Raphael Saadiq has been soulfully killing it since his days in the underrated Tony! Toni! Tone!, but he has gone on to break away from the R&B peloton with a revelatory solo career.  In March of this year he released yet another standard-setting album (his fourth), entitled “Stone Rollin’.”

From this album, Saadiq’s song Go to Hell takes us back to the great Soul Summer of ’71 and simply shouts summertime radio (good luck finding it on the dial though these days).  Saadiq takes Motown’s old soul and brightens its corners.  Tell your wife, husband, kids, grandparents and friends–soul is back courtesy of Saadiq.  Despite the song’s title this is no F-you (a la Cee-Lo), but instead a hard look in the mirror and an invitation to loving living.  Preach it, Raphael!  Check it out, and then the title track,  Stone Rollin’, below it.

Inspirational Verse from Go to Hell:

“Here’s the situation, yes the devil knows me well
See I’m trying to do my best not to go to hell!
I’m counting all my blessings, as I walk the narrow road,
Victory is near, that’s what I’ve been told!

I can feel it getting closer, closer every day
I wanna be a warrior of everything I say
There’s trials in the valley, take me upstream.
I need to feel this water falling down over me
Falling down over me!

I can see my name written across the sky,
Ravens started flying, I saw tears in their eyes.
There was fires in the mountains, and storms in the sea,
Winds in the valley, rushing into me.

Knock and it will open, seek and you’ll be fine,
You’re just a flower and the seed is your mind!
Clouds will bring us water, and the Sun will bring us heat
But we have the flower, moving from sea to sea.

Let love bring, us together,
Let love bring us together,
Let it bring us, let it bring us together!
Let love bring us together!

We need more love
We need more love in the world
Let it bring us, let it bring us together!

Somebody walk with me!
Somebody walk with me!
Somebody walk with me, walk with me quickly!

Let love bring us together!
Let love bring us together!”