>*I'm no n eo-soul expert but of course the BNH part of that
>gang of British stuff you mention - in some ways not just the
>bigger names (James Taylor, Galliano, Incognito) those old
>Acid Jazz 'totally wired' and related samplers can be seen as
>extremely prescient with regard to this conversation.

I can clearly remember that when neo-soul started to emerge in the US, commentators would actually describe these artists as "trying to sound British." That was a big deal with the group Vertical Hold, who had to constantly assure everyone that they were in fact Americans. (I recall Sandra St. Victor having a similar issue--Family Stand is another important precedent, btw)

But yeah, it's not accidental that one of the Roots early releases was on Talkin' Loud.