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SMOKEY ROBINSON: Timeless Love US New Door, 2006 1) You Go To My Head 2) I’m In The Mood For Love 3) Our Love Is Here To Stay 4) Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words) 5) Night And Day 6) I’m Glad There Is You 7) More Than You Know 8) Speak Low 9) Time After Time 10) I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (Baby) 11) I Love Your Face 12) I’ve Got You Under My Skin 13) Tea For Two I could write a piece as long as your local telephone directory on how much I love Smokey Robinson. I have always rated the man, his writing, his singing and production. Cutting to the chase this man is a genius. I have been clawing the walls for a few years now in my demand for new material from the great man, and after my disappointment with the "Food For The Spirit" outing I was floored with the two exceptional new tracks on his "My World" hits package last summer. This left me wanting more. Well, we have more … but nothing new as such. Smokey has left Motown (again) for Universal’s latest imprint, New Door, for this collection of timeless love songs from the last century. Of this set Smokey says "…this was a labor of love and joy. I love these songs. I grew up hearing them from as far back as I can remember. As a songwriter, I truly admire all of these wonderful writers who proceeded me. I’m a real fan". One can hear this. Such a special recording for Smokey, and I am very pleased that he has done this. However, as for myself the whole album is not really my cup of tea, though I do not dislike it all. Considering the great man is past pensionable age his voice has not deteriorated one jot, and on some songs he sounds as versatile now as he did back in the 1960s. Musically this album is also flawless, plain and simple. The roll call of personnel includes some old favourites of ours: Sonny Burke on piano and vibes as well as string arrangement, the evergreen Marv Tarplin on guitar, as well as Paul Jackson Jr and Phil Upchurch, Freddie Washington is on bass, Paulinho Da Costa on percussion, and Ricky Lawson provides drums. The album sets a dizzyingly high standard throughout and handles the works of George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter and Sammy Cahn with a delicious mix of intricacy, class and panache that only Smokey and his collaborators could manage. Smokey’s take on "Love Is Here To Stay" is absolutely beautiful. Smokey meets jazz and standards head on and the results are hugely satisfying. Listen to this song in its entirety and by the end of it you should have no doubt that you are basking in the presence of a genius. When Ken Gioffre kicks in with his superb sax solo Smokey does his stuff in the background. This is where chills run down my spine. You really can’t get a better version of this song than this. "Night And Day" is also tastefully tackled, although I have yet to hear a version to beat that recorded by The Temptations on their ESSENTIAL "For Lovers Only" set back in 1995. I could not help but smile at the funky take on "I’ve Got You Under My Skin". The plucking bass and fender rhodes add an early 80s aura that is very favourable. Smokey is, as you would expect, exemplary. I would much rather, in truth, have a NEW album of new songs, but I think Smokey has achieved a landmark recording here, if nothing else but on a personal level. Highly enjoyable, different and not the run of the mill standards set we have been drowning in recently – this has Smokey stamped all over it. One not to overlook. -Barry Towler Other Fresh 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 |
