For example, one of the new songs, "Ye Yo," is Erykah's peon to her unborn child (she was pregnant when this CD was released, as witnessed by her back cover portrait). Indeed, much of her stage patter reinforces her "earth mother" image. "Reprise" is a spoken-word song over the beat of "On & On" in which Erykah basically gives her philosphy of life - it may be a bit too much for some listeners, but she presents it with such sincerity. "On & On" - her #1 R&B hit - includes a rap addition by Erykah that makes the song even more fun. Eight of the songs here are taken from "Baduizm," and they sound great. Her voice is nearly as smooth and soulful as it is on her studio CDs, and her playful repartee with the crowd comes through.
However, Erykah more than exceeds expectations.
Live CDs from R&B artists sometimes miss their mark as stage presence and dance routines can play such a large role in shows. Fortunately for her and her fans, the risk paid off, as "Live" ended up going double platinum and further establishing her as one of the best of the late-90s neo-soul singers. In fact, she released "Live" the same year, perhaps before "Baduizm" could be fully mined for hits. Erykah Badu made the somewhat risky choice of following-up her triple platinum selling 1997 debut ("Baduizm") with a live CD.
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