Crayons | 
| Artist: Donna Summer
Label: Burgundy S
List Price: $18.97
Buy New: $8.16
You Save: $10.81 (57%)
New (47) Used (17) Collectible (1) from $7.09
Rating:  144 reviews
Sales Rank: 961
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.9 x 0.3
MPN: 722992
UPC: 886972299228
EAN: 0886972299228
ASIN: B0016B6ZKG
Release Date: May 20, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Brand New, still factory-sealed!! Case may have hairline crack.
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| Tracks:
| • | Stamp Your Feet | | • | Mr. Music | | • | Crayons featuring Ziggy Marley | | • | The Queen is Back | | • | Fame(The Game) | | • | Sand On My Feet | | • | Drivin' Down Brazil | | • | I'm A Fire | | • | Slide Over Backwards | | • | Science of Love | | • | Be Myself Again | | • | Bring Down The Reign |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Album Description
The Queen is Back! Legendary singer songwriter Donna Summer is back with her first studio album in 17 years. In the thirty plus years that Donna Summer has been making music she has never confined her artistry to just one genre. Although Donna is, and will always be, "The Queen Of Disco" to many fans, her hits have spanned multiple musical genres from Rock to R&B to Inspirational and of course, Dance. Summer helped to define the 70's pop music generation and Crayons has all the characteristics that made Donna an icon. Containing a potent mix of the up-tempo tunes and ballads, the new album showcases incredible new material that is written by Donna (who wrote or co-wrote the majority of her hits of the 70's and 80's). Working with Donna were renowned writers and producers including: Greg Kurstin (Lilly Allen, Pink), Danielle Brisebois (Natasha Bedingfield, New Radicals), JR Rotem (Sean Kingston, Rihanna), Evan Bogart (co-writer of Rihanna's smash "SOS" and the son of legendary record executive, Casablanca Records founder and Donna's mentor, Neil Bogart), and Lester Mendez (Shakira, Santana).
Album Description
Japanese pressing of the 2008 album from the Disco diva includes two bonus tracks: 'It's Only Love' and I'm A Fire (Rod Carrillo Leave It On The Floor Mix). Legendary singer/songwriter Donna Summer releases her first studio album of all new material in 17 years! Her album Crayons contains a potent mix of up-tempo tunes and ballads while showcasing her incredible new material that is co-written by Donna herself. The song 'Crayons' features Ziggy Marley. 13 tracks. Sony/BMG.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 139 more reviews...
 Donna Summer's Returned to Reign May 20, 2008
Antoine D. Reid (Durham, NC United States)
42 out of 47 found this review helpful
I must say that I was surprised and not expecting this great album from Donna Summer. "Crayons" is not an attempt to recapture the sound and music she's perhaps best known as. This album is meant to stand against big artists of today and to capture the pop/hip-hop/r&b vibe that's popular today. Not only that but after being known as conquering disco, Donna Summer reaches ahead and goes for the club-crowd. Does it work? In all, yes. "Crayons" is fresh, exciting, has funny lyrics, introspective lyrics and outright unapologetic and fun.
You'll like how upbeat the sound and tone of this album is. This is really a club record, testing out different styles (or perhaps crayons). The songs that work the best for me were the title track 'Crayons' that has a Caribbean/island sound and features Ziggy Marley. 'Stamp Your Feet' is a pop/inspirational song where Summers urges her audience to take a stand and to make their voices be heard. 'The Queen is Back' is by far the most fun, with Donna Summer obviously speaking of her return to the scene and not holding back on the 'diva' attitude we'd expect from her. The last track, 'Bring Down the Reign' features a choir of children and Donna Summer putting aside the club-vibe for something epic in sound and pulls off a quite moving song.
What you may not like is the at times over-processed vocals that render her unrecognizable on some tracks. This is the only area of the album that bothers me because so many artists, including Cher, Mariah and Madonna (mentioned in other reviews) have gone this same route as if it's the only way to compete with others in the business. It took away from some songs when I wished we'd hear more of her voice which we know is great and strong enough not to be picked apart by a computer.
In all, a great effort from Donna Summer. I'm sure it'll be one of the albums that'll break out this year to everyone's surprise. Give it a listen, you will not regret it nor will you be wasting any money on purchasing it.
 Donna's Best Since 1984 May 30, 2008
Jeremy Gloff (Tampa, Fl United States)
37 out of 40 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R7U6F6XWA8ETY I am a recording artist/music journalist. Here's my video review of Donna Summer's new Crayons album. Crayons
Summer's Queen June 3, 2008
Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana)
34 out of 44 found this review helpful
For those of us who were alive and partying when Donna Summer was the queen of disco, this album marks a welcome return after an absence of nearly twenty years. (Actually seventeen, but who's counting?)
