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It's not often that the liner note "thank yous" on a record offer much insight to the album itself, but with Nikka Costa's second album, Can'tneverdidnothin', her four shout-outs help define exactly where she's at. First, there's a thank you to Justin Stanley, her co-writer and producer, who functioned as her chief collaborator. Then, there's Randy Jackson, the American Idol superstar and Nikka's manager, who "fight[s] everyday for the artist I want to be." Then, Lenny Kravitz gets acknowledgements for "the stinkiest groove that whooped my ass everytime," with Prince getting the final tip of the hat for "support, advice and inspiration." Good thing Costa gave credit where credit is due, since Can'tneverdidnothin' bears the imprint of all four inspirations: it plays like an update of a mid-period, mid-'80s Prince album, punctuated by a couple of Lenny's fuzz-drenched retro rockers and given a slick, savvy show-biz presentation that's smart enough to have a couple of stylish, artsy touches like cameos by Jon Brion, Wendy Melovin, and Roots drummer ?uestlove. While it's easy enough to play spot-the-influence here, Costa pulls off a nifty trick by defining herself through her idols, finding her personality within the parameters of Prince and Lenny Kravitz. Not only does she have charisma and a powerful, soulful voice, she's a strong writer and the music here is muscular, funky, and imaginatively arranged, a significant step forward from her promising 2001 debut, Everybody Got Their Something. This is big, dynamic music that cries for a big audience -- the kind of mainstream pop/soul/rock amalgam that got good reviews and airplay in 1990, but is rare in 2005. Not only aren't there many artists making this music, there is no outlet on radio or TV for this kind of sharp, professional, carefully constructed, and passionately performed genre-hopping pop (the best you get in 2005 is Joss Stone playing against her strengths in Gap commercials). And that's a shame, because Can'tneverdidnothin' not only deserves to be heard, but it's the kind of splashy, impassioned, infectious record that could make Nikka Costa a star -- maybe not on the level of Prince or Madonna, maybe more like Lenny Kravitz, but a star nonetheless.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Craig Ross, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Wendy Melvoin, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Justin Stanley, Producer, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Organ, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist, Bass (Vocal) - Lenny Kravitz, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - JIM SCOTT, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Nikka Costa, Producer, Co-Producer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Stan Howard, Moog Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Adam Mosley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Capitol Records, LLC
Printz Board, Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Craig Ross, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Justin Stanley, Composer, Mixer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Nikka Costa, Composer, MainArtist - Abe Laboriel Jr., Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Izo Orindgreff, Horn, AssociatedPerformer - Tim LeBlanc, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Capitol Records, LLC
Craig Ross, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Justin Stanley, Electric Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Lenny Kravitz, Drums, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - JIM SCOTT, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Nikka Costa, Composer, Keyboards, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - David Chegwidden, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - Brian Lebarton, Keyboards, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - Adam Mosley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.
David Campbell, String Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Justin Stanley, Composer, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Chris Holmes, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - MANNY MARROQUIN, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nikka Costa, Composer, Piano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - James Poyser, Moog Bass, AssociatedPerformer - JON BRION, Organ, AssociatedPerformer - Tim LeBlanc, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Brian Reitzell, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Megna, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Shawn Davis, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Capitol Records, LLC
David Campbell, String Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Justin Stanley, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Bells, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Chris Holmes, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - MANNY MARROQUIN, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Nikka Costa, Composer, Producer, MainArtist - Abe Laboriel Jr., Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Steven Rhodes, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tim LeBlanc, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - John Blackwell, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Megna, Sitar, AssociatedPerformer - Shawn Davis, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Stan Howard, Moog Bass, AssociatedPerformer
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2004 Virgin Records America, Inc.
Justin Stanley, Composer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - MANNY MARROQUIN, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nikka Costa, Composer, MainArtist - Shawn Davis, Composer, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Stan Howard, Organ, Moog Bass, AssociatedPerformer
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.
Aillene Bullock, Composer - Printz Board, Horn, Horn Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Justin Stanley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nikka Costa, Tambourine, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Joshua Lopez, Electric Guitar, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Tim Izo Orindgreff, Horn, Horn Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Satnam Ramgotra, Drums, Tabla, AssociatedPerformer - David Chegwidden, Bongos, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - Shawn Davis, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Adam Mosley, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.
Craig Ross, Composer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Justin Stanley, Composer, Producer, Mixer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, Bass (Vocal) - Lenny Kravitz, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Nikka Costa, Composer, Producer, Co-Producer, MainArtist - Adam Mosley, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Capitol Records, LLC
Justin Stanley, Composer, Producer, Mixer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Nikka Costa, Composer, Producer, MainArtist - JON BRION, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer - Tim LeBlanc, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ahmir Thompson, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Stephen Rhodes, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Shawn Davis, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Stan Howard, Moog Bass, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal)
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Capitol Records, LLC
Justin Stanley, Composer, Guitar, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - MANNY MARROQUIN, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Nikka Costa, Composer, MainArtist - Abe Laboriel Jr., Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Tim LeBlanc, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Composer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Shawn Davis, AssociatedPerformer, Bass (Vocal) - Stan Howard, Moog Bass, AssociatedPerformer
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.
Justin Stanley, Recording Engineer, Mellotron, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - MANNY MARROQUIN, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Nikka Costa, Composer, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
(C) 2005 Virgin Records America, Inc.. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by Virgin Records America, Inc., ℗ 2005 Capitol Records, LLC
Album review
It's not often that the liner note "thank yous" on a record offer much insight to the album itself, but with Nikka Costa's second album, Can'tneverdidnothin', her four shout-outs help define exactly where she's at. First, there's a thank you to Justin Stanley, her co-writer and producer, who functioned as her chief collaborator. Then, there's Randy Jackson, the American Idol superstar and Nikka's manager, who "fight[s] everyday for the artist I want to be." Then, Lenny Kravitz gets acknowledgements for "the stinkiest groove that whooped my ass everytime," with Prince getting the final tip of the hat for "support, advice and inspiration." Good thing Costa gave credit where credit is due, since Can'tneverdidnothin' bears the imprint of all four inspirations: it plays like an update of a mid-period, mid-'80s Prince album, punctuated by a couple of Lenny's fuzz-drenched retro rockers and given a slick, savvy show-biz presentation that's smart enough to have a couple of stylish, artsy touches like cameos by Jon Brion, Wendy Melovin, and Roots drummer ?uestlove. While it's easy enough to play spot-the-influence here, Costa pulls off a nifty trick by defining herself through her idols, finding her personality within the parameters of Prince and Lenny Kravitz. Not only does she have charisma and a powerful, soulful voice, she's a strong writer and the music here is muscular, funky, and imaginatively arranged, a significant step forward from her promising 2001 debut, Everybody Got Their Something. This is big, dynamic music that cries for a big audience -- the kind of mainstream pop/soul/rock amalgam that got good reviews and airplay in 1990, but is rare in 2005. Not only aren't there many artists making this music, there is no outlet on radio or TV for this kind of sharp, professional, carefully constructed, and passionately performed genre-hopping pop (the best you get in 2005 is Joss Stone playing against her strengths in Gap commercials). And that's a shame, because Can'tneverdidnothin' not only deserves to be heard, but it's the kind of splashy, impassioned, infectious record that could make Nikka Costa a star -- maybe not on the level of Prince or Madonna, maybe more like Lenny Kravitz, but a star nonetheless.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:45:46
- Main artists: Nikka Costa
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Virgin Records
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 2005 Capitol Records, LLC ℗ 2005 Capitol Records, LLC
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