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Hero

 
Album Review: Hero
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Hero

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  • Artist: Kirk Franklin
  • Rating: StarStarStarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: September 20, 2005
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Gospel

Review

Kirk Franklin's seventh album, Hero, is special in more ways than one. The disc is his second as the sole titular artist -- no Family, God's Property, or budding protégé to introduce to the world -- and his first-ever all-out studio album, a prospect that gives him more leverage to try new things and push the envelope in ways that doing a live recording wouldn't let him. Franklin is unique in that he's more a master of ceremonies and choir leader than anything else, which means Hero's ambitious, often intricate compositions are meant for others to sing and make their own. In this case, the guest list is an endless parade of gospel luminaries new and established, including Yolanda Adams, Dorinda Clark-Cole, Marvin Winans, J. Moss, Tye Tribbett, and Franklin's own terrific backup vocalists. Not surprisingly, these collaborations represent Hero's churchier side, which can range from explosive ("Could've Been") and dramatic ("Hero") one moment to demure and understated the next ("Afterwhile," "Brokenhearted"). Stylistically, though, Franklin is at his best when he ventures outside of gospel into realms his peers rarely visit, like disco-pop ("Looking for You"), classic R&B ("Keep Your Head"), '80s pop/rock ("Let It Go"), and soul ("Why," featuring none other than Stevie Wonder). It's these out of the box experiments with their winsome throwback samples, horns, thumping beats, and those versatile backup vocalists that reveal the why of Franklin's superstar status in gospel: he's not just an artist, but a multifaceted entertainer, producer, songwriter, and arranger -- a tireless renaissance man who has rightfully earned his place as the best-selling artist in the history of the genre he loves. ~ Andree Farias, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Intro Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (:45)
Looking for You (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (4:06)
Hero Kirk Franklin Dorinda Clark-Cole, Kirk Franklin (5:20)
Interlude Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (:55)
Let It Go (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (4:59)
The Process Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (1:08)
Imagine Me (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (5:18)
Could've Been Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin, J. Moss, Tye Tribbett (6:47)
Better (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin, A. Harris, V. Davis Kirk Franklin (4:00)
Afterwhile (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin (2:51)
Brokenhearted (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin, Marvin Winans (6:01)
Without You (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (5:02)
Keep Your Head (Lyrics) P.C. Bailey, Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (4:36)
Why Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin, Stevie Wonder (4:36)
First Love (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (5:52)
The Appeal Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (7:21)
Brokenhearted (Reprise) Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (1:09)
Interlude Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (:30)
Sunshine (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (4:59)
Outro (Lyrics) Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin (1:11)

Credits

Erica Davis (Alto (Vocals)), Courtney Walter (Design), Andre Harris (Percussion), Andre Harris (Producer), Kirk Franklin (Keyboards), Renita Koven (Viola), Shaun Martin (Drums), Jessie Hurst (Executive Producer), Kirk Franklin (Vocals), Jeff Driskill (Clarinet (Alto)), Ernie Green (Additional Music), Daphanie Wright (Soprano (Vocal)), Jason Champion (Vocals), Miguel Martinez (Cello), Jamie Hovorka (Trumpet), Eric Hartman (Engineer), Paulie Cerra (Saxophone), Chris Godbey (Drum Programming), Ashley Guilbert (Vocals), Ashley Guilbert (Alto (Vocals)), Myron Butler (Vocals), Stevie Wonder (Vocals), Chris Godbey (Producer), Shaun Martin (Keyboards), Grant Green (Assistant Engineer), Shaun Martin (Piano), J. Moss (Vocals), Assa Drori (Orchestra Manager), Brent Fischer (Orchestra Manager), Shari Zippert (Violin), Bill Airey Smith (Engineer), Kazi Pitelka (Viola), Nikki Ross (Soprano (Vocal)), Vidal Davis (Percussion), Shaun Martin (Drum Programming), Kirk Franklin (Mini Moog), Mike Tsarfati (Engineer), Andre Harris (Multi Instruments), Shaun Martin (Mini Moog), Terri Baker (Drums), Clare Fischer (Conductor), Don Smith (Cello), Sheridon Stokes (Flute), Jason Champion (Tenor (Vocal)), Anthony Lavon Evans (Vocals), Ryan Toby (Percussion), Erica Davis (Vocals), Don Shelton (Clarinet), Elizabeth Wilson (Violin), Titia Smith (Make-Up), Vincent Dilorenzo (Mixing), Herb Powers (Mastering), Jorge Moraga (Viola), Titia Smith (Stylist), Jerome Harmon (Organ (Hammond)), Katie Kirkpatrick (Harp), Vidal Davis (Multi Instruments), Nikki Ross (Vocals), John Jascz (Mixing), Sheila E. (Percussion), Courtney Walter (Art Direction), Todd Parsnow (Guitar), Lee Thornburg (Trumpet), Assa Drori (Principal), Matt Butler (Cello), Eric Hartman (Assistant Engineer), Kirk Franklin (Piano), Brian Benning (Violin), Carla Williams (Executive Producer), Chris Godbey (Engineer), Faith Anderson (Vocals), Kirk Franklin (Executive Producer), Brent Fischer (Conductor), Terry Baker (Drums), Kirk Franklin (Rap), Chuck Koontz (Tuba), Vidal Davis (Producer), Dave Monsch (Sax (Baritone)), Brent Fischer (Tympani [Timpani]), Shaun Martin (Producer), Braylon Lacy (Bass (Electric)), Clare Fischer (Orchestral Arrangements), Shaun Martin (Additional Music), Jason Boyd (Percussion), Humberto Ruiz (Trombone), Armen Garabedian (Violin), Kirk Franklin (Drum Programming), Kirk Franklin (Audio Production), Dave Pensado (Mixing), Daphanie Wright (Vocals), Robert Brosseau (Violin), Faith Anderson (Soprano (Vocal)), Chris Godbey (Programming), Shaun Martin (Programming), Brent Fischer (Cymbals), Sally Berman (Violin), Jana Bell (Alto (Vocals)), Phil Feather (Clarinet (Bass)), Jana Bell (Vocals), Kirk Franklin (Producer), Jerome Harmon (Keyboards), Assa Drori (Violin), Dorinda Clark-Cole (Vocals), Berj Garabedian (Violin), Brent Fischer (Orchestral Arrangements), Max Siegel (Executive Producer), Karie Prescott (Viola), Phil Feather (Oboe), Earl Madison (Cello), Mark Mann (Photography), African Children's Choir (Vocals), Brent Fischer (Violin), Jason Bell (Guitar), Irma Neumann (Violin), Tye Tribbett (Vocals)
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Wikipedia: Hero (album)
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Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Hero
Studio album by Kirk Franklin
Released United States September 20, 2005
United Kingdom May 29, 2006
Japan June 26, 2006
Recorded July 2005
Genre Urban contemporary gospel
hip hop
Length 73:13
Label GospoCentric
Producer Kirk Franklin, J Moss
Kirk Franklin chronology
A Season of Remixes Hero Songs for the Storm

