The Way I See It

Untitled

The Way I See It is the third studio album by American recording artist Raphael Saadiq, released on September 16, 2008, by Columbia Records. After releasing his 2004 album Ray Ray, Saadiq continued working on other artists' projects and developed a partnership with audio engineer Charles Brungardt, who shared his fascination with historic recording techniques and equipment. In 2008, he returned from a vacation that inspired him to pursue classic soul and recorded The Way I See It with Brungardt at Blakeslee Recording Company, Saadiq's studio in North Hollywood. In an attempt to recreate the Motown aesthetic of the 1960s, Saadiq and Brungardt eschewed their past experiences of modern music production and studied and experimented with older recording techniques.

A traditional soul album, The Way I See It draws on the music of 1960s Motown Sound and Philadelphia soul. Its songs are two to four minutes long and incorporate characteristic elements of its source material, including Motown's grooves, driving rhythms, swinging bass, sweeping strings, bright melodies, and rhythm section tambourines. Saadiq's songwriting is characterized by generally romantic subject matter, positive exhortations, and straightforward, vulnerable lyrics. He characterizes the album as a series of love songs about music and remaining faithful to it despite trends. Music writers compare Saadiq's slightly distorted, tenor vocals on the album to those of Motown artist Smokey Robinson.

Although it was initially overlooked by consumers, The Way I See It sold steadily and charted for 41 weeks on the US Billboard 200, peaking at number 19. It also charted in several European countries, including France, where it charted for 51 weeks. As of May 2011, the album has sold 282,000 copies in the United States. Upon its release, The Way I See It was well received by music critics, who praised Saadiq's performance, songwriting, and appropriation of 1960s soul music. It was an exemplary release of the classic soul revival at the time and earned Saadiq the highest international profile of his career. His extensive touring for the album in the US, Europe, and Asia expanded his repertoire as a solo artist and garnered him a newer, more diverse audience.

Background

After releasing his second studio album Ray Ray in 2004, Saadiq continued working as a producer, composer, and instrumentalist on other recording artists' music. He was introduced to audio engineer Charles Brungardt through production and songwriting team Jake and the Phatman, who had worked on Ray Ray. Brungardt interned at Blakeslee Recording Company, Saadiq's North Hollywood recording studio, and eventually became his principal sonic partner on projects. The two shared a fascination with historic recording techniques and equipment, and they studied the 2006 book Recording The Beatles together, noting an interest in the knowledge of recording gear by engineers and technicians for English rock band The Beatles. Brungardt increased his engineering output, and in 2007, Saadiq enlisted him to engineer and mix English singer Joss Stone's studio album Introducing Joss Stone, which Saadiq produced.

While vacationing in the Bahamas and Costa Rica in 2008, Saadiq observed people there listening to classic soul music and was inspired to pursue it as a musical direction for his next album. He recounted the experience in an interview for Blues & Soul, saying that "I was like 'Wow, maybe I should tap into this vibe, because it’s actually what I LOVE!' ... I realised that, though you can hear it in many of the records I've done throughout my career, I'd never paid 100% attention to going in that direction before. So the difference this time is that I took a more focused route." As a part of Tony! Toni! Toné! during the late 1980s and 1990s, Saadiq had incorporated classic Motown influences in his songwriting for the group. He explained the album title to be him declaring to music listeners that "this has always been me. This is what I really love, and everything you’ve heard from me before has been based on the roots of this music."

Before recording The Way I See It, Saadiq signed to Columbia Records. Label executive Rick Rubin visited Saadiq's home studio and was impressed by his material there. He said of Rubin's visit and advice to him as a solo artist, "He told me to never box myself in. I just have to be myself. You've got to follow your own path. I've always gone down the road less traveled, but now I do it even more aggressively."

Recording

[I]t became almost like a bet with some of the guys who were saying, 'You can’t really re-create this old-sounding stuff because the power-flow back then was different, or the way this worked or that worked was different.' So Raphael and I just locked ourselves in the studio and tried everything.

— Charles Brungart, Electronic Musician

After returning from his vacation, Saadiq started writing and recording The Way I See It, which took four months. In an interview for Sound on Sound, he discussed his comfort level when returning to Blakeslee Recording Company, saying "the music for this album flowed organically, naturally, and since I have my own studio I was able to perfect it and take my time to make it right. I was able to live with it day after day, and I think that had a lot to do with how the album turned out." He wrote the songs extemporaneously, often with a guitar in hand and improvising riffs. He subsequently sung them while playing each instrument one at a time, including guitar, bass, and basic piano parts that he planned to include on the recordings.

