From the Mind of Lil Louis

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From the Mind of Lil Louis
Studio album by
Lil Louis
Released1989
GenreChicago house
LabelEpic Records, FFRR Records
ProducerLil Louis
Lil Louis chronology
From the Mind of Lil Louis
(1989) 		Journey with the Lonely
(1992)

From the Mind of Lil Louis is the debut album by the American house musician Lil Louis, released in 1989.[1][2]

The single "French Kiss" peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100; it peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.[3][4]

Production[edit]

The album's tracks were written and produced by Lil Louis; he also played most of the instruments.[5] The album sides are titled "Dance" and "Romance", with the song "Insecure" composed as a ballad.[6] Lil Louis's father, who had played as a sideman with Bobby Bland and B.B. King, sings and plays guitar on "Lil Tanya".[7][8] Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers contributed production work to the album.

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Calgary HeraldB+[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[11]
Ottawa Citizen[12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[13]

The New York Times thought that Lil Louis "has created a breakthrough album for house music by turning a genre usually heard amid the public revelry of the dance floor into a private, interior playground."[6] The Globe and Mail wrote that the album is "a wonderfully eclectic blend of street vocals, soulful riffs and top-rate instrumental work."[8] The St. Petersburg Times deemed the album "a bold debut," writing that "the sound is of spare, brooding jazz, uniquely subdued and shot through with Louis' smoldering sexuality ... The music's sensual appeal is awesome, as physically in tune with the times as Prince ever was."[14] The Calgary Herald declared that "when a new artist cops tricks from Prince, George Clinton and Laurie Anderson, you know he's on the right track."[10]

AllMusic called the album "a triumph," writing that "Larry Heard's input on tracks like 'Blackout', 'Tuch Me' and '6 A.M.' is stellar."[9] Listing From the Mind of Lil Louis as an "Essential" album of house music, Spin praised the "propulsive" and "pastoral" conceptual sides.[7] Mixmag included "French Kiss" on its list of "30 of the Best Chicago House Tracks," and wrote that "I Called U" and "Nyce & Slo" were also "unmissable."[15]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."I Called U"6:22
2."Blackout"6:05
3."Tuch Me"5:07
4."French Kiss"6:02
5."Wargames"3:04
6."6 A.M."3:47
7."Nyce & Slo"5:32
8."Insecure"6:23
9."The Luv U Wanted"4:36
10."Brittany"2:32
11."Lil Tanya"2:35

Personnel[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Lil' Louis | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Stanley, Bob (Dec 16, 1989). "Albums: Lil Louis and the World". Melody Maker. 65 (50): 30.
  3. ^ "Lil Louis". Billboard.
  4. ^ "LIL' LOUIS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  5. ^ Hoffmann, Frank W. (July 24, 2005). "Rhythm and Blues, Rap, and Hip-hop". Infobase Publishing – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b Freedberg, Michael (April 29, 1990). "You Can Dance to It, But Is It Worth a Listen?" – via NYTimes.com.
  7. ^ a b "Essentials". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. June 24, 2010 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ a b Niester, Alan (18 Jan 1990). "From the Mind of Lil Louis". The Globe and Mail. p. C8.
  9. ^ a b "From the Mind of Lil' Louis - Lil' Louis | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  10. ^ a b Tremblay, Mark (25 Jan 1990). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. C3.
  11. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 238.
  12. ^ Erskine, Evelyn (26 Jan 1990). "From The Mind Of Lil Louis". Ottawa Citizen. p. C6.
  13. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 424.
  14. ^ Volk, Steven (11 May 1990). "SOUND BITES". St. Petersburg Times. Weekend. p. 16.
  15. ^ "30 OF THE BEST CHICAGO HOUSE TRACKS". Mixmag. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
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