Listen to the Message

Listen to the Message is the second studio album by the American contemporary R&B group Club Nouveau.^[5][6] It was released on May 24, 1988, on Warner Bros. Records. Listen to the Message contains darker lyrics dealing with social consciousness. Members Samuelle Prater and Thomas McElroy left the group before recording and were replaced with David Agent and Kevin Irving.^[2]

Listen to the Message
Studio album by Club Nouveau
Released	May 24, 1988
Recorded	1987–1988
Genre	Funk, soul
Length	41:31
Label	Warner Bros. Records 25687
Producer	Jay King[1]
Club Nouveau chronology
Life, Love & Pain (1986) Listen to the Message (1988) Under a Nouveau Groove (1989)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[2]
Los Angeles Times	[3]
Orlando Sentinel	[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]

Critical reception

The Globe and Mail called the album "an ambitious second LP that gets a D for originality, but an A - well, maybe a B+ - for execution."^[1] The Orlando Sentinel wrote that "'It's a Cold, Cold World!' -- with well-focused lyrics and a rock-steady beat -- kicks as hard as its opening percussive blast."^[4]

Track listing

1. "It's a Cold, Cold World!" — 4:35
2. "Listen to the Message" — 5:05
3. "Dancin' to Be Free" — 4:35
4. "Why Is It That?" — 5:14
5. "For the Love of Francis" — 3:35
6. "Envious" — 4:29
7. "What's Going 'Round" — 4:23
8. "Only the Strong Survive" — 4:57
9. "Better Way" — 4:27

Charts

Chart (1988)	Peak position
Billboard Top LPs	98[7]
Billboard Top Black Albums	44[8]