Saadiq recorded the album primarily at Blakeslee Recording Company. Additional sessions took place at Harmonie Park Studios in Detroit and The Music Shed Studios in New Orleans. While recording the album, he immersed himself in a composite character of classic soul singers from videos he watched, including Al Green, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Four Tops, and the Temptations. He recorded his vocals with only Brungardt present in the studio, a preference he felt would help him avoid "looking for answers from somebody who may not really know." Saadiq elaborated on the process in an interview, saying that "I tend to record complete takes, and if something isn't quite right but it's got a feel that I know I can never ever capture again, I'll leave it, even if it's flat. I mean, there are flat parts on my record, because it's not about perfection, it's about the soul." He recorded background vocals for all songs. Saadiq played most of the instruments for the album, including drums, guitar, piano, sitar, and bass guitar, his instrument of choice throughout his career. He viewed the bass playing of James Jamerson as an integral part of Motown's recordings and cited it as the inspiration for his own bass sound on The Way I See It.

Saadiq worked with other musicians, including Joss Stone, percussionist Jack Ashford, string arranger Paul Riser, multi-instrumentalist Bobby Ozuna, singer CJ Hilton, and recording artist Stevie Wonder. Ashford and Riser were members of The Funk Brothers, a group of session musicians for Motown Records during the 1960s. Ashford played tambourine, vibraphone, bells, and shakers on songs such as "100 Yard Dash", "Love That Girl", and "Staying in Love". Ozuna, one-half of Jake and the Phatman, co-produced and co-wrote three songs and played several instruments, including bongos, tambourine, and drums. Hilton co-wrote "Never Give You Up" and played its drum and keyboard parts. Wonder's contribution of a harmonica solo on the song was impromptu, as Saadiq reached out to Wonder after recording the song's vocal parts with the improvised line, "I'd like to invite Mr. Stevie Wonder to my album. Come on, Stevie!" After having the idea recommended to him by rapper Q-Tip, Saadiq also reached out to Jay-Z to record a featured rap for a remix of "Oh Girl"; it was included on the album as a bonus track.

Production

Saadiq's recording studio featured an SSL 9000 mixing console (pictured).

The Way I See It was engineered by Saadiq, Gerry Brown, James Tanksley, and Brungardt, who also mixed the album with Saadiq. Saadiq and Brungardt both liked to layer multiple instruments and, prior to recording, had contemplated techniques such as sampling and drum programming. However, they ultimately found live instrumentalists more dynamic and challenged themselves to reproduce older music productions and the Motown aesthetic of the 1960s. To familiarize themselves with vintage recording techniques, they studied Mark Lewisohn's 1988 book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, books about Motown Records, and images of the label's studio personnel, setup of instruments, and microphone placement. They also studied Motown EQs to achieve a tone they found adequate for songs' rhythm guitar parts. Saadiq says that he had to disregard "about 85 to 90 percent of the new techniques", adding that "People used to take recording very seriously. They used to wear lab coats at Abbey Road. So I got serious with what I was trying to do, both mentally and physically." Brungardt said of his approach to the production in an interview for Mix:

On most albums I work on, they want it clean with no distortion. I was taught to make sure it was polish, polish, polish, and to make sure everything fits right, the bass hits and things are clean for the big pop vocal. On this record, I switched gears because I felt like it was all about performance and about the way it's supposed to sound, not about following all those rules.

Saadiq's studio integrated modern equipment such as a Pro Tools digital workstation and an SSL 9000 mixing console, and featured various vintage gear, including Saadiq's 1960s Ludwig drum kit and a kick-drum mic purchased from Abbey Road Studios. In the studio, Saadiq and Brungardt experimented with techniques and equipment. They wanted the songs to have slower attacks like older recordings, as producers in the past did not have advanced compressors, audio tools that manipulate the dynamic content of signals and affect certain sounds in a recording's mix. Their production applied tube preamps and tube compressors, with the former used as a front end for Pro Tools. For Saadiq's vocals, a Shure SM57 dynamic microphone was used to thicken and distort his voice as a way of embellishing his characteristically clean delivery, while Brungardt employed a compressor and a Pro Tools plug-in during the mix. Saadiq sought a certain "edge" for his vocals and an unpolished sonic element for the album. They also tried recording tracks to cassette tapes in order to produce a grittier, older sound. Brungardt used a FilterBank plug-in when mixing the album to uncompress vocals and roll off high-end sound from tracks.

Although they wanted to reproduce an older sound for the album, Saadiq and Brunghardt wanted to capture more of the bass and drum parts to add a louder, modern element to the mix. They applied a more basic approach to miking the instruments and utilizing the outboard gear, using a Neumann U 47 for guitars, alternating overhead microphones for Saadiq's drum kit, a combination of dynamic and condenser mics for the kit's bass drum, and Amplex tape machines for extra warmth to the kit. Brungardt used various standard mics for the snare drum to achieve a more solid cracking sound, rather than capturing the drum's overall tone. Their miking of the guitars' amps was adapted from The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, and as Brungardt recounted, "It really gave us warmth and character. It allowed the amp to breathe and we got the tones of the amp along with the room. For me, that really opened things up so that I could play with the live room, using different reverbs to get a sound." For bass, they used a DI unit to connect a microphone preamplifier, increased the gain on a plug-in for less compression, and adjusted the low-end tones with an equalizer plug-in.

