let let thirteenth studio album american recording artist released august recording sessions album took place june july detroit west los_angeles serving venture funk genre romance themed music let incorporates smooth soul quiet storm noted critics sexually suggestive lyrics cited writer sexually charged albums recorded following breakthrough success socially conscious album going let helped establish sex icon mainstream appeal produced singles title track come sure love ball attained billboard chart success let commercially successful album recording career expanded creative control tenure sexual multi tracking vocals seductive funk sound influenced later artists production album regarded music writers critics landmark recording soul music funk music popularity 1970s smooth soul sound marked change record label previous success formula let ranked critics publications lists best albums time reissued disc deluxe edition release background spring suffering writer block following release commercially successful album point going soundtrack album film trouble man struggled come new material new contract contract provided creative control recordings deal worth million making highest earning soul artist highest earning black artist time struggling deciding relocate los_angeles following ceo record label replacement detroit based studio recording studio west studio los_angeles amid relocation lack material struggling conscience dealing expectations wife sister anna separation pressured emotionally time attempting cope past issues stemmed childhood childhood physically abused preacher father disciplined son extremely christian teachings result meaning practice sex later disturbing question adult suffered sexual plagued fantasies haunted dreams provoked guilt conscience according biographer view sex unsettled pain learned cope personal issues newly found spirituality began incorporating new outlook music initially expressed socially conscious album going promotional photos wearing honor african traditional religions faith winning record executives success going attained creative control use following brief separation wife record album meant surface themes sex going wanted deeper meaning general theme portray case politics follow effort love romance metaphor god love book divided soul life wrote musical inspiration second landmark record profound soul songs prayers secular dress prayer reconcile early religious sexual hope reconciliation search sexual healing drives art sexiest work spiritual struggle body soul exploration sexual passion expresses human hunger god songs loss lament sense separation heartbreaking level separation man woman deeper level separation man god album liner notes explained views themes sex love stating wrong sex think far important magnificent human body contend sex sex love love combined work people mind needs treated time space permit especially area don believe overly sex exciting lucky hope music present makes lucky recording proceeded record politically conscious material golden world records studio known preliminary vocals instrumentation material featured let following earlier sessions detroit recorded west los_angeles february july accompanied experienced group session musicians called contributed going received official credit recorded unreleased songs world rated going single man golden world going later covered planned release album titled man later shelved unknown reasons songs included unreleased recordings later featured release let album recording let composed friend label mate originally written religious ode life singer songwriter wrote political draft hearing preliminary mix draft protested claimed song better suited sexual romantic overtones particularly making sweet love rewrote song lyrics original arrangements musical accompaniment demo intact lyrics inspired meeting initial sessions cited hunter presence album recording inspiration intimate relationship hunter subsequently basis album want recording title track inspired revive unfinished recordings sessions assisted producing rest album recording took place sessions worked songs including ballad die tonight composed songs including past sessions satisfied originally recorded groups including originals monitors song dedicated long standing love recording song written arrangement lyrics address demise volatile marriage happened original song writer background vocals album sung exception satisfied originals instrumentation album members including bassist contributed piano sessions music lyrics let features soulful passionate lead vocals multi tracked background singing 1950s styled melody begins guitar notes centers simple chord changes arrangements centered eccentric rhythm pattern signature guitar line played session musician music journalist song classic single enjoyable song reprised fourth track expands title track sensual theme political overtones won love children opposed war like know instrumentation leading soulful screams near end song lyrics chronicled narrator feels lover miles away pleads return feels music writer later wrote song sound studio recording style song horn strings drum fills gently song mellow styled background vocals echo love love romantic pleas song later concert favorite live concert version featuring female fans screaming background released single album sure love ball sexually overt controversial singles intro featuring sounds man woman engaged sex sexual explicit nature album content time controversial recording album deemed commercial risk artists repertoire label executives release reception released august let surpassed previous studio effort going best selling record tenure album peaked number chart succeeded rolling_stones managed reach number cash box week weeks music charts let charted weeks billboard charts remained billboard soul albums weeks best selling soul album