MACY GRAY - On How Life Is (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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. by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1    Why Didn't You Call Me 3:14
Backing Vocals – David Wilder, Jeremy Ruzumna
Bass – David Wilder
Drum Programming – Darryl Swann
Guitar – Jinsoo Lim
2    Do Something 4:57
Bass – Dion Derek Murdock
Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Moog] – Jeremy Ruzumna
Guitar – Jinsoo Lim
Music By – Andre Benjamin, Antwan Patton, Bernard Worrell, Cameron Gipp, Darryl Barnes, Dion Derek Murdock, Garry Shider, George Clinton Jr., Greg Mays, Patrick Brown, Raymon Murray, Rico Wade, Robert Barnett, Thomas Burton
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Patrick Warren
3    Caligula 4:38
Backing Vocals – Darryl Swann
Guitar – Darryl Swann
Music By – Macy Gray
Synthesizer – Jon Brion, Patrick Warren
Synthesizer [Farfisa], Clavinet – Jeremy Ruzumna
4    I Try 3:59
Bass – David Wilder
Guitar – Bendrix Williams
Music By – David Wilder, Jinsoo Lim, Macy Gray
Piano, Bells [Orchestra] – Jon Brion
5    Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak 3:57
Bass – Dion Derek Murdock
Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Jeremy Ruzumna
Guitar – Blackbird McKnight, Gabriel Moses
Music By – Dion Derek Murdock
Synthesizer – Rami Jaffee
6    I Can't Wait To Meetchu 5:18
Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Jeremy Ruzumna
Guitar – Miles Tackett
Horns – Charlie Green, Michael Harris, Steve Baxter
Music By – Miles Tackett
7    Still 4:15
Arranged By [Strings] – David Campbell
Guitar – Jay Joyce
Music By – Bill Esses, Jeff Blue
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Jon Brion
8    I've Committed Murder 4:59
Marimba, Synthesizer, Vibraphone [Vibes] – Jon Brion
Music By – C. Sigman, Eddie Harris, F. Lai, Kiilu Beckwith
Programmed By – Kiilu Beckwith
Saxophone [Solo] – Ngozi "Guz" Inyama
9    A Moment To Myself 4:00
Electric Piano [Rhodes], Organ [Wurlitzer] – Patrick Warren
Music By – Damon Yu Wimbley, Mark Morales, Miles Tackett
10    The Letter 5:38
Keyboards [Optigon], Chamberlin [Chamberlain] – Jeremy Ruzumna
Keyboards [Optigon], Piano – Jon Brion
Keyboards [Optigon], Piano, Chamberlin [Chamberlain] – Rami Jaffe
Music By – Jamie Houston, Matt Sherrod
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Dawn Beckman (pistas: 1 to 3, 5 to 9), Macy Gray (pistas: 1, 3 to 5, 10), Macy Gray (pistas: 1, 3 to 5, 10), Musiic Galloway (pistas: 1 to 3, 5 to 10), Sye Smith (pistas: 3, 5, 7)
Bass – Greg Richling (pistas: 6 to 10)
Chamberlin [Chamberlain] – Jon Brion (pistas: 2, 3, 8, 10), Patrick Warren (pistas: 2 to 4, 7, 8)
Drums – Matt Chamberlain
Guitar – Arrik Marshall (pistas: 1, 7 to 10), Jon Brion (pistas: 3 to 6, 8 to 10)
Legal – Jill Berliner
Lyrics By – Macy Gray
Music By – Darryl Swann (pistas: 2, 3, 6, 8), Jeremy Ruzumna (pistas: 1 to 9)
Organ – Jeremy Ruzumna (pistas: 1, 4 to 6, 8)
Percussion – Lenny Castro, Matt Chamberlain (pistas: 1, 3, 9, 10)
Piano – Jeremy Ruzumna (pistas: 1, 7, 10)
Turntables – DJ Kiilu (pistas: 2, 8, 9)