Medicine Music
Studio album by
Bobby McFerrin
Released1990
GenreVocal, jazz
Length48:55
LanguageEnglish
LabelEMI[1]
ProducerBobby McFerrin[2]
Bobby McFerrin chronology
How the Rhino Got His Skin/How the Camel Got His Hump
(1990)		 Medicine Music
(1990)		 Play
(1992)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Chicago Tribune[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]

Medicine Music is a studio album by Bobby McFerrin, released in 1990.[6][7] The album reached number 146 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.[8][9]

The album was nominated for a 1991 Grammy Award, in the "Best Contemporary Jazz Performance" category.[10]

Production

Voicestra, a 10-member a capella group formed by McFerrin, and Robert McFerrin, Bobby's father, appear on the album.[11] "Common Threads" served as the theme song to the documentary Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt.[11] McFerrin wrote all of the songs on Medicine Music.[12] The lyrics to "Discipline" are based on several verses of the chapter Hebrews 12 from the New Testament, while the lyrics to "The 23rd Psalm" are based on Psalm 23 from the Old Testament.[13]

Critical reception

The Los Angeles Times wrote that "McFerrin sings splendidly, his intonation never faltering as he goes from throbbing bass notes to a soaring, light falsetto."[2] The Austin American-Statesman wrote that "McFerrin's penchant for unusual vocal innovation is present throughout the album, but it is the songs without words, nominally called instrumentals in the McFerrin musical universe, that are the most challenging."[14]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Medicine Man"4:19
2."Baby"3:02
3."Yes, You"3:13
4."The Garden"3:26
5."Common Threads" (theme song from the documentary)4:16
6."Sweet in the Morning" (Featuring Voicestra)4:57
7."Discipline" (Featuring Robert McFerrin and Voicestra)4:40
8."He Ran All the Way"4:05
9."Angry (Gima)"3:45
10."The Train"6:16
11."Soma So De La Sase"4:00
12."The 23rd Psalm"3:08

All music and lyrics composed by Bobby McFerrin; ©ProbNoblem Music/BMI - except "The 23rd Psalm" (Music: Bobby McFerrin/English text arranged by Bobby McFerrin; ©ProbNoblem Music/BMI)

References

  1. 1 2 Heim, Chris. "Bobby McFerrinMedicine Music (EMI) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)McFerrin may have..." chicagotribune.com.
  2. 1 2 "BOBBY McFERRIN "Medicine Music" EMI". Los Angeles Times. October 28, 1990.
  3. ↑ "Medicine Music - Bobby McFerrin | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 635.
  5. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 461.
  6. ↑ "Bobby McFerrin | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  7. ↑ "Bobby McFerrin's Medicine Music". EW.com.
  8. ↑ "Bobby McFerrin". Billboard.
  9. ↑ "Bobby McFerrin". Billboard.
  10. ↑ "Bobby McFerrin". GRAMMY.com. November 23, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Holden, Stephen (November 21, 1990). "The Pop Life". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ Bentoff, Jeff (23 Nov 1990). "Good 'Medicine' Singer McFerrin happy with new direction". Milwaukee Sentinel. Feature. p. 16.
  13. ↑ Swedin, Karen Boren (January 30, 1991). "MCFERRIN SHINES FORTH BY DANCING TO MUSIC WITHIN". Deseret News.
  14. ↑ Point, Michael (29 Nov 1990). "McFerrin gets back to his basics". Austin American-Statesman. Onward. p. 19.


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