The Revival (Tony! Toni! Toné! album)
The Revival | ||||
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Genre | ||||
Length | 66:18 | |||
Label | Wing | |||
Producer |
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Tony! Toni! Toné! chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Revival | ||||
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The Revival is the second
The album features R&B music that draws on funk and older soul influences. Its songs incorporate eccentric sounds and stylistic elements from jazz and hip hop, including improvisational sounds, conversational vocals, and digital samples. The group's lyrics exhibit contemporary hip hop attitudes and traditional soul themes, with songs about unruly women, low-key ballads, and more danceable tracks.
The album was critically well received; reviewers applauded Tony! Toni! Toné!'s songwriting and appropriation of older sounds with contemporary R&B. Commercially, it
Recording
The Revival is the follow-up to Tony! Toni! Toné!'s 1988 debut album
Recording sessions for the album took place at several studios in California—
The band primarily produced and arranged The Revival, with additional production by Foster & McElroy for a few songs.
Music and lyrics
The Revival features
According to McAdams, Tony! Toni! Toné!'s songwriting on The Revival disregarded "social commentary or political posturing" in favor of "the preservation of R&B's signature, the perpetuation of the soul tradition, and—on the lighter side—the glorification of barbeque, the
The album's songs also feature offbeat sounds,
After the first five songs, The Revival features songs at a calmer tempo and more conventional style,[5] with ballads that are more relaxed and low-key.[5] "It Never Rains (In Southern California)" was titled after an oft-repeated phrase from one of Tony! Toni! Toné!'s attorneys, who used it in response to the group wearing heavy coats after returning from visits on the East Coast. Group drummer Timothy Christian played most of the song's instruments, and bassist Raphael Wiggins wrote its lyrics about a man longing for a woman who was in southern California.[16] The ballads are followed by "Those Were the Days", which features jouncing banjo, trumpet, and wistful lyrics reminiscing about simpler times "when a dollar was worth a dollar, and you didn't have to carry a gun when you left your house."[15] Lyrics written by Raphael Wiggins,Elijah Baker
Release and sales
The album was released on May 8, 1990, by
On January 28, 1991, The Revival was certified platinum by the
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [22] |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[15] |
Los Angeles Times | [5] |
Orlando Sentinel | [23] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [24] |
Select | 2/5[25] |
Reviewing the album for the
Revival works as evidence of the wide-ranging continuum of R&B, the ability of sterling soul to remain fresh for the new generation. The Tonyies pull off the feat without obscuring their unique voice. Maybe some will be jolted by their barrage of remember-when musical references on Revival, but to the youthful crowd it's aimed at, much of this is brand-new.[6]
In retrospect, The Revival was viewed by
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | " Vanessa Williams) | Christian, Wheeler, D. Wiggins, R. Wiggins | Tony! Toni! Toné! | 4:39 |
4. | "The Blues" | Christian, Wheeler, D. Wiggins, R. Wiggins | Tony! Toni! Toné! | 4:10 |
5. | "Let's Have a Good Time" | Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy | Foster & McElroy | 4:01 |
6. | "It Never Rains (In Southern California)" | Christian, Wheeler, D. Wiggins, R. Wiggins | Tony! Toni! Toné! | 5:00 |
7. | "Whatever You Want" | Christian, Wheeler, D. Wiggins, R. Wiggins | Tony! Toni! Toné! | 4:48 |
8. | "I Care" | Christian, Wheeler, D. Wiggins, R. Wiggins | Tony! Toni! Toné! | 5:55 |
9. | "Sky's the Limit" | Christian, Wheeler, D. Wiggins, R. Wiggins | Tony! Toni! Toné! | 4:35 |
10. | "All My Love" | Christian, Wheeler, D. Wiggins, R. Wiggins | Tony! Toni! Toné! | 5:58 |
11. | "Don't Talk About Me" | Foster, McElroy, Susan Verdejo | Foster & McElroy | 4:14 |
12. | "Skin Tight" | Foster, McElroy | Foster & McElroy | 3:59 |
13. | "Jo-Jo" | Christian, Wheeler, D. Wiggins, R. Wiggins | Tony! Toni! Toné! | 4:12 |
14. | "Those Were the Days" | Christian, Wheeler, D. Wiggins, R. Wiggins | Tony! Toni! Toné! | 4:58 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from
Tony! Toni! Toné!
