Post Description

Serial #.............: Elite Records
Artist...............: Jesse Johnson
Album................: Verbal Penetration Volume One and Two 
Year.................: 2009
Genre................: Prince Related
Type.................: Studio
Cover(s) Included....: Yes
Audio Format.........: Lossless
Bitrate..............: Flac
Source...............: CD


Tracklist:

Volume One:

V.P. Introduction
Verbal Penetration
Propaganda
U & I R We R Us
100 Watts Of Funky
Merciful
Don't Throw Yourself Away
Slo Burnin
Sheila Rae
Love Letters
Dream Interlude
Slave 2 R Freedom
We Ain't Going Nowhere Interlude
We R So Strong
Beatiful Sadie
Prologue

Volume Two:

Intro
Get Next To You
Ali Vs Frazier
Redemption For The Soul, Enlightenment For The Earhole
Please Let Me Go
Meditation 01: Astrology
You Have A Friend
Reflections
Meditation 02: Self-Love
Letters From A Soldier (Reprise)
In The Key Of Nudity
V.P. Credits
Peace Be With You (Reprise)
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Jesse Johnson has arrived.

Not "arrived" in the sense that he has finally found musical success. That 
happened almost 20 years ago when, as an original member of the seminal funk-
rock group The Time, the guitarist melded snaky funk riffs with hard driving 
accents to help blur the lines between so called "black" and "white" music and 
create one of the most electrifying sounds of the eighties and early nineties. 
Johnson continued along this path by forging a successful solo career after 
leaving The Time. Through such albums as "Jesse Johnson's Review," 
Shockadelica," "Every Shade of Love" and the terrific "Bare My Naked Soul", 
Johnson deftly continued creating an extrordinary brand of funk, rock and pop 
that showcased his mastery of each of these musical styles.

But on his latest release, the stunning, 2 disc, 29 track "Verbal Penetration 
Volume One and Two," Johnson has reached a point of creative utopia. What has 
come before seems to have brought him to the place he is now.The artist still 
blends styles and defies labels, but he appears to do so now from a point of 
musical nirvana. At times the results leave the listener absolutely breathless.

From the opening groove of the title track, Johnson is in musical command. 
Johnson is an excellent guitarist and the songs don't skimp on his talents. 
"Verbal Penetration" (the song) is a gem, a workout with asense of urgency that 
includes one of those classic guitar solos. The song builds until you know 
Johnson is going to explode through his instrument. "Merciful" is an 
instrumental track again highlighting the artist's guitar prowess. Johnson seems 
to be one with his instrument; you can feel the passion in his playing, almost 
see the funk faces he was sure to be making when recording this one. The hard 
driving "In the Key of Nudity" keeps the guitar heroics going. Like great 
lovemaking, you actually don't want it to stop.

But Penetration isn't all about Johnson's guitar superpowers; the artist also 
knows how to blend his instrument into his songs with the right balance. On "Get 
Next to You" Johnson shows he knows how to hold back. The guitar is subtle, 
perfectly balanced in the groove. The guitar fills on the jazz influenced "Love 
Letters" show Johnson's guitar complementing all the other sounds around him. 
They never threaten to ruin the vibe.

To be fair, however, "Verbal Penetration Volume One and Two" is about much more 
than Johnson's chops on the guitar. Johnson impresses most when he displays an 
array of musical genres. "Sheila Rae" is a gorgeous slice of soul/pop/funk."Ali 
vs. Frazier" is firmly rooted in jazz, an intellectual and passionate piece of 
musicianship that actually forces listeners to think about what they are 
hearing. Lyrically, Johnson is also in fine form, touching on a variety of 
topics, such as unity ("U & I R We R Us"), blindly believing everything we see 
and hear ('Propaganda"), and social conciousness ("Slave 2 R Freedom.")

The collection also takes chances and shows a striking sense of innovation. 
"V.P. Credits" takes the artist's thanks usually reserved for the cd's packaging 
and presents them verbally, over a funky groove. "Reflections" is an "interview" 
with Johnson, where the musician answers questions put to him, with music in the 
background. There are also several spoken interludes, some of which serve as 
bridges between songs. Risky? Yes. Does it work? Absolutely.

The 2 discs close with the instrumental "Peace Be With You (Reprise)", where 
Johnson seems to be wishing us well and thanking us for taking this journey with 
him. The song is a rewarding and satisfying close to what appears to be the work 
that Johnson was born to create. If indeed with "Verbal Penetration Volume One 
and Two" Jesse Johnson has truly arrived, you would do yourself well to go where 
he wants to take you. It's a fascinating trip.