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GERALD LEVERT: – G US Elektra 62417, 1999 (US Release) Elektra, 1999 (Scandinavian release) European release: 1) Application (I'm Lookin 4 A New Love) 2) Callin Me 3) Nothin to Somethin 4) Strings, Strings 5) Let Me Know 6) She Done Been 7) Heart Don't 8) Don't Take It Away 9) Second Time Around 10) Misery 11) Baby U Are 12) These 13) Somebody's Baby (Interlude) 14) Nothin to Somethin (2000 Watts Mix) Gerald’s previous set, Love & Consequences from last year, was something of a disappointment with its overt emphasis on teeny R&B, but I'm pleased to report that this new CD is a worthier effort and sees Gerald find his way to my personal top twenty of 1999. Admittedly, the first five tracks are more street-oriented than one would wish, but all of these cuts are better than some of the turkeys on his previous set. What's more, even choppy rhythms can't hide the fact that both Application and Nothin to Somethin are quite soulful ballad compositions. The Craig T. Cooper-co-produced Baby U Are is unusual because Gerald sings parts of it in a falsetto, and the tune itself is a mid-paced Philly floater á la You Know How to Make Me Feel So Good. Not surprisingly, Cooper adds his customary guitar licks to the proceedings. As expected, the real highlights are found among the more traditional ballads, all of which are backed by real instrumentation, including real strings. Misery is a slow burner with blues overtones, whereas Don't Take It Away is a more conventional affair. She Done Been is a magnificent deep soul ballad with a typically gutsy vocal performance, and These is an emotional knee-trembler with a spacy arrangement. What's left is my personal favourite, the soon-to-be-classic Second Time Around which begins as a subtle groove ballad, but grows in intensity before reaching an ecstatic finale. All in all, with three excellent tunes plus five good ones, this album is a safe buy for all of Gerald's fans. (Rating: 8/10) –KH US Elektra 62417 , 1999 (US Release) US Release:1) I Like It 2) All the Times 3) Storm Has Passed 4) It Hurts too Much to Say 5) Wind Beneath My Wings 6) Written All over Your Face 7) Last Time I Saw You 8) That's What Love Is 9) A Rose by Any Other Name 10) All I Want Is You 11) I Believe I Can Fly 12) My Side of the Bed 13) So Alone Gerald Levert’s new album G is finally out in the U.S., and it contains two new tracks compared to the copy that was released in Scandinavia late last year. I was pleasantly surprised to notice that the new single release Mr. Too Damn Good is a real goodie: a classic, deep and melodic ballad song, while the other previously unreleased track It Hurts too Much to Stay is an even stronger vocal performance, featuring Kelly Price as Gerald's duet partner. While both of these new tracks have programmed, simple backings, they are pure 100 per cent soul from start to finish. Of the European copy, only the light street jogger Let Me Know and the non-essential remix of Nothin to Somethin have been dropped out, leaving us Gerald’s second best solo album after his 1994 masterpiece Groove On. -IT Other CD
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