Vivian

Where can I START in expounding on this splendid album rife with mature,thoughtful,true-to-life romantic content?!? I suppose AT the start,with"Wish We Could Go Back",which is a superb ballad about returning to the time when love was new,fresh and still"undiscovered"with nothing BUT happy horizons in the future. Who can't relate to a song like this,after being in a"long-haul"relationship spanning a decade or more?!? "Mad"is something many a woman has accused me of making her. Vivian points out to her beau,that while he cites that she makes him mad,it is SHE who is being"driven up a wall"by his provoking,unfair tactics,as she cites:"But somehow you try to"REVERSE"it!!" This song features a really emphatic,honest line,which I'm going to have(in part)custom-embroidered on a hat:"I have crossed-OVER from love to----HATE."from where Vivian asserts:"But it's ME who's taken ALL I can take,I have crossed-over from love to hate!!" "Frustrated"is something I experienced FIVE years dealing with an emotional vacuum,whoemphatically proclaimed(while reluctant to display ANY tenderness toward me)a STRONG love for me,but as Vivian says:"You WANT me here,but you don't LIKE what you see,when you look----AT me!!" Vivian points-out the very simple reason one shows indifference to anotherwith:"It'sall because you're UNhappy with ME." The notable "Damn"however is a simple interjection about a situation that seems needlessly beyond repair. "Selfish"is a profound song,as a great mind,I enjoy asserted:"The selfish"label is something everyone fears being slapped with but actually very FEW people have the capacity to be truly selfish. Being genuinely selfish means to DO that which is absolutely BEST for yourself,regardless of the opinions,quips,objections and beliefs of friends, spouses family and acquaintances. Being selfish is actually EXTREMELY difficult. Indeed,distantcing yourself from any and all"romantic"suitors is THE best thing one can do for themselves;taking a refreshing respite from pleasing anyone but themselves.So,I'm with Vivian on this matter. Because as she asserts on this ballad:"What I'm going through,MAY seem selfish to YOU." Alas sometimes one must disappoint others to bring-about happiness to their own persona. I love:"I gotta do this for me. I've PLAYED my role;THIS chapter HAS closed. I've MADE my decision,and I'm firm ON it,so I don't know why you're even trying." "Under My Skin"is an emotional,emphatic ode that has Vivian being"baited"by one who can't seem to stand seeing her in peace,and so is intentionally seeking to "get a rise"out of her. The melody of this song seems utterly transcendent,and holds me transfixed in its beauty,as Vivian melancholically starts with:"I'm happy;so ready,for the next phase in my life. These days are fulfilling,and I have peace-of-mind." But every time,I get too high,you do your best to knock-me-down. But I'm not WHO I was back then. You're trying to hurt me,you're really TRYING!! I feel like you OWE me,;no fighting,fussing,carrying-on starting arguments. Why can't I have my peace? I understand why they say misery loves company. Funny that I don't wish nothing bad on you,but constant drama is all you wanna put me through!! Vivian asserts:"You just need to realize,I'm"somewhere else";I don't NEED nobody to"validate"me;I'm GOOD. You fail to see the power I hold;I'M in control. There's NO way I'll EVER be unhappy AGAIN!!" " I won't LET you take what I've found withIN!!" I Like It,But I Don't Need It"makes a strong statement about maintaining ones independence,and accompanying fear of"tying someone down"in a stifling,neurotic relationship. "Sweet Memory"is an excellent supremely vocalized ode to the days of an unforgetable,very special"early love"of ones youth,where everything seemed to be so hopeful and void of treachery. A longing to see that special someone presently and yearning to know how they're doing now,is the mark of the rapport shared between two people that endures over the decades. Sweet musings like:"Would we STILL have that chemistry;would you still be able to make me LAUGH?!? Are you HAPPY,have you DONE everything you wanted to do?!?" ONE thing I wanna do is SEE you;and JUST chill,just TALK,and riminesce;it would make me SO happy,if we could DO this!!" I can perceive the authenticity of such sentiments,as I harbor these VERY hopes about the sweet young lady who gave me my first KISS on her backyard deck,two blocks west of Hubbell,and only ten houses south of Detroits northern border of 8 Mile Road in 1988!! "Gotta Go,Gotta Leave"focuses on demanding of oneself to make a"tough-call"and painfully,reluctantly EXTRACT oneself from a situation that has rapidly declined into a emotional"free-fall"and to duly move on to a new,healthy chapter in life,though,it be a hard undertaking to actuate. Vivian makes a"discovery"a LOT of women need to make for themselves,in their quest for love::I thought(being IN a relationship"WITH" someone)it MADE me"complete"but the TRUTH is,I'm complete withOUT it!!" A truth I percieved in 2002,after stressing myself out trying to "FORCE"a dysfunctional beau to behave in an acceptable manner. "Perfect Decision"gets right down to the naked TRUTH of romantic relations,no matter HOW hard we'll delude ourselves that the physical aspect is a small thing in comparison to the mental and emotional aspects,it is YET the PHYSICAL aspect that drives the relationship,however "shallow"that may sound,it is a FACT. Here we bear witness to a realistic account of a person,as the decision to move from the UNrealistic dominion of strictly"friends"into the realm of"lovers"is taken,and Vivian futilely tries to enact a logical decision in the MIDST of the overwhelming PHYSICAL sensations encompassing her!! This account starts with Vivian being overcome with the mere contact his skin is making with hers!! Her GREAT,realistic musing of:"Who MADE the"rules";who DREW the line that shouldn't BE crossed?!? But WHAT if it's the BEST thing;what IF it gets "LOST"?!?" Can you give it TO me like...NO,'cause we're"perfect". DAMN it feels SO good to;NO,we're too perfect. What if we want MORE from each-other? What if we become"permenant" PART-time lovers?!? What if our"drama-free"friendship suffers? What if EVERYthing we built gets"lost"UNDER the covers?!?" I don't wanna MISS this opportunity. What if this is MEANT to be? STOP asking questions and guessing,and KEEP it flowing in MOTION!! Vivian apparently decides to let her carnal pleasure take the lead in this matter,in what she deems a"Perfect Decision"!! "All About Us"has Vivian showing that in the miasma of everyone elses opinions,advice and desire,the thing that matters is what she and her love feel about matters."Sweet Thing"expounds on the sweet delightful musings one has for"the apple of their eye"and how these thoughts seem to transcend every thing else occurring in their everyday life!! Even the"Outro"with encouragement and congrats from family and friends was a CLASSY and suitable"signing-off"of a great album!!I was sketching an illustration,when the"Outro"concluded and a"hidden track"with a line describing real emotional torment of:"I was PUT here to hopelessly love YOU,but you aint THINKING'bout ME,that's the torture I GO through."suddenly started playing and threw me into a trance with its mesmerizing refrain and melody!! I was in a department store a week prior when this very song had me nodding to its superb melody,while I was oblivious to the songs title,as well as that it was by Vivian Green,and so hearing it again on my excellent"Vivian"c.d really put the delicious icing on this five-layer cake!! Vivian Green utterly DESTROYED the dreaded"sophomore jinx"with"Vivian". "Under My Skin"quicklybecame my SECOND-favorite Vivian song after the BEAUTIFULLY-written "Music"from her debut album,NOT"Emotional Rollercoaster"which more people could relate to,than to the beautiful and SWEET situation"Music"describes,which veryFEW of the music-buying public can even comprehend being in.