Composition

Music and style

The album's music draws on the style of 1960s Motown (former headquarters pictured).

The album has a traditional soul music style fashioned after the 1960s Motown Sound and Philadelphia soul. Robbie Whelan of the Baltimore City Paper views it as a "purist" homage to 1960s classic soul that is distinguished from neo soul, which bears a hip hop influence. Areif Sless-Kitain of Time Out writes that the album "reach[es] back far further" than the 1970s funk influence of Saadiq's 2002 debut album Instant Vintage and Ray Ray. J. Gabriel Boylan of The New York Observer notes that, as a producer for other recording artists, he "pushed a classic aesthetic, heavy on organic sounds and light on studio magic, deeply indebted to the past and distrustful of easy formulas", but asserts that "never has Saadiq played on the past so heavily, so insistently" as on The Way I See It. BBC Music's Chris Jones interprets Saadiq's appropriation of 1960s soul as source material for the album to be a reflection of "America's most recent great political and cultural shift ... the first true post-Obama expression of hope in record form." Saadiq views his rootsy direction as a response to the state of popular music and finds it analogous to modern politics, saying that "You force so many terrible things on people, they get tired of it. We have a black president now."

Songs on the album emulate Motown's grooves, driving rhythms, tight drumming, tambourines in the rhythm section, guitar melodies, layered vocal arrangements, and durations of two to four minutes. They also feature bright melodies, swinging bass, sweeping strings, and snare drums that emit reverb. Cameron Carrus of The Lawrentian writes that the "catchiest riffs" are played on "the bass and guitar, blending the low with the high", citing "Keep Marchin'", "Love That Girl", and "Staying in Love" as examples. Music writer Robert Christgau comments that the album has "the bright, swift, clearly hooked aesthetic" of Motown songwriting and production team Holland–Dozier–Holland. Jon Pareles of The New York Times views that Saadiq follows the example of 1960s Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and Holland–Dozier–Holland. Allmusic's Andy Kellman writes that the songs are "graced with the songwriting, arranging, and production touches of the recordings [Saadiq] evidently cherishes and knows inside out."

On The Way I See It, Saadiq sings in a tenor voice. His vocals feature slight distortion, a result of the album's post-production. Music writers compare his singing to that of Smokey Robinson. Christgau calls his singing "crisp and cocky". Mark Mays of The Tennessean, who likens the album to an "early-period Marvin Gaye album", comments that Saadiq replicates "the Jackson 5's early, puppy-love moping" and "Smokey Robinson's sweetness, and though singing isn't Saadiq's greatest gift, he nails Robinson's tone as well."

Lyrical themes

Saadiq's songwriting is characterized by straightforward, vulnerable lyrics, positive exhortations, pining ballads, paraphrasing of classic soul lyrics, and original compositions modelled after the source material. J. Gabriel Boylan of The New York Observer observes a "balance on the album between innocent love tunes, raging soul burners, and message songs." Lyrics on the album's slower songs express tightly coiled emotions. The Boston Globe staffer Sarah Rodman comments that Saadiq "clutches at the very romantic heart of [classic Motown soul-pop]". Robert Christgau interprets Saadiq's persona on the album to be "a romantic who stays true to the deliberate simplicity" of the song titles, but adds that "he never threatens to assume the fetal position if he doesn't get the extreme cuddling he craves. And just to show he's a modern guy, he'll proposition you straight up once he lures you into taking that walk outside."

Patrick Varine of the Observer-Dispatch characterizes the album's lyrical content as "simple, straightforward romanticism" and notes Saadiq's "innocent approach" to romance on songs such as "Just One Kiss" and political themes on "Big Easy". Varine adds that it deviates significantly from contemporary R&B lyrics, writing that "there are no thinly-veiled food-sex metaphors or pimp fantasies; just a man in love with the musical acumen to emulate his idols." Saadiq says that some songs were written about his life experiences. He describes the album as "basically a series of love songs about music, how falling in love can be easy, but staying true to it can be tricky." He elaborated on this interpretation in an interview for the Chicago Tribune, stating "You have to watch out for those curves. Trendy music comes out, and how do you stay true to what you love? I’m not saying everything has to sound like a '60s record to stay true, but you should never take the relationship lightly."

