Stone Rollin'
by Raphael Saadiq
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: May 10, 2011
Metascore
86

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Expert Witness (MSN Music)
    May 10, 2011
    91
    More Prince than Ray Parker Jr., he plays with himself to beat the band, and makes these 10 tracks bump and pulse.
  2. The A.V. Club
    May 10, 2011
    91
    The end result is a warm, sometimes reckless, but always deeply moving and wildly creative effort that is absolutely dizzying in the best, most indelible sense.
  3. AllMusic
    May 9, 2011
    90
    The album does not merely transcend period-piece status. It's the high point of Saadiq's career, his exceptional output with Tony! Toni! Toné! included.
  5. PopMatters
    May 9, 2011
    90
    Stone Rollin' shows off Saadiq's genius as a singer, writer, instrumentalist, and producer of modern rhythm and blues that pays homage to its traditions.
  6. Austin Chronicle
    Jun 23, 2011
    89
    With Stone Rollin', California's vintage soul man is doubling down on the classic R&B while drawing from a deeper well and muddying up the water. Hitsville is still part of the formula, but so now are Howlin' Wolf and Sly Stone.
  7. Los Angeles Times
    May 10, 2011
    88
    Dismissing it as overly familiar obscures the point. Saadiq is a classicist of the best kind - one who not only carries on tradition but expands it.
  8. Okayplayer
    May 27, 2011
    85
    While it might sound more suitable for spins on a clunky, stereophonic hi-fi, this stone soul picnic is a breath of fresh air in the here and now amidst the throng of techno R&B androids scaling the charts.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    May 6, 2011
    83
    Stone Rollin' is old school for sure, spun fresh.
  10. Sputnikmusic
    Nov 21, 2011
    80
    The result is a record that's immediately familiar yet inventive, funky, fun, and always impressive.
  11. Under The Radar
    Jun 8, 2011
    80
    An underlying analog hiss adds warmth to Saadiq's already honeyed tones, confirming Stone Rollin' as timeless "retro Soul." [May 2011, p.81]
    All this publication's reviews
  12. Consequence
    May 25, 2011
    80
    Saadiq's genius spin on this sound is almost too fresh for its own good, occasionally finding itself in an over-indulgent state, but what's good about Stone Rollin' is great, as Saadiq succeeds in creating an album that almost any music listener can get into.
  13. Mojo
    May 18, 2011
    80
    Good album, clever guy. [Jun 2011, p.100]
    All this publication's reviews
  14. NOW Magazine
    May 12, 2011
    80
    It's difficult not to fall head over heels for Saadiq's hard-working showman ethic, especially when he threatens to take the party past the three-minute pop format (which he rarely does, unfortunately).
  15. BBC Music
    May 10, 2011
    80
    Vintage touches and modern twists combine on an irrepressible soul record.
  16. The Independent (UK)
    May 9, 2011
    80
    With Stone Rollin', he broadens his outlook to take in various other R&B styles, without shifting more than a few years either way.
  17. Boston Globe
    May 9, 2011
    80
    Saadiq, the former leader of Tony! Toni! Toné! and keeper of old-school R&B flame, delivers a deliciously good set of playful yet engaging songs that nods to the past while sounding thoroughly of the moment.
  18. The New York Times
    May 16, 2011
    70
    Stone Rollin' is a better, more lively album than the last one Mr. Saadiq made in this vein, "The Way I See It," from 2008.
  19. Rolling Stone
    May 10, 2011
    70
    He doesn't just rediscover the past, he remakes it.
  20. Spin
    May 9, 2011
    70
    Stone Rollin's rhythm-and-blues revival can't obscure Saadiq's songwriting talents.
  21. Slant Magazine
    May 9, 2011
    50
    R&B's menu has never looked so diverse or enticing, but Stone Rollin' is overcooked comfort food dressed up as haute cuisine.

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Best Album of 2011

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. kluvlaw
    May 11, 2011
    9
    Just an incredible album. It's infectious from the first note to the last.

    As a late blooming fan of T.T.T. I knew I recognized Saadiq's    Just an incredible album. It's infectious from the first note to the last.

    As a late blooming fan of T.T.T. I knew I recognized Saadiq's voice but that was years ago and I didn't know of his name.

    You can still steam this on NPR for another week or so and I'd highly recommend it.

    I'll be buying this album on my next visit to the music store...fo sho. 2 thumbs way up.    … Full Review »
  2. Labarron
    Oct 27, 2011
    10
    Good Album. So far, it's his best album. People need to takes notes and listen to this album. This is a fun, soulful, and amazing album. In myGood Album. So far, it's his best album. People need to takes notes and listen to this album. This is a fun, soulful, and amazing album. In my opinion, it's one of the best R&B/Soul album of all time.… Full Review »
  3. Hackskeptic
    Jun 15, 2011
    7
    Kicking off with the punchy parody to Sly & The Family Stone, "Heart Attack" instantly recalls "Dance To The Music" with similar four to theKicking off with the punchy parody to Sly & The Family Stone, "Heart Attack" instantly recalls "Dance To The Music" with similar four to the floor rhythmic energy and a deliberate free flowing edginess. Saadiq has introduced a greater range of instrumentation including the Mellotron and Moog synthesisers which add effective embellishments to many of the songs. If there is a reservation it's that the middle of the record feels like an exercise in hiding less ambition to the quality of song writing and more to re-tracing the individual genre, or groove. Some of the melodies, particularly on "Over You" and the title track seem hamstrung by over familiarity and a repetitive lack of range. But it's when Saadiq allows himself the time to develop his greatest skill (as an arranger) the songs take on an irresistible lift. The horn interplay that supports "Movin' Down The Line" is sensational, and Larry Dunn's Moog solo on "Just Don't" makes for the spectacular stand out of the album. "Stone Rollin'" doesn't teach us anything we didn't know before. Saadiq is a superb interpreter, arranger and singer, and a decent enough song writer. http://hackskeptic.com… Full Review »
See all user reviews »