VH1 Storytellers

by Alicia Keys

Overview

First aired ten days prior to the release of Girl on Fire, Alicia Keys' VH1 Storytellers program featured six songs. While this set expands the set to 11 songs, it does not present the full performance. Heavy editing was involved; certain portions of Keys' dialogue is hacked up, crowd noise is unnaturally lowered and raised in volume, and there is little evident effort to make the songs flow. Keys' first words here, the lead-in to "No One," are "We were at the end of the album, and it was finished, andâ?¦" -- so it provokes the feeling of walking into the venue as the gig is in progress. Furthermore, much of her intro to the following "Brand New Me" was cut. For all its choppiness, VH1 Storytellers is enjoyably off-the-cuff, with Keys' anecdotes (including an extended tale about the making of "You Don't Know My Name") and remarks ("I love an acoustic guitar!") often delivered as she and her band are playing. The five songs that didn't air are relevant, including a hot "Fallin'" that could have easily been overcooked, and an "Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)" that packs a heavier rhythmic punch than the studio version. Ironically, this is less showy than 2005's Unplugged, and it's better for it. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	06/02/2017
Label:	Bmg / Rca / Sony Music
UPC:	0889854374624
Rank:	75723

Tracks

1. No One
2. Brand New Me
3. You Don't Know My Name
4. Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down
5. Not Even the King
6. Fallin'
7. If I Ain't Got You
8. Girl On Fire [Live]
9. New Day
10. Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart
11. Un-thinkable (I'm Ready)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Alicia Keys   Primary Artist
Tony Hauser   Staging
Jermaine Parrish   Band
Alex Coletti   Director
Whitney Keaton   Band
Hanan Rubinstein   Band
Miles Robertson   Band
Alfred Carly   Band
Raphael Smith   Band

Technical Credits

Sylvia Robinson   Composer
Billy Squier   Composer
Lee Rolontz   Executive Producer
Salaam Remi   Composer
Kanye West   Composer
Jeff Bhasker   Composer
Kasseem Dean   Composer
J.R. Bailey   Composer
Ann Mincieli   Mixing
Angela Hunte   Composer
Dr. Dre   Composer
Tom Kenny   Lighting Design
Alex Coletti   Producer
Bert Keyes   Composer
Kerry Brothers   Composer
Harold Lilly   Composer
Aubrey Graham   Composer
Noah Shebib   Composer
David Kutch   Mastering
Erwin Gorostiza   Creative Director
Bill Flanagan   Executive Producer
Shawn Carter   Composer
Allen Kelman   Producer
Melvin Kent   Composer
Derek Ambrosi   Editing
Michelle Mancini   Mastering Assistant
Frank Micelotta   Cover Photo
Janet Sewell-Ulepic   Composer
Alice Butts   Package Design
Patrick "Plain Pat" Reynolds   Composer
Andre Brissett   Composer
Rick Krim   Executive Producer
Ramon Rivas   Mixing Assistant
Emeli Sande   Composer
Alexander Shuckburgh   Composer
George M. Harry   Composer
Trevor Lawrence Jr.   Composer
Amber Streeter   Composer
Kristin Lum   Art Direction
Kevin Largent   Production Design
David Engstroem   Technical Manager
Chris Convy   Coordinating Producer
Matt Trumble   Associate Producer
Lara Fried   Supervising Producer
Stefani Cohen   Associate Producer
T.J. Morehouse   Production Manager
Alicia Keys   Composer
Ken Williams   Composer