Content

"Sure Hope You Mean It" features vibraphone, slightly off-beat percussion, lazy snare rolls, tambourine shakes, and a subtle clink sound complementing its beat. It also has call and response patterns with repetition of Saadiq's lead vocals. The song's composition and style are similar to Marvin Gaye's 1964 song "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)". The narrator on "Sure Hope You Mean It" awaits a sign of approval from the woman he admires, as he declares "I want to take control, but you've got to let me know." "100 Yard Dash" is a funky, uptempo song with a restrained guitar lick, a strong backbeat, and lyrics that express playful physicality. The lyrics also feature variations on the metaphor of love as a fast race that physically affects a person's heart. Saadiq sings at an uncharacteristically high pitch, the highest of any song on the album. "Keep Marchin'" has prominent bass and guitar riffs, and lyrics evoking socially-conscious and positive sentiments. It is composed in the vein of the soul music of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, such as Sam Cooke and the Staple Singers. Gail Mitchell of Billboard compares the song to the music of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions' 1968 song "We're a Winner". Saadiq said that "Keep Marchin'" reminds him of his experience striving in the music industry.

"Big Easy" features lively piano and percussive, New Orleans-style brass, played by the New Orleans-based Rebirth Brass Band. It is written from the point of view of a man in New Orleans reacting to Hurricane Katrina and looking for his lost lover. It has themes of desire and betrayal, and lyrics thinly veiling it as a love song: "Somebody tell me what's going on. I haven't seen my baby in far too long / Somebody please tell me what's going on. They say them levees broke, and my baby's gone." J. Gabriel Boylan of The New York Observer writes that the "funky" song "manages to cast Hurricane Katrina as the villain in a romance, tearing lovers apart." Its composition employs a blissful sound and disheartening lyrics, a songwriting technique similar to that of Holland–Dozier–Holland. Saadiq was inspired to write "Big Easy" after watching the 2006 documentary film When the Levees Broke. He explained its upbeat composition in an interview for All Things Considered, saying that "in New Orleans, when they mourn, they really celebrate and have a great time. I wanted to give it that same spirit." "Just One Kiss" features cinematic strings, bright xylophone, and a rolling crescendo. Saadiq said that the song "could be about a girl, but I'm really talking about music and what it did for me. That one guitar line, that certain drum beat, how it turned my life into a ball of gold."

"Love That Girl" has refined grooves, a repetitive bass lines, echo chamber-like claps, and call and response choruses. Its style is similar to that of the Temptations, and its lyrics feature rhyme schemes similar to those of classic soul songs. The bilingual ballad "Calling", featuring Mexican balladeer Rocio Mendoza, incorporates doo-wop music, Motown's late 1950s R&B roots, Latin style guitar, and Spanish language lyrics. "Staying in Love" features tightly wound guitar and an uptempo R&B style. Saadiq was inspired to write the song after thinking of an ex-girlfriend. The Philly soul-styled "Oh Girl" features subtle strings, a reserved delivery by Saadiq, a slow sitar riff, and crooning harmonies similar to groups such as the Delfonics and the Stylistics. "Let's Take a Walk" has sexually forward lyrics and come-ons, used by the narrator to bluntly proposition his significant other. Its subject matter is incongruous with its traditional R&B sound.

The midtempo "Never Give You Up" is fashioned in the sound of early 1970s Motown, particularly the music of Marvin Gaye, and the Philly soul of The Spinners. Unlike other songs on the album, it incorporates more contemporary soul elements. "Sometimes" has thoughtful lyrics and was inspired by Saadiq's upbringing by his mother and grandmother in a tough neighborhood in Oakland, California. Its emotional narrative is about dealing with the fatigue of universal hardships when they are worsened by the burden of racism. The line "now I know what they meant by 'keep your head to the sky'" makes reference to Earth, Wind & Fire, whose music Saadiq immersed himself in while growing up. Saadiq said of the song's message, "That's just giving dap to my moms and grandmother and the people who raised me in the neighborhood to let them know its easy but not as easy as it seems all the time and sometimes we have to back up and cry but I'm just giving thanks to the people that helped me along the way." The remix of "Oh Girl" features cocky, dexterous wordplay by Jay-Z, who adopts a lover persona. "Kelly Ray", included as a bonus track on the album's iTunes release, has Saadiq vocalizing in a style similar to Al Green, incorporating speech in his singing.

Release and packaging

Prior to the album's completion, Saadiq previewed songs in May 2008 to music journalists and industry types at the Sony Club in New York City. He also planned a grassroots marketing strategy for the album, which evolved from Saadiq's difficulty with Columbia record executives to promote the album and their idea of issuing its songs as vinyl records. He felt that "nobody at the label knew" him and said of the difficuly in an interview for The Dallas Morning News, "They had this record that I turned in that sounded like a '60s record. 'What the hell do we do with this record?' It was quality. There was not a lot of marketing and promotion, but they knew I had the credibility so you don't just throw it in the garbage ... I don't mind being a slow burn because that's actually a better road to take. I have to go in one more time and prove myself again because I am starting over again."