Looking fit and fresh for her guest appearance on American Idol, where she sang the first single from this album "Stamp Your Feet", she proved that not even time can stop a Summer in full flow.
"Last Dance", one of my favorite songs from the past, was featured in the Ashton Kutcher/Cameron Diaz movie "What Happens in Vegas", as further proof that some performers are destined never to fade away into the woodwork.
Anyway, back to this album, my favorite song is the title track, featuring Ziggy Marley, providing a bouncy reggae vibe that's guaranteed to have you shaking a leg, even when you're sitting down.
All twelve tracks were co-written by the Queen, and regardless of tempo, they're all winners. If I had to pick my top five, I'd choose the two I've mentioned before, plus "Sand on My Feet", which reminds me of "Breakfast at Tiffanys" by Deep Blue Something; the jazzy Latin "Driving Down Brazil" and the disco track "I'm a Fire".
As she herself states proudly on track four, the Queen is back!
Amanda Richards, June 2, 2008
Summer is here at last! May 20, 2008
Nse Ette (Lagos, Nigeria)
30 out of 45 found this review helpful
After a long drought of some 17 years, Summer is finally here. If you think I'm referring to the weather, you'd be half correct (what is Summer without Donna?), but I'm actually referring to the long awaited release of Donna Summer's first studio album in some 17 years.
"Crayons" finds Ms Summer at the peak of her creative and vocal abilities, and much like her classic albums "Four seasons of love", "Once upon a time", "I remember yesterday", "Bad girls", or "I'm a rainbow" there is a unifying theme running through the album; celebrating human diversity through diverse sounds.
Signed to Burgundy records, her label wanted her to do an album of standards like her contemporaries Rod Stewart, Diana Ross or Natalie Cole had. Summer however, had other ideas. She played them a song she'd penned, inspired she says by James Blunt's "You're beautiful", and the covers idea was never brought up again.
What we get is a beautiful kaleidescope of colours expressed in sound, with all the songs co-penned by Summer. Opening is the anthemic "Stamp your feet", an inspirational get-back-up-in-the-game message set to a dance/pop/hip hop sound. In a similar mould are the catchy but skeletal "Mr music" (with Timbaland-like synth strings and a reference to the ubiquitous iPod) and the tongue-in-cheek dig at her Queen of disco title "The queen is back" in which she name drops 2 of her big hits; "On the radio" and "Love to love you baby" (after a TV News segment-like intro). The last pair were co-written with Evan Bogart, son of her mentor at Casablanca records, the late Neil Bogart. Talk about coming full circle.
Title track "Crayons" is an incredibly bouncy pop song with an island feel and additional vocals from Ziggy Marley who sounds so much like his father. I love the fun "Ay ay oh ohs".
"Fame (the game)" is jaw-droppingly amazing, a dance/rock hybrid a la "Hot stuff" with a stomping beat which takes a look at the quest for, and pitfalls of fame with spoken verses (in an almost unrecognisable voice from Summer). This song sounds like it could have been lifted off "Bad girls" or "The wanderer".
"Sand on my feet" is a tender acoustic ballad with Donna declaring undying love for her man and sounding very young. This song is a real grower, and reminds me a bit of "Big girls don't cry" by Fergie. Next is another awesome song, the salsa/jazz-tinged tinged "Drivin' down Brazil" (I love the ad libs, and the heavy bass line) inspired Summer says by a player type cool guy she spotted driving down a street called Brazil in Florida.
"I'm a fire" is classic Summer, a latin-tinged dance song with a very European feel and a retro-yet-contemporary sound. This has already topped the Billboard dance charts, and is sure to please those hungry for her disco days. The version on the album is slightly different from the single version; additional verses, and additional fleeting harmonies.
Next comes a song bound to shock listeners. Is that really Summer singing? "Slide over backwards" finds Summer adopting the persona of a character called Hattie Mae Blanche DuBois (her photo appears in the CD too, of course it is Summer in silhouette), singing in a raspy drawl very much like Macy Gray, and singing to an upbeat harmonica/steel guitar laden honky tonk blues sound that would fit Tina Turner very nicely (think "Nutbush city limits"). It sounds strange at first, but grows more and more as you play it.