Hero is an American Gospel music album released in 2005 by Kirk Franklin on GospoCentric Records. It is the 8th album by Franklin. Hero was certified as Gold by the RIAA on [1].

In 2007 Hero won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album and "Imagine Me" won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Song[2].

Contents

Synopsis

Produced by Franklin and J Moss, the album features songs with several urban contemporary gospel and R&B artists including Dorinda Clark Cole, Tye Tribbett, Marvin Winans (member of the Winans), Stevie Wonder, and Yolanda Adams [3]

Track listing

# Title Time Notes
1. "Intro - America the Beautiful" 0:45 vocals by the African Children’s Choir
2. "Looking for You" 4:06
3. "Hero" (with Dorinda Clark Cole) 5:20
4. "Interlude" (with Fred Hammond) 0:55
5. "Let It Go" (with Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D. and tobyMac) 4:59 Samples "Shout" by Tears for Fears
6. "The Process" 1:08
7. "Imagine Me" 5:18
8. "Could've Been" (with J Moss and Tye Tribbett) 6:47
9. "Better" 4:00 Produced By Dre & Vidal
10. "Afterwhile" (with Yolanda Adams) 2:51
11. "Brokenhearted" (with Marvin L. Winans) 6:01
12. "Without You" 5:02
13. "Keep Your Head" 4:36 samples Keep Your Head to the Sky by Earth, Wind, and Fire
14. "Why" (with Stevie Wonder) 4:36
15. "First Love" 5:52
16. "The Appeal" 7:21
17. "Brokenhearted (Reprise)" 1:09
18. "Interlude" 0:30
19. "Sunshine" 4:59
20. "Outro" 1:11

Personnel

*Note: Personnel listing from Hero album liner. [3]

Vocalists

  • Nikki Ross
  • Daphanie Wright
  • Anashya Figueroa
  • Faith Anderson
  • Erica Davis
  • Jana Bell
  • Ashley Guilbert
  • Charmaine Swimpson
  • Isaac Carree
  • Eric Moore
  • Jason Champion
  • Anthony Evans
  • Myron Butler

Orchestra

Notable Singles

Hero featured the singles "Looking for You" and "Imagine Me". "Looking for You" was released as a single on September 20, 2005 in the U.S. and was a top-five hit on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart [4][5].

Charts and succession

Hero peaked at #13 on the The Billboard 200 200 chart on October 22, 2005 (2005-10-22), [6] It also reached #4 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. [6]

Chart Peak
position [6]		 Date [6]
U.S. Billboard 200 13 October 22, 2005 (2005-10-22)
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 4 2005 (2005)

References

  1. ^ RIAA official website
  2. ^ "49th Annual Grammy Award Winners". http://www.gospelflava.com/articles/grammywins-2007.html. 
  3. ^ a b (2005) "Looking for You", p. 1 [CD liner]. Album notes for Hero by Kirk Franklin. Inglewood, CA: GospoCentric Records.
  4. ^ Hero at Allmusic
  5. ^ "Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Kirk Franklin". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=61891&model.vnuAlbumId=1093925. Retrieved 2008-01-14. 
  6. ^ a b c d "Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Kirk Franklin". http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=61891&model.vnuAlbumId=728762. Retrieved 2008-01-14. 

External links


v • d • e
This article is a part of a series on Kirk Franklin
Articles and categories
North American Albums
Notable Singles
"Why We Sing"  • "Now Behold the Lamb"  • "Melodies From Heaven"  • "Stomp"  • "Lean on Me"  • "Gonna Be A Lovely Day"  • "Nobody"  • "Brighter Day"  • "Looking for You"  • "Imagine Me"  • "Look At Me Now"  • "Declaration (This is It)"  • "Jesus"  • "Help Me Believe"
Other Projects
Associated Acts
The Family  • The Nu Nation  • God's Property  • 1NC (One Nation Crew)  • Myron Butler

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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