album lead single let successful singles reached number billboard hot chart september remained number weeks remaining chart weeks june version let released certified platinum recording_industry_association_of_america million downloads united_states album singles reached billboard hot including let second number single hit come peaked number chart album single sure love ball charted number hot number soul singles chart album music sexual content let commercial success promotion helped establish sex icon helping expand artistic control tenure commercial success lead publicized tour promote let expand repertoire live performer successful concert performances album material helped gain increasing popularity fan base pop market earning reputation live performers time performance tour released live serve release period mid-1970s let received positive reviews music critics billboard called fine terms vocal attack material touches excellent terms instrumental support citing title track album best recordings rolling_stone found performance par going wrote continues transmit degree intensity sending near cosmic overtones simplistic lyrics viewed lacks album series commented flows occasionally threatening spend ideas retrieved time performance note keeps pushing takes step ahead gets style spirit spare robert_christgau called album post green going means fucking human condition thank wholly found title track masterpiece album seductive groove appropriate thirty minutes plus initial reception let viewed writers milestone soul music best rock roll records time writes album bit conventional musically soul crossing mild funk focused lyrically predecessor going chicago_tribune writer greg_kot commended multi tracked vocals perfected going time convey intimate desires commenting album erotic imagery implied explicit preoccupied distance need allmusic called record sheer energy writing reach boiling point performance laced lyric come rhythm lust record achieved kind sheer erotic force let dubbed sexually charged albums recorded allmusic cites masterpiece bbc_music found supreme command material viewed album simple lust iconic work accolades like going let included significant best album lists critics publications ranked number times publication best albums time blender magazine ranked album number list greatest american albums time ranked number rolling_stone greatest albums time publication second highest entry list albums included going number dear number let inducted grammy hall fame cited recording historical significance legacy influence album singles initial sales response let marked change transition sound production previously enjoyed success trademark sound label known sound beginning fade popularity majority soul listeners experiencing commercial pressure contemporary styles incorporated diverse elements soul funk sound characteristics use accent beat prominent melodic electric bass guitar lines distinctive melodic chord structures response singing style originated gospel music addition pop production techniques simpler 1970s concept albums complex arrangements elaborate vocal riffs avoided musicians following breakthrough going experiment pseudo classical suite free flowing songs artistic control modify sound incorporate funky instrumentation heavy vocal multi tracking contrast established production style label contrast previously successful process emphasizing artist single releases album fellow producer followed similar formula previously going album songs flow suite form arrangement opposing label ceo strong emphasis hit single success album affirmed influence later styles artists change musical style production soon contemporary popular prior disco era late 1970s successful artists including influenced elements recording style work late 1970s early 1980s slow jam sound contemporary production general greatly influenced album use vocal multi tracking instrumentation allmusic calls album blueprint slow jams follow decades later copied imitated renown engineer work neo soul genre including production mama gun influenced production techniques sound music atmosphere 1970s heavily influenced success sexual content sexual bent creative barriers music industry led increased popularity sexual themes music time music writer later cited let erotic recordings known mankind album success helped spark series similarly styled releases smooth soul artists quiet storm earth way world commercial success recording artists led change trend socially conscious aesthetics mainstream themed music experienced subsequent success follow release want featuring sexually explicit lyrics expanded use vocal multi tracking dear based entirely tumultuous marriage interview music author hip hop artist discussed album influence significance time period stating conscious revolution great sexual revolution think let wanting commentary happening think big love going quoting liner notes life amounts birth death young lady album hadn heard capturing like weaving music way mind blowing think natural progression having revolution minds bodies time following success funk records sly family stone riot late 1960s early 1970s singles let helped funk genre reach influence music industry increase mainstream appeal contemporary musicians prince greatly influenced vintage sound seductive themes incorporating musical style music track listing original deluxe edition september let reissued disc deluxe edition release featuring bit digital original album recordings previously material page booklet contains original liner notes essays biographers bonus tracks personnel tracks track tracks track bass hall porter drums eddie brown drums jones engineer richards percussion special treatment lead vocals background vocals noted background vocals originals satisfied production tracks richards charts
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