In the week leading up to its release, Saadiq made promotional appearances at V-103's For Sisters Only, the International Soul Music Summit, and the Uptown Restaurant & Lounge in Atlanta. He also performed songs from the album on VH1 Soulstage. The Way I See It was released by Columbia both on CD and as a collector's edition box set with 7-inch vinyl singles. In the United Kingdom, the album was issued with two bonus tracks—a "Euro version" of "Big Easy" and the song "Come On Home". In 2009, Saadiq travelled to Europe for promotional television appearances and press for the album.

The album's packaging adheres to a retro aesthetic with its crimson-tinted cover's font and 1960s Columbia Records logo. The packaging's photography was taken by Norman Seeff. The cover photo shows Saadiq singing into a microphone with his arms raised and wearing a suit, tie, and thick-rimmed glasses, a look similar to that of Temptations singer David Ruffin. The photo was taken at a show in 2006 at Sweet's Ballroom in Oakland, in which Saadiq performed Marvin Gaye's 1965 song "Ain't That Peculiar". He said of the photo, "That picture set the tone for the whole album ... Me singing that song, me wearing that suit, it said everything that this album should be." Music journalist Greg Kot wrote that the album cover "evokes the dramatic portraits and color schemes of old-school jazz and soul albums. Think Ray Charles on Atlantic, Sonny Rollins on Blue Note, Sam and Dave on Stax ... With arms raised, he looks like he's testifying as much as singing."

Singles

The album's lead single, "Love That Girl", was released on August 5, 2008, as a digital download. It charted for 20 weeks on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 45 on November 15. It also charted at number 15 in Belgium. A music video for the song was released on August 27. "Love That Girl" was later used as the theme song for the sitcom of the same name, on which Saadiq served as executive producer. The second single "100 Yard Dash" was released on March 30, 2009, as a CD single. Its music video, released on January 27, was filmed in black-and-white and incorporated splashes of color in graphics inspired by classic Reprise and Blue Note Records album covers. Saadiq wanted the video to serve as an "extension" of the album and evoke the music era that inspired the song's sound. He performed "100 Yard Dash" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on February 10, and on Dancing with the Stars on May 13.

"Never Give You Up" was released as a single on May 27. It charted for 50 weeks on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, reaching number 26 on August 1. "Let's Take a Walk" was released on August 7. Its music video was released on July 15 and featured grainy, black-and-white shots, bathing beauties, and choreography inspired by the work of Busby Berkely, who used showgirls as fantasy elements in kaleidoscopic on-screen performances. The song was featured on the soundtrack album to the 2008 film Cadillac Records. "Staying in Love" was released on October 5. It charted for 15 weeks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 74 on November 28. Its music video was released on November 12 and featured graphical elements similar to those used in iPod advertising and the 2005 film Sin City. Saadiq performed "Staying in Love" on Today on September 22.

Reception

Commercial performance

The Way I See It was largely overlooked by consumers upon its release. The album debuted at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 23,000 copies in the week of October 4, 2008. Nonetheless, it was Saadiq's highest-charting album in the United States at the time, and by November, had steadily sold 76,919 copies. In the week of August 8, 2009, it re-entered the chart at number 101 and had sold 215,000 copies. By November, the album had sold 242,000 copies. It ultimately charted for 41 weeks on the Billboard 200, serving as the longest chart-run of Saadiq's career. As of May 2011, The Way I See It has sold 282,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The album also charted in several countries in Europe. In France, it debuted at number 171 on the SNEP's record chart on November 29, 2008. The album charted for 51 weeks, peaking at number 13 in the week of February 24, 2009, before exiting the chart on July 24, 2010. The Way I See It charted for one week at number 75 on the UK Albums Chart.

Critical response

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Robert Christgau	A
Entertainment Weekly	A
The Guardian
The Independent
The Observer
Pitchfork Media	6.8/10
Rolling Stone
Uncut
The Village Voice	favorable

The Way I See It was well received by contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 20 reviews. Allmusic editor Andy Kellman called it a "time warp [that] never loosens its grip" and stated, "Here's where a modern master, backed by living and breathing session musicians ... masters the masters with startling accuracy." Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian called the album "an impeccably wrought collection of retro soul" and commented that Saadiq's "backward-looking take" is executed "beautifully". Andy Gill of The Independent dubbed it "one of the year's most impressive and engaging albums" and stated, "few have managed to retro-fabricate that classic sound so accurately, nor in as many subtle variations." Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly praised Saadiq's "effervescent love songs" and "infectious vigor", calling the album "an inspired throwback album". Rolling Stone writer Will Hermes commended Saadiq for "flaunt[ing] tradition" and wrote that the album "evokes classic Northern soul without sounding slavish." Maiya Norton of Vibe called it "a breezy medley of soul music that is a unique alternative to his previous work."