I received the CD on time and it was packed very nicely. However, this CD only had two or three songs I liked. Ummm...Vivian and other artists can y'all manage to produce more than a few songs that are decent. This is why I stopped buying CDs....arrrggggg! I gave the CD four stars because of Amazon Services ....the music itself ...one star

I bought this CD for a second time because I'd lost the first one that I purchased. This is a hold your head up and move on CD! She's excellent.

This music reminds that maybe there is still real music out there in the world.I was very satisfied with this cd.

love it

Vivian, Vivian Greens second effort is a good but not great R&B album. Her vocals are strong and the song writing carries enough weight to grab the listener, but she is let down by lack-luster production that ruined some strong attempts for me. It lacks the thread of soul/jazz that was laced to elegantly through A Love story and made that album such a strong offering. You can hear that she has given a lot to this album but the almost entirely R&B approach leaves emotional opportunities unexplored. Lyrically it's more hit than miss but some of the hooks fall flat. She has a unique perspective to her writing that had me listening a little harder than I usually do. This album is kind of like a roller coaster, it has it's up and downs. I'd recommend it to anyone who has any of her other offerings or is looking for a strong R&B album.I'll list my opinion of the tracks below:1. Wish We Could Go Back - 5/5 - An example of a simple beat that lets her voice shine.2. Mad - 5/5 - This one had the grow on me but her vocals are so strong I couldn't ignore it. Vocally my favorite record on the album.3. Frustrated - 5/5 - Especially emotional vocals in the verses add a relatable weight to this record. Slightly over produced, but all around a beautiful song.4. Can Say it Enough - 2/5 - Really disappointing production because the song itself is really good. The hook could have used work with a better beat. Would be better A Capella, frankly.5. Selfish - 5/5 - Simple and beautiful; an example of her unique perspective and great song writing. Love the hook.6. Under My Skin - 5/5 - Elegant. An other lyrically great track with very strong production enhancing her vocals.7. I like it - 2/5 - The beat kills this for me. Her vocals again are strong enough that an A Capella could have been better than this cheap sounding production. With stronger production this could have been a great song.8. Sweet Memory - 4/5 - Cool song lyrically. Again better production would have taken this song to an other level but at least on this track it doesn't hold it back too much.9. Gotta Go Gotta Leave - 5/5 - That seductive A love Story voice of hers is on full display on the record. She sing about such a heavy situation so calmly and the production lets her vocals shine.10. Perfect Decision - 4/5 - Again a cool song, a little too hip-hop but still a great song.11. All About Us - 4/5 - She drops the ball a little on this one. The beat is pretty cool but her cadence on the first verse is odd and not well executed. The rest of the song is strong.12. Sweet Thing - 4/5 - A cool jazzy feel to wrap up the album. A little too much bass and the hook is "eh" but her vocalls are so strong on this track it really is a great listen.

So far, to me, this is the strongest offering of this young lady's career. The way she can give heartbreak and joy and hopeful thru this cd is outstanding! From what I heard from her when this was released, she had gone thru a breakup with her ex. She APPARENTLY was in her feelings, cause it totally came out in the first 6. Wow....who was this dude? Just as beautiful as she is talented, I always hop on any release that's got Viv's name on it, because it's natural and not studio heavy. She has that voice that can give love and loss of it and she can make the most of it. She is that one who will hook up with the star that gonna carry her far and I want to see that happen for her. YOU GIVE, VIV!!!

She is great song writer. I enjoy listening to her bring her songs to life. Cursed is my favorite on this CD but all the songs except 13 & 15 are played daily for me. Hopefully I get see her perform soon.