer
(P) 1999 Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Andrew Slater, Producer - Jeremy Ruzumna, Composer, Piano - David Beckman - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Musiic Galloway - Darryl Swann, Composer, Engineer - Frank Harkins, Director - Dion Derek Murdock, Bass, Composer - Jinsoo Lim, Guitar - James Dowdall - André Benjamin, Composer - Rose Noone - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Antwan Patton, Composer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Sherry Sutcliff - Thomas Burton, Composer - Cameron Gipp, Composer - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Patrick Brown, Composer - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Raymon Murray, Composer - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Rico Wade, Composer - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Sylvester Allen, Composer - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - Harold Brown, Composer - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Morris Dickerson, Composer - Leroy Jordan, Composer - Charles Miller, Composer - Darryl Swan, Drum Programmer - Lee Oskar, Composer - Howard Scott, Composer
(P) 1999 Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Andrew Slater, Producer - Darryl Swann, Composer, Engineer, Guitar, Programmer - Dawn Beckman - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Jeremy Ruzumna, Composer - Musiic Galloway - Frank Harkins, Director - James Dowdall - Sye Smith - Rose Noone - Jon Brion, Guitar - Sherry Sutcliff - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, Percussion - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer
(P) 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Composer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Andrew Slater, Producer - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Jeremy Ruzumna, Composer, Organ - Frank Harkins, Director - Jon Brion, Guitar, Piano - Jinsoo Lim, Composer - James Dowdall - Bendrix Williams, Guitar - David Wilder, Bass, Composer - Rose Noone - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Sherry Sutcliff - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Darryl Swann, Engineer, Programmer - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer
(P) 1999 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Andrew Slater, Producer - Dawn Beckman - Jeremy Ruzumna, Composer, Organ - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Musiic Galloway - Dion Derek Murdock, Composer - Frank Harkins, Director - James Dowdall - Sye Smith - Rose Noone - Blackbird McKnight, Guitar - Gabriel Moses, Guitar - Sherry Sutcliff - Jon Brion, Guitar - Darryl Swann, Engineer, Programmer - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - Dion Dereck Murdock, Bass - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer
(P) 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Andrew Slater, Producer - Dawn Beckman - Jeremy Ruzumna, Composer, Organ - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Musiic Galloway - Darryl Swann, Composer, Engineer, Programmer - Frank Harkins, Director - Miles Tackett, Composer, Guitar - James Dowdall - Jon Brion, Guitar - Rose Noone - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Sherry Sutcliff - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Greg Richling, Bass - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Steve Baxter, Horn - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Charlie Green, Horn - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - Michael Harris, Horn - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer
(P) 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Andrew Slater, Producer - Dawn Beckman - Jeremy Ruzumna, Composer, Piano - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Bill Esses, Composer - Musiic Galloway - Frank Harkins, Director - Sye Smith - Jeff Blue, Composer - James Dowdall - Jay Joyce, Guitar - Rose Noone - Arrick Marshall, Guitar - David Campbell, Arranger - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Sherry Sutcliff - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Darryl Swann, Engineer, Programmer - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Greg Richling, Bass - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer
(P) 1999 Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Andrew Slater, Producer - Dawn Beckman - Darryl Swann, Composer, Engineer, Programmer - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Kiilu Grand, Composer - Musiic Galloway - Frank Harkins, Director - Jeremy Ruzumna, Composer, Organ - Arrik Marshall, Guitar - Eddie Harris, Composer - Francis Lai, Composer - Carl Sigman, Composer - James Dowdall - Jon Brion, Guitar - Rose Noone - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - Sherry Sutcliff - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Greg Richling, Bass - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Kilu Beckwith, Programmer
(P) 1999 Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Andrew Slater, Producer - Dawn Beckman - Jeremy Ruzumna, Composer - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Musiic Galloway - Miles Tackett, Composer - Frank Harkins, Director - Arrik Marshall, Guitar - Mark Morales, Composer - James Dowdall - Jon Brion, Guitar - Damon Yu Wimbley, Composer - Rose Noone - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, Percussion - Sherry Sutcliff - Darryl Swann, Engineer, Programmer - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Greg Richling, Bass - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer
(P) 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Macy Gray, Associated Performer, Lyricist, Main Artist - Andrew Slater, Producer - Musiic Galloway - Matthew Sherrod, Composer - Hooshik Harkins, Director - Jamie Houston, Composer - Frank Harkins, Director - Arrik Marshall, Guitar - James Dowdall - Jon Brion, Guitar, Piano - Rose Noone - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, Percussion - Lenny Castro, Percussion - Sherry Sutcliff - Darryl Swann, Engineer, Programmer - Howard Willing, Assistant Engineer - Jeremy Ruzumna, Piano - Dave Reed, Assistant Engineer - Rami Jaffe, Piano - Kevin Dean, Assistant Engineer - Jeff Walch, Assistant Engineer - Michelle Forbes, Assistant Engineer - Greg Richling, Bass - DAVE WAY, Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer - Darryl Swan, Programmer
(P) 1999 Sony Music Entertainment Inc.
Album review
Macy Gray is such an assured, original vocalist that it's hard to believe On How Life Is is her debut album. She recalls a number of other vocalists, particularly jazz singers like Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, but she is unquestionably from the post-hip-hop generation, which is evident not just from the sound of the record, but the style of her songwriting, which is adventurous and unpredictable. Thankfully, she's worked with a producer (Andrew Slater, who pulled a similar trick with Fiona Apple's debut, Tidal) that lets her run wild and helps her find sounds that match her ideas. That's not to say that On How Life Is is a perfect album -- at times, Gray attempts more than she can achieve -- but it's always captivating, even during its stumbles. And when it works, it soars higher than most contemporary R&B.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:44:54
- Main artists: Macy Gray
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Epic
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
(P) 1999 SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Distinctions:
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.