Steve Yates of The Observer praised Saadiq's "fine way with a simple lyric", and The Observer's Kitty Empire found it "both feather-light and substantial, ably aping vintage Motown", stating "Unlike most modern records, Saadiq's tunes gather weight the deeper in you go". John Mulvey of Uncut praised its "clipped, beautifully realised sound" and stated, "it's Saadiq's fine songs ... that make The Way I See It less a homage, more a timelessly enjoyable 42 minutes." Clover Hope of The Village Voice praised Saadiq's "slick approximations of the tender tunes that kept Black America bopping and grooving through the '60s", adding that he "brings his own flavor through his tell-tale tenor". In his consumer guide for MSN Music, Robert Christgau commended Saadiq for "stay[ing] within the parameters of a genre he inhibits from the inside out" and wrote of his performance, "Singing with the obliging malleability of last Temptation Dennis Edwards, emoting with the sweet specificity of miracle worker Smokey Robinson, he goes Motown with so much joy in one-man-band craft he'll not only convince the girl he's sweet-talking that this is forever, he'll convince you." In his review for Blender, Christgau called it "a filler-less Motown album" and quipped, "Preeminent R&B artist of the '90s slays his competition by laying on the subtlety."

In a mixed review, Addi Stewart of Now wrote that "a subtle soulful substance seems absent from the singing." Christian John Wikane of PopMatters found the songs "maybe too derivative for their own good" and stated, "One’s total enjoyment of the album depends on their appreciation of classic soul and R&B and whether such appreciation is contingent on absolute authenticity." Q commented that it lacks a "fresh approach" to improve it "above straight homage". Sputnikmusic's Tyler Munro called it "an album caught in a time-lapse ... yet it never feels retrofitted", adding that it will "at least awaken the world to Saadiq's talent as a vocalist, instrumentalist and producer." Hartford Courant writer Eric R. Danton commented that The Way I See It "doesn't break any new ground", but praised Saadiq's "knack for writing classic-sounding songs". Mojo commended Saadiq's "diligence" in recreating a classic aesthetic and described the album as "refreshingly different, eminently listenable."

Accolades

The Way I See It was included in critics' year-end top albums lists. It was named one of the top-10 best albums of 2008 by the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal, and was ranked number 29 by Blender, number nine by the Houston Chronicle, number five by Exclaim!, number seven by The Irish Times, number one by NPR, number five by The Observer, number 48 by Rolling Stone and Uncut, number 34 by State, number three by Time Out, and number two by USA Today. Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe named it the ninth-best album of 2008 and called it "a pointed and tuneful reminder that classic can also mean timeless." Robert Christgau ranked the album number 13 on his list and found it to be a "painstakingly retro [record], whose miracle isn't replicating the Motown Sound but writing consistently charming and catchy songs in that style".

The Way I See It was voted number 18 on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop albums list; their singles list had six of the album's songs voted in, including "100 Yard Dash" at number 114 and both "Love That Girl" and "Big Easy" at number 250. Nate Chinen of The New York Times included "100 Yard Dash" in his top-five singles list for 2008. The album was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, presented at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009. "Love That Girl" was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, and "Never Give You Up" was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Tour

Saadiq performing at the Stockholm Jazz Festival in Sweden, 2009

Saadiq toured for about two years to promote The Way I See It, performing in venues throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. He was originally apprehensive at the prospect of touring extensively, having toured minimally as a solo act. He reconsidered at the advice of his rhythm guitarist Rob Bacon, which he recounted in an interview for the Los Angeles Times: "The money was just OK, so I was like, 'I don't know — I could probably stay home and find something better,' But then Rob reminded me, 'You know, all those cats you love, that's exactly what they did. Little Richard? He played 10 shows a day at the Apollo.' I said, 'OK, let's go.'" To complement his songs' style, Saadiq adopted a vintage soul image and, having studied footage of classic soul groups and album sleeves, donned old-fashioned attire and performed R&B dance moves at shows. He wore a yellow tailored suit, while his nine-piece backing band wore black suits. The band included a horn section and backup singer Erika Jerry.

Before the album's release, Saadiq had toured Europe during the summer in 2008. In November and December 2008, he served as a supporting act for John Legend. He also opened for Seal and the Dave Matthews Band. Throughout his touring in the US and Europe, Saadiq playing at various music festivals, including the Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, South by Southwest, Voodoo Experience, Bumbershoot, Outside Lands, and Pori Jazz. In February 2009, he performed at the Harvard Club of Boston as part of the music television series Live from the Artists Den. On June 25, he played the Blue Note Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. His performance at the Bataclan in Paris on July 11 was filmed and released as a DVD, entitled Live in Paris, in 2010.

