Soul Express Album Review  Buy this album from our CD Shop
JOHNNY INGRAM: The Love Messenger US Society Hill Records, 2003 When I Hear Your Love Calling - If I Could See You Again - Love Lives - All I Want To Do - Here Comes Love - Both Sides Of Love - Your Precious Love - Betcha Don't Know - The Message - The Weight Of The World - National Anthem / God Bless America - I Gave You All Of Me - Walk Right Up To The Sun It has taken me MONTHS and a lot of research and hair ripping in order to finally get this album. After a fair teasing from Richard Searling on his essential Jazz FM North West Sunday afternoon show I finally own this. I managed to track it down at Expansion Manchester and Dean there was able to get in some legitimate copies. There are allegedly a number being sold on the open market on 'green' CD-R discs and I cannot tolerate any such thing. It rips off the customer and more importantly it rips off the artist. So beware! It is a solo effort by Johnny, but a look at the credits reveals that the rest of the Ingram family are heavily involved too - which begs the question 'will there be a NEW Ingram collective CD in the near future?'. Let us hope so. As far as this CD goes, if you are a fan of Ingram and love their productions then this CD will be right up your champs ellysees! For me, the ballads easily overpower the beatier numbers and the two clear winners are "When I Hear Your Love Calling" and "Betcha Don't Know". To a lesser degree "If I Could See You Again" is good, but I cannot rank it as high as the aforementioned 2 songs which are essential tracks. "When I Hear Your Love Calling" is in the same bag as Ronnie Dyson's 1991 CD Single "Are We So Far Apart (We Can't Talk Anymore)" and "Something In The Way You Love" by Edmond Daniels; the rumbling sexy, shuffling bassline is really a trademark sound and Johnny really has this off to a tee. As far as the midtempo numbers are concerned, "Love Lives" is a real grower with Johnny's distinctive vocals letting rip over the heavy synth backing track and punchy drumbeat. Johnny gets funky on the uptempo bouncer "Here Comes Love" and drops the tempo with the beat-ballad "Both Sides Of Love" which is pleasant indeed. There are a few cover songs on here...I am not the greatest lover of cover versions at best and often think that the originals are the best. That is definately the case here - but these are, taken on individual merit, not bad per se...but who can beat the likes of Jerry Butler? This also applies to the undertandable inclusion of "National Anthem / God Bless America" and Harris / Young composition "Walk Right Up To The Sun". My second, aforementioned KILLER, is the sax-laced "Betcha Don't Know" with a slinky groove and female vocal backing. This is very close to the quality material on Ingram's "Night Stalkers" album and the comparison is certainly a welcome one. I really love this song - enough that I have flogged it to death already! This is a very hard to find CD - I had not found it anywhere - (but now it's available from our CD shop!; ed. note). It's a very good set - don't miss this album. One for the collectors in years to come. -Barry Towler Other Fresh CD Reviews Albums of the Month in 2005 Albums of the Month in 2004 Albums of the Month in 2003 Albums of the Month in 2002 Albums of the Month in 2001 Albums of the Month in 2000 Albums of the Month in 1999 Albums of the Month in 1998 Albums of the Month in 1997 |
