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Everyone Deserves Music
EMAILPRINTby Michael Franti & Spearhead
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 13 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 10 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Artist Direct / Boo Boo
Release Date: 19 August 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rap, Alternative
Summary
The fourth collaboration between Michael Franti and Spearhead mixes the politically-inclined raps of Franti with the disco/funk rhythms of a live band.
Also By This Artist: Stay Human Yell Fire!
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
All Music Guide
Franti and Spearhead almost made a deliberate attempt to stray from the typical hip-hop beats and go for something a bit more organic and acoustic than their previous efforts -- and the experiments more than pay off.
Read Full Review >Splendid
Everyone Deserves Music excels beyond simple good intentions because Franti and Spearhead are also at peace with their musical influences.
Read Full Review >Launch.com
Always undervalued as a songwriter, Franti reassembles his familiar building blocks of rock, reggae, and vintage R&B into the funkiest, most inviting neighborhoods he's yet created.
Read Full Review >Mojo
Musically and vocally, this is Franti's most confident and varied work to date. [Jul 2003, p.106]
ShakingThrough.net
The musical stretches Spearhead makes go a long way toward making Everyone Deserves Music a memorable, even highly recommended affair, but the sanding down of Franti's rougher edges just prevents it from being an essential album. Spearhead fans deserve more consistently inspiring fare than they get here.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
An intelligent, well-crafted and catchy mix of funk, rap, soul and right-on sloganeering. [Jul 2003, p.104]
Blender
The pie-in-the-sky ambitions may be a little much, but credit Franti for dreaming up a kinder, gentler new world order. [Sep 2003, p.122]
Rolling Stone
A joyous celebration of life that pulverizes bullets with positive vibes.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle
Musically, it's as diverse as anything the band has ever done, smoothly vacillating between forceful beats and heady grooves.
Read Full Review >E! Online
When he gets it right, the rich grooves and soulful voices can be sublime, like early '70s Curtis Mayfield or Sly and the Family Stone.
Read Full Review >Vibe
Delivers a spiritual and political message that's both sensual and relevant. [Oct 2003, p.185]
PopMatters
It seems as though Franti's writing has morphed into messages of peace, love, and personal empowerment without context -- which doesn't make the songs bad per se, just closer to average.
Read Full Review >Uncut
"Never Too Late" sounds like an unhappy mix of Randy Newman and Arrested Development, and sometimes Franti sounds like a clap-happy Seal. [Jul 2003, p.130]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Dave R gave it an 8:
being one of my favorite artists, I could'nt wait for the follow up to the truly inspiring "stay human". although there's still nobody that comes close to Franti in combining music, lyrics and awareness (and if there is - please let me know), I thought this album sometimes crossed the delicate line between good-natured-yet-aware and emotional-sentimental-mushy. still, MF is a real MF.
an epiphany gave it a 9:
lush and lovely and meaningful
Mike M gave it a 9:
Yet another great album from the most criminally ignored artist(s) of the last 10 years.
Brian S gave it a 7:
Being a fan of most people that realize there is a problem in our world's current status, I think "Everyone Deserves Music" is a great record for the time. The majority of the music is somewhat simplistic but is perfect for the tone and composition that Michael Franti & Spearhead seem to be trying to produce. What I liked about the CD was that one moment the music gave me a sense a reggae revolution, but then was transferred to a sound of Wyclef Jean style of hip hop, not to mention the true heart felt singing styles of Ben Harper. All in all, I don't think the CD will be leaving the deck for a while.
Mary J gave it a 9:
very very interesting
Jon gave it a 2:
I want my money back
Alexander C. gave it a 10:
Even better than his last album, Everyone Deserves Music keeps the fire and energy of his last album, Stay Human, but fuses it with the soul of Billie Holiday and Stevie Wonder and the spirit of Bob Marley and Dave Matthews. What he produces is something that goes far beyond what we think of as hip-hop and onto another plane of musical existence. It's almost impossible to be disappointed by this album, because no matter what kind of music is your personal groove there'll be several songs that you'll love. Michael Franti's latest gem is funky, powerful, profound, sensitive and full of love of life. It's a must have!