After a stretch of summer festival performances in 2009, Saadiq embarked on another leg of concerts during November and December, with Melanie Fiona, Janelle Monáe, and Anjulie as supporting acts. The tour featured dates in North America, but Saadiq also performed at the Paradiso in Amsterdam on November 13. He continued touring for the album into 2010, including performances at the JazzReggae Festival in May, the Essence Music Festival in July, and a headlining performance at Central Park SummerStage in August.

Legacy

Classic soul revival

The Way I See It was an exemplary release of the classic soul revival during its peak in 2008. The music scene was marked by similarly retro-minded work from mainstream artists such as Amy Winehouse and Adele, independent acts such as Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and Mayer Hawthorne, and older artists attempting comebacks such as Al Green and Bettye LaVette. Music journalist Oliver Wang cites Saadiq's album, along with Solange Knowles' 2008 album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, as one of the "retro-soul" efforts that were released by contemporary R&B artists as the music scene peaked in popularity. Wang writes that The Way I See It "showcased a mastery of any number of past R&B styles, including those out of Memphis, Muscle Shoals, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and of course, Detroit." Estelle said of the album's "classic Motown" music in a 2008 interview, "Every song is like a different era of Motown ... Everything sounds exactly like it did back in the day. Not to take away from Amy, but this is the real shit."

Music writer David Nathan cites it as the "contemporary album that was the closest to authentically recreating the great soul music sound of the late '60s and early '70s." Rob van Alstyne of The A.V. Club calls Saadiq an "unapologetic classicist" and the album "so retro in sound that the uninformed listener could easily assume it was recorded more than 40 years ago". Andrew Dansby of the Houston Chronicle prefaces that "retro is dangerous territory for a musician" and that it can be either "briefly intriguing" or "rote facsimile". Of Saadiq's album, Dansby states, "There's a true-believer urgency to Saadiq's songs here — the compact construction, the gritty sincerity of the vocals — that, more than the fact that the songs are originals, sells it as something new and not a retread. His form is time-tested and he infuses it with an energy that suggests it's not a brittle antique." Critic Ken Tucker finds the album distinct from other soul revival music, writing that "You can reproduce variations on melodies and rhythm, but without an emotional commitment, it's all tedious pandering to baby boomers. For Raphael Saadiq, there's a glowing vibrancy in soul music that allows him to work out themes and ideas."

Saadiq's career

I just wanted to get a record out there that I thought would match the world — every type of person, people all over the world from the States to Europe to Russia to everywhere. I felt like that style of music works all over the world, and I wanted to make a contribution in '08 and '09 and '10 and create something that would take me around the world.

— Raphael Saadiq, Billboard

The album earned Saadiq the highest international profile of his career. In promoting The Way I See It, he broadened his audience demographic and expanded his repertoire as a touring artist. His extensive touring in the US and Europe garnered the attention of younger, white audiences who were not exposed to his previous solo albums and work with Tony! Toni! Toné!. The Press of Atlantic City writes that the album "brought in a whole new generation of Saadiq fans, with songs such as '100 Yard Dash' striking a chord with even ironic teenagers." He also attained a following among Japanese audiences. Saadiq's touring for The Way I See It also influenced his approach for recording his next album, Stone Rollin', in 2011, as he noted the louder, raw sound and general feeling of performing live. It also continued his partnership with Charles Brungart, who assisted Saadiq in recording Stone Rollin'.

Saadiq calls The Way I See It "the culmination of a lifetime of experiences informed by the music I grew up on." Kristal Hawkins of The Village Voice writes that he "hit his artistic maturity" with the album. Robert Christgau says of the album's significance to Saadiq's catalogue, "In 1996, Saadiq turned the climactic Tony! Toni! Toné! album into a virtuoso history lesson. Six years later, he tried to dazzle Maxwell in his own reflected glory. Six years later yet again, he outd[id] himself with a fearless return to retro." Elton John, a fan of Saadiq's music since his beginnings with Tony! Toni! Toné!, said that he was "blown away" by The Way I See It, citing it as "my album of the year — a soul record of the highest quality." He subsequently called Saadiq to congratulate him for the album and ask him to play at his AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party in 2009. In an interview for Blues & Soul, Saadiq elaborated on the album's impact on his recording career, stating "before that record - after I'd been in Tony Toni Tone! and Lucy Pearl - most people had thought 'Oh well, he's a producer now. He’s never gonna be an artist, he's not gonna put the time in' ... Whereas The Way I See It showed them that yes, I could put the time in still and be an artist!"

