Soul Express Album Review  Buy this album from our CD Shop
JR BAILEY: Just Me N’ You UK Soul Brother, 2006 After Hours / Heaven On Earth / Just Me N’ You / She Called Me / Cute As A Button / Love Love Love / I’ll Always Be Your Lover / All Strung Out Over You / Not Too Long Ago / I Want I See In You I reviewed this when it was released in Japan back in the mid-1990s. Thankfully Soul Brother have released it here in the UK and from what I can tell with my keen ear this time it is NOT from vinyl. The quality is clean, it is crisp and exactly what we are looking for. Many will know this album and indeed love it. I have to rate it as being one of the classic soul albums of all-time. It is a strong release, fluid in every way and the tender, smooth and soulful tunes all perfectly gel together in a real amorphous mulch of soul heaven. Similar in style if not content to the classic "What’s Going On" album, J R Bailey dedicates this epic recording to love and romance. The arrangements are spot on and are given an extra level with the emotive use of strings and horns all in the right places. Bailey himself commands his vocals masterfully on all cuts. OK, some of the lyrics are plain cheesy but that’s OK. The worst moment is when the kissing starts up on "She Called Me". If my other half kissed me like that I think I would be looking for another! LOL. Otherwise this album is perfect in every way and if you don’t own it then I suggest you make it a priority purchase ASAP. I cannot really pick out any favourites on here as it's all essential. However I can never ever resist a replay of track one, "After Hours". This is FANTASTIC 70s soul at its best. An amazing 32 years on and it is as fresh now as it ever was. Donny Hathaway gave us a heavenly rendition of "Love Love Love" one year earlier in 1973, but Bailey penned the song and gives us his own lovely version. Soul music from the heart is this, and a mandatory listen to boot. Another classy release from Soul Brother. Cheers, gents! -Barry Towler Other CD Reviews Albums of the Month in 2006 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 |