Now, Thicke DOES have a good voice, but he doesn't use it the best way on here. His falsetto is usually done at the wrong times, and also, things get mixed up with weird freestyles all over the place. And these lyrics...SHEESH.

Anyway, the first four songs are forgettable, especially "Oh Shooter", which is the laziest thing I've ever heard. But then comes "When I Get You Alone", which I forgot was so catchy. That song is probably tied with "I'm A Be Alright" as being the best song on the album. "Brand New Jones" is pretty good too.

Sadly, there are some more mistakes to be found. "Lazy Bones" is politically correct -- excuse me; politically CORRUPT, and "Cherry Blue Skies" is the necessary end-of-album we-are-the-world song, but with not-so-hot lyrics. And "The Stupid Things" is aptly titled, especially with sorry lyrics like: "Your scent is sweet like Betty Crocker bakes/I'd love to have your cake and eat it too."

There is another song on here, "Flex", which describes one of those instances where as soon as the song comes on, you'll ask, "WTF is this?" As far as blue-eyed soul goes for this album, I'll have to refer to what another reviewer said: Remy Shand pulled it off (although where is he now? What's up, Motown?), but Thicke tried too hard.

Anthony Rupert

P.S. In response to another reviewer, the music for "When I Get You Alone" is derived from Beethoven, not Mozart.

Soulful Rock
Move over EVERYONE!! There's a new kid in town and he's kicking ass and taking names. Well, ok, he's not so new, but his sound is, even if he has been behind the scenes with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Usher, and the like. So, who is this mystery man? Why, none other than Robin Thicke, or simply Thicke. His first effort titled "Beautiful World" is very energizing and refreshing. A cross between Prince and Lenny Kravitz fused with a falsetto that resembles that of Justin Timberlake (please don't let that reference fool you), there's definitely something for everyone on this self-proclaimed "soulful rock-n-roll" debut. And there is definitely a reason why this guy signed a record deal at a mere 16 years of age. Mostly inspired by love and relationships, tracks like "Stupid Things" and "Beautiful World" cleverly deliver metaphors, but simply depict the common themes of any relationship. For the latin jazz lover in you, "Venga Conmiga" effectively makes you wonder if Thicke actually knows some spanish. What I like most of all however, is how every song is sincerely different, with Thicke (& company??) paying close attention to each song's essence and delivery. "She's Gangsta" is a perfect example of that. From the very title, one can envision the walk of a very hot, probably model material (like they all are) chic who's as cool, strong, and/or knows very well how to get through life messing with guys' heads. This song, from the beat to the groove to the lyrics, emits that entire scenario (from a guy's point of view of course!!). For the 70s rock lover, I recommend "Cherry Blue Skies", the last track. Oh man, my second favorite song on the album is soooo filled with great guitar sounds and an absolute killer bass line. This song almost (note..almost) makes you want to return to bell bottom-skin tight pants, butterfly collars, and platform shoes all while strutting your cool. Absolutely amazing!! Life would not be complete though without me commenting on my favorite song on the album, "Flowers in Bloom". This somewhat techno beat combined with a soft voice delivery makes for an extremely attractive sound. Thoughtful lyrics and a fantastic bridge break also do wonders for this track. Guys, you'll just have to listen to get the full effect. Check out his website link at the top of the page.

RECOMMENDATION: For the open music lover who wants a mix of everything right with music in one CD. Cop this one for sure!!

FUN FACT: Does the last name THICKE sound familar? Well, that's because Robin is actually the son of Alan Thicke, famed dad from the '80s sitcom "Growing Pains". Robin gets his music abilities from his dad, who's penned several '80's sitcoms theme songs. Just keeping you music fans on your toes.
I'll agree with most of the reviewers here that Thicke's got a good voice, and that "When I Get You Alone" is a decent song. It's danceable, funky, and well-produced.

On the other hand, people who like this song should go back and listen to Walter Murphy's "A Fifth of Beethoven" from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. "When I Get You Alone" samples that song, not Beethoven (directly at least). You can actually play both songs at once and they are pretty much exactly the same. You can sing Thicke's words over top of the Murphy song and it works perfectly. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this, but it's simply not as original as some might think.
I had never heard of this guy before. I stumbled upon his talent this past Sunday morning, April 4th at approximately 12:45am, when I woke up and found the TV on Channel 5 A show called "Live in Hollywood" with Kiki Shepherd was on-- and this white guy was sitting, playing at the keyboards and crooning a sweet ballad with mucho soul. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and sat up to watch this guy do his thing. I was totally impressed! I didn't catch his name, had no idea who he was, so I went to the show's website to see if he was mentioned as a recent guest. He was nowhere to be found. So I did tons of searches on the net under "blue eyed soul" "white male soul singers" "white neo-soul singers"..I couldn't find a thing, until I got to VH1 and they had a list of white soul singers, and among them this guy named "Thicke" was mentioned, so I went to amazon.com and typed in his name and BINGO! I found him! The name of the song he was singing was called " Stupid THings". It totally floored me. Well, I just got back from the mall after picking up his CD. I'm totally lovin' it. He sounds a bit like Maxwell on some songs. Not a bad comparison. He's got lots of room for growth, but this guy can only go up from here. THis album is a very very respectable debut.
Way to go Robin! You've got another new fan here! I hope "Live in Hollywood" will air that show again so I can catch him doing the entire performance of the song. He was simply incredible!

The guy's got soul in his voice... and fingers!
Definitely pick this CD up. You won't be disappointed! I assure you!
Comparisons generally stink, but sometimes they're so obvious that they're inevitable. So it is with L.A. native and blue-eyed soul man Robin Thicke. Equal parts Remy Shand and Jamiroquai--though funkier than the former and less knuckleheaded than the latter--Thick's Cherry Blue Skies staggers through the speakers with moxie to spare. Opening track "Oh Shooter"--which finds Thicke drawling lazily while tires screech in the background--is a bait-and-switch for what's to come. By "Sugar Mama," Thicke is outfitted in the proverbial white suit and fedora, slinking around the edges of the groove and wailing in a falsetto like some funk-soul cat from the '70s. Levity plays an essential role in the formula, too; "Make a Baby" is as silly a love song as its title suggests, and "When I Get You Alone" steals wholesale from Walter Murphy's disco-era novelty hit, "A Fifth of Beethoven." But the dance floor is only one destination in Thicke's view. Earnest ballads also appear (notably, the sweetly sentimental, minor-chord lament "The Stupid Things"), and one is again inclined toward another comparison, this time to Stevie Wonder. Funky, jazzy soul-pop, with a touch of salsa in "Vengas Con Migo"; that's as accomplished as it is welcoming. --Kim Hughes