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Sure Hope You Mean It"	Raphael Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	3:40
2.	"100 Yard Dash"	Bobby Ozuna, Saadiq	Bobby Ozuna (co.), Raphael Saadiq	2:18
3.	"Keep Marchin'"	Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	2:37
4.	"Big Easy" (featuring The Infamous Young Spodie and The Rebirth Brass Band)	Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	3:18
5.	"Just One Kiss" (featuring Joss Stone)	Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	2:32
6.	"Love That Girl"	Ozuna, Saadiq	Bobby Ozuna (co.), Raphael Saadiq	3:04
7.	"Calling" (featuring Rocio Mendoza)	Rocio Mendoza, Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	3:44
8.	"Staying in Love"	Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	2:53
9.	"Oh Girl"	Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	3:34
10.	"Let's Take a Walk"	Greg Curtis, Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	2:28
11.	"Never Give You Up" (featuring Stevie Wonder and CJ Hilton)	Charles L. Hilton, Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	4:12
12.	"Sometimes"	Ozuna, Saadiq	Bobby Ozuna (co.), Raphael Saadiq	4:06
13.	"Oh Girl (Remix)" (featuring Jay-Z) (bonus track)	Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	3:41

 • (co.) Co-producer

iTunes bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"Kelly Ray"	Saadiq, Howard Lilly	Raphael Saadiq	3:29

UK bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"Big Easy" (Euro version)	Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	4:47
15.	"Come On Home"	Saadiq	Raphael Saadiq	3:47

Personnel

Credits for The Way I See It adapted from liner notes.

• Jack Ashford – bells, shaker, tambourine, vibraphone
• Rob "Fonksta" Bacon – rhythm guitar
• Paul Baker – harp
• Robert Berg – viola
• Sally Berman – violin
• Robert Brosseau – violin
• Gerry "The Gov" Brown – audio engineer, string engineer
• Charles "Biscuits" Brungardt – audio engineer, engineer, mixing
• Tom Coyne – mastering
• Greg Curtis – composer, organ, piano, Wurlitzer
• Timothy P. Davis – copyist
• Maurice Draughn – harp
• Assa Drori – violin
• Jerry Epstein – viola
• Brent Fischer – concert master
• Armen Garabedian – violin
• Agnes Gottschewski – violin
• Lynn Grants – viola
• Maurice Grants – cello
• Al Hershberger – violin
• Charles "CJ" Hilton, Jr. – bongos, drums, piano, vocals
• Michelle Holme – art direction
• Molly Hughes – violin
• Infamous Young Spodie – guest appearance, horn arrangements
• Vahe Jayrikyan – cello
• Kyoko Kashiwagi – violin
• Joe Ketendjian – violin
• Juli Knapp – A&R
• Ralph Koch – cover photo
• Johana Krejci – violin
• Jeremy Levy – copyist
• Diane Louie – copyist

• Shanda Lowery – viola
• Leah Lucas – viola
• John Madison – viola
• Constance Markwick – violin
• Rocío Marron – soloist, violin
• Miguel Martinez – cello
• Karolina Naziemiec – viola
• Bobby Ozuna – blocks, bongos, composer, drums, producer, shaker, tambourine
• Raphael Price – violin
• Robert Reed – cello
• Paul Riser – string arrangements
• Jody Robin – viola
• Carl Robinson – string engineer
• Lucas Rojas – horn engineer
• Jonelle Roman – A&R
• Anatoly Rosinsky – violin
• Elizabeth Rowin – violin
• Raphael Saadiq – audio engineer, audio production, bass, bass guitar, composer, drums, engineer, guitar, keyboards, mixing, piano, producer, sitar, vocals
• Norman Seeff – photography
• Marla Smith – violin
• Christina Soule – cello
• Daniel Stachyra – violin
• Scott Stefanko – viola
• Joss Stone – vocals
• James Tanksley – engineer
• Raymond Tischer – viola
• Judith VanderWeg – cello
• Elizabeth Wilson – violin
• Stevie Wonder – guest appearance, harmonica
• Melody Wootton – violin
• Andrew Wu – violin

Charts

Chart (2008)	Peak position
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)	69
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)	70
Dutch Albums Chart	64
Finnish Albums Chart	24
French Albums Chart	13
Norwegian Albums Chart	16
Swiss Albums Chart	66
UK Albums Chart	75
US Billboard 200	19
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	8

Release history

Region	Date	Label
Canada	September 16, 2008	Columbia Records
France
United States
Netherlands	October 10, 2008
Japan	March 18, 2009	Sony Music Japan
Poland	April 6, 2009	Sony BMG
Germany	April 17, 2009	Sony Music Entertainment
Ireland	April 27, 2009
United Kingdom

See also

• Sleeper hit

Bibliography

• Weisbard, Eric, ed. (March 26, 2012). Pop When the World Falls Apart: Music in the Shadow of Doubt. Duke University Press. ISBN 0822351080.

External links

• Official website
• The Way I See It at Discogs (list of releases)
• The Way I See It at Metacritic
• The Way I See It at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
• "Ne-Yo, Keri Hilson and the style that lasts: R&B" — Los Angeles Times