- Timothy Christian Riley – drums
- D'Wayne Wiggins – guitar, vocals
- Raphael Wiggins – bass, vocals
- Carl Wheeler - keyboards,vocals
- Elijah Baker - Bass,vocals
- Antron Haile - synthesizer
Additional personnel
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Singles
Year | Song | Chart | Peak position |
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1990 | "The Blues" | US Billboard Hot 100[37]
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46 |
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[37] | 1 | ||
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[37]
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43 | ||
"Oakland Stroke" | UK Singles Chart[38] | 50 | |
"Feels Good" | US Billboard Hot 100[39] | 9 | |
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[39] | 1 | ||
"It Never Rains (In Southern California)" | US Billboard Hot R&B Singles[40] | 1 | |
1991 | UK Singles Chart[38] | 69 | |
US Billboard Hot 100[40] | 34 | ||
"Whatever You Want" | US Billboard Hot 100[41] | 48 | |
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles[41] | 1 |
References
- ^ a b c "From Tonies to Townies – Hot Soul Stars Tony! Toni! Tone! Warm Up for a National Tour in Their Hometown". The Sacramento Bee. November 5, 1993. p. TK14. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ "Tony Toni Tone – Revival CD Album". CD Universe. Muze. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ Bourgoin & LaBlanc 1994, p. 249.
- ^ a b "The Revival – Tony! Toni! Toné! : Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hunt, Dennis (May 20, 1990). "*** TONY! TONI! TONE! "The Revival" PolyGram". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on June 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h McAdams, Janine (May 1990). "Tony! Toni! Toné!, 'Revival' (Wing/PolyGram)". Spin. 6 (2): 73–74. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c Kot, Greg (June 14, 1990). "Tony! Toni! Tone! The Revival (Wing)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on June 16, 2011.
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved on June 16, 2011.
- ^ "More Sappy Pap from New Kids". Dayton Daily News: 19. June 15, 1990. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ Brusca 2006, p. 511.
- ^ Pearson, Mike (July 12, 1990). "Joyous Noise Brings Crowd to Feet at R&B Fest". Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ "Tony! Toni! Tone! turns it up, up, up". Fort Worth Star-Telegram: 11. April 5, 1991. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c Hogan, Ed. "Feels Good – Tony! Toni! Toné!". Allmusic. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ Hogan, Ed. "The Blues – Tony! Toni! Toné!". Allmusic. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Sandow, Greg (May 11, 1990). "The Revival Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on June 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Hogan, Ed. "It Never Rains in Southern California – Tony! Toni! Toné!". Allmusic. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c "RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database – Tony! Toni! Tone!". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on June 17, 2011.
- ^ "The Revival – Tony! Toni! Toné!". Billboard. Retrieved on June 17, 2011.
- ISSN 0006-2510. QRIEAAAAMBAJ. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ Sims, Brian (February 11, 2008). "Get Your Mind Right: Underground Vs. Mainstream". HipHop DX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0312245602.
- ISBN 978-0857125958.
- ^ a b Gettelman, Parry (June 22, 1990). "Tony! Toni! Tone!". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved on June 16, 2011.
- ^ Schuers et al. 2004, p. 818.
- ^ Harrison, Andrew (July 1990). "Tony! Toni! Tone!: Revival". Select.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (May 16, 1990). "Records". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ Wilson, Scott (May 8, 2000). "Tony! Toni! Toné! Reviews". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011.
- ^ Heller, Jason (September 30, 2010). "New jack swing". The A.V. Club. Chicago. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- Rhapsody. Retrieved on June 17, 2011.
- ^ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing November 18, 1991". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ "Tony Toni Tone Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ "Tony Toni Tone Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1990". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ a b c "The Blues – Tony! Toni! Toné!". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ The Official Charts Company. View Singles. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b "Feels Good – Tony! Toni! Toné!". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b "It Never Rains in Southern California – Tony! Toni! Toné!". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ a b "Whatever You Want – Tony! Toni! Toné!". Billboard. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
Bibliography
- Brusca, Donny (2006). BPM List 2006: Main Edition. ISBN 1-84728-860-X.
- Bourgoin, Suzanne; LaBlanc, Michael L. (1994). Contemporary Musicians: Profiles of the People in Music. Vol. 12. Farmington Hills, Michigan: ISBN 0-8103-8553-8.
- Schuers, Fred; et al. (November 2, 2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
External links
- The Revival at Discogs (list of releases)