Vanessa Fernandez - Use Me

Recorded by Michael C. Ross to analog tape

Mastered to 45 RPM vinyl from 30-inch-per-second 1/4" master tape by Bernie Grundman

"Tasty as is the back-up band and are the outstanding acoustic arrangements, Ms. Fernandez steals the show with a voice that is as unlikely as her cover photo would have you thinking "funky black chick". She's no poseur though. If you have any such notions start with side 3's opener, a cover of Bill Withers' 'Use Me,' which is from where the album gets it title." — Music = 10/11; Sound = 11/11 — Michael Fremer, AnalogPlanet.com. To read Fremer's full review, click here.

Singapore-based vocalist Vanessa Fernandez, 31, has performed hip-hop (Urban Xchange/Parking Lot Pimp) and been a DJ "Vandetta," or "Miss Vandetta" on Mediacorp Radio's 987FM. Groove Note and ORG reissue producer Ying Tan decided that Fernandez deserved the audiophile recording treatment and so brought her to Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles in mid-January 2014 to record this album to analog tape in five sessions.

Fernandez covers Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Al Green, Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes and others in an album filled with funky grooves provided by a stellar back-up band anchored by bassist Leland Sklar, with session guitarist Tim Pierce (Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Patti Smith, Joe Cocker, Michael Jackson) drummer Victor Indrizzo (Scott Weiland, Chris Cornell) keyboardist Jim Cox (Lyle Lovett, Mark Knopfler, B.B. King) and others.

The album of audiophile-quality covers of soul and R&B classics from the '70s and '80s was done in an "unplugged" style with acoustic instruments and arrangements used on all of the tracks. Vocals are tremendously dynamic (no compression or limiting used), with superb presence and detail for all other instruments including the drum set.

The album introduces and throws the spotlight on the fantastic voice of the Singaporean vocalist Fernandez. The song selection includes tunes by Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Earth Wind & Fire, Bill Withers, Al Green and others.

This is a great group of top LA musicians backing superlative performances by a great new singer!!!

There are many records and labels who declare themselves to be of "audiophile quality." Groove Note records all of its albums at the best studios in Hollywood (Oceanway, Record One, Cello, Sunset Sound) using a top Grammy-nominated recording engineer, Michael C. Ross. All Groove Note albums are recorded 100% analog and the production masters are also mixed by 100% analog by MC Ross.

Music

Sound

Ratings from Michael Fremer @ AnalogPlanet.com

LP 1 - Side A:

1. I Just Wanna Be With You

2. Be Thankful For What You Got

3. Distant Lover

LP 1 - Side B:

1. Hard Times

2. That Loving Feeling

3. Simply Beautiful

LP 2 - Side C:

1. Use Me

2. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know

3. Cool Cat

LP 2 - Side D:

1. Here But I'm Gone

2. Be Thankful For What You Got (Alternate Mix)

Customer Reviews (4.00 Stars) 5 person(s) rated this product.

Great mastering/Not so great Pressing posted on 12/29/2021 4 Stars Reviewer: Jon S The artist has a terrific voice and the mastering by Bernie G is top notch. However, my copy has some surface noise that probably came from the pressing process. I would love to hear this album pressed by RTI. The album still sounds great though and highly recommended.

Outstanding Album posted on 04/20/2019 5 Stars Band is tight, and in the pocket. Mix, sound, and pressing quality are superb. Hats off to the engineers. I wish every record sounded this good.

Hated it posted on 11/09/2015 1 Stars Bought the 45rpm vinyl on the strength of the glowing review on the Analog Planet website and was shocked by how big the gulf was between the reviewer (who loved it) and me (who despised it). I grew up in the 70s and spent a lot of my childhood listening to soul music (African-American kid growing up in the city), so it's not the genre that's bothering me at all. The acoustic musical arrangements here are boring and insipid; she spends most of the album singing both loudly and above her vocal register so she's often screechy, slightly off pitch, and sounding like her vocal cords are being stretched apart; and she's clearly trying too hard to sound "soulful" (over- exaggerated extended vocal vibratos, like a bad Whitney Houston). Basically, she is to soul music what Diana Krall is to jazz for me, but significantly less technically proficient than Krall. The sound quality also didn't change my life. Ugh. Worst $40 I've spent in a very long time.

Delightful posted on 10/27/2015 5 Stars Reviewer: Al Iossi One great LP great voice, great musicians the instruments are real and in the room. The quality of this recording is second to none what a find. I bought it for a birthday present they mentioned that at the RMAF people were using it for demos. They watched videos from the different rooms from reviewers well that can't sound good but the LP was a good recommendation. Buying LP's is a crapshoot and finding one that has more then one good track is hard but this is a complete winner. AL

Write a review and let people know what you think of this product OR just rate it.