"Science of love" is a bouncy and edgy rock number which is incredibly catchy, with lyrics about trying (and failing) to resist a lover. Summer, after all, was the first recipient of the best female rock Grammy award, a feat overlooked by most. This song is very radio friendly.
Next is the album's masterpiece, the autobiographical ballad "Be myself again", the song she played for her record execs. It is a stark haunting piano ballad (with eerie synth flourishes during the bridge and chorus) and lyrics touching on the persona she had to display during her hey day, which was far removed from whom she really was. The opening poignant lines "Let me introduce myself/I'm a woman that you never see" reminds me of the beginning of the Rolling Stone's "Sympathy for the devil". Summer says she wanted her vocals to shine unencumbered by effects and beats, and thus came up with one of the most beautiful and powerful songs in her repertoire.
Closing cut (on most versions of the CD) is the powerful Gospel tinged "Bring down the reign" which starts off with the rumble of gunfire before haunting Eastern violins (played by Miri Ben-Ari; she also makes a fleeting appearance on "Stamp your feet") African chants and percussion sweep in, with Summer singing a prayer for Darfur. This song is incredibly moving, and reminds me a bit of Wyclef's "Million voices" from the "Hotel Rwanda" soundtrack. A stunning performance, and a prayer I hope is answered, not only in Darfur, but everywhere there is hate, intolerance and killing.
As I stated, this is the closing cut on most versions of the CD, but some versions have a bonus cut, a track I feel is vital to your Summer collection. "It's only love" is a trancey dance song with surging, pulsing and throbbing synths, and Summer cooing in a voice last heard on songs like "Could it be magic" or "Now I need you". At a little over 7 minutes, it is a masterpiece, remniscent of her electronic classic "I feel love" and deserves to be massive. "Dancing dancing" she intones in a robotic trance as she takes us to a "land of a thousand dances". Awesome!! Buy, beg or steal a copy with this song!
The album comes in a nice digipak with lovely photos of Summer. Her famous effusive "thank you" notes are back, and her daughters get a very touching tribute.
There you have it. Her "Bad girls" album got 5 grammy nominations in the Rock, R&B, Disco and Pop categories, and "Crayons" has the potential to cut across genres come Grammy time. I know I'm a big Donna Summer fan so I'm probably biased (lol!), but this is definitely my favourite album released this year, and up there with the best of Summer's career, and one of her most heartfelt and personal artistic statements.
Donna's Colorful Comeback Rocks! May 20, 2008
Anthony Morelli (Montreal, Canada)
26 out of 29 found this review helpful
After 17 years since her last studio album, Donna has returned to the spotlight with her smash CD "Crayons". It's a mixed bag, Donna-Style. Her flawless, strong vocals are back once again. The Queen is back indeed! Having grown up in the mid 70's, I've always liked Donna's singing and her songs. Crayons is right up there with the best music of 2008.
"I'm a Fire" is flaming and stands out among the tracks, with its mix of Disco and modern-day "light" club-sound. No wonder it's turned out to be Donna's first remix single! "Stamp Your Feet" is a perfect opener and totally rocks. I've both these CD singles here at home. Crayons is quite laid-back and not entirely dancy or club-floor sounding as I thought, which isn't bad. There's also a rock-edge mixed with Pop, Reggae and electronica. All these styles intertwined with Donna's full, in-your-face, throaty voice, makes this CD a true winner. Track 6 (Sand on My Feet) is so floating and rich with beautiful vocals and lyrics. I'd say it's an "Easy Listening" type of song and very summery through and through. You'll notice they put Donna's voice through the synthesizer quite a bit through the CD, but it works pretty darned well.
Lots of thought, heart and soul went into this recording. Track 9 (Slide Over Backwards) is very entertaining with its country style and very amusing vocal style. Chorus line is fun and the whole song could've worked very well in Tina Turner's repertoire. I think this is Donna's most electic album to date, and definitely worth playing for family & friends.
The CD is housed in a lovely black digi-pak with a fully illustrated booklet (16 pages). The digi-pak is a tri-fold layout. The interior middle section features the same closeup eye shot as on Donna's "I'm a Fire" cd single cover. Right flap holds the CD and the left flap holds the booklet. All photos of Donna are beautiful and she's looking ageless. the outside of the left flap features another photo of Donna.
Crayons is a definite winner for your summer listening & beyond. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to discover a true legend. I'm glad Donna is back because there are too many commercially fake & obnoxious Divas out there, if they even deserve the title "Diva". Crayons is perfect for putting on your Ipod, for there isn't a song you won't like. So go and get yourself this CD and let Donna heat up your summer.
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