A Million Ways – King Of Fools – Daydreaming – Falling In Love – Hey There
Lonely Girl – Rhythm Of U & Me – Beautiful To Me – Another Sad Story –
Riding On A Cloud – Anything
I can sum up this album in but one word: Brilliant. Thing is, I am rather
biased, as I love everything this man does, but I think the reasons for this are
thus: Will Downing is a man of integrity, possesses
jaw-dropping talent and is a master of all that he does and creates musically. I
have yet to be seriously disappointed, and those that remember my pasting of his
2000 Motown set will be glad to know that I have, over the years, warmed to it a
lot more – though I still believe it is his weakest – but most intrepid - work
to date. So, reviewing this man’s albums becomes a well-trodden path as what
more accolades can I shower on him and his music. Needless to say that if you
love the man then this CD will be nothing but essential for your collection. The
usual contributors have all played their part in bringing together this album of
smooth grooves, tasty steppers and rich vocals: Rex Ridout,
Armsted Christian and Barry J. Eastmond.
As we
have come to expect there are a number of interpretation of familiar songs
"Daydreaming", "Hey There Lonely Girl", "Anything" and an excellent version of
the Regis Branson-penned "King Of Fools" which was a star track from the
Japanese Johnson & Branson "Packed & Waitin’" CD from the spring. All
these songs are fantastic and have been tastefully re-crafted. The
Jolyon Skinner / Joe (Thomas) song "A Million
Ways" was an IMMEDIATE killer for me – a devastating and stylish soul song that
has all the musical charm of Brian McKnight (i.e. "Stay") before he lost his
way, and the brilliance of Will’s performance. The fourth cut is a Christian /
Downing / Rideout collaboration and is simply divine. This song, indeed this
album, proves that Will has a soulful voice of much capacity and thus makes this
a most essential ballad.
The most bouncy track on offer is the slap-bass filled
"Rhythm Of U & Me". The opening melody and vocal arrangement reminds me of a
funkier reading of his version of "Free" from his debut album. This is a guv’nor
song and I will continue to play this for a very, very long time. This is
proceeded by the jazziest inclusion which is "Beautiful To Me" – another quality
song. "Another Sad Story" is a typical textured highly polished soul track with
a faint ghost of jazz in the melody. When I heard "Riding On A Cloud" I was
transported back to the mid 1980s. The tantalising mix of real instruments, the
acoustic guitar and vocal arrangement all reminded me of the sort of vocal track
I may have expected on a Stanley Clarke or Rodney Franklin album. To say I like
this is an understatement.
A shot of blues guitar a la Robben Ford opens the
cool, spine-tingling echoey soul ballad that is a KILLER cover of Janet
Jackson’s "Anything". This could easily have a Gary Taylor influence. And that’s
not a new compliment from me to Will then I will eat my hat! There’s also some
tasty trumpet courtesy of Nicholas Payton. This song has
Ronnie Foster on drums, Paul Jackson, Jr on
guitar and Luis Conte on percussion. The result is a fantastic
version of what was already a good song – Will has moved all the goalposts and
ripped the song, melody and essence apart and offers us what is nothing short of
an ice-cold spine tingler to leave us demanding MORE. Which leads me to again
ask why does GRP see fit to only provide us punters with 10 songs? I know, as I
keep reiterating, that quality is better than quantity but when we have an
artist such as Will Downing who can do very little wrong we know that a few more
songs would definitely not be asking too much. Come on guys, CDs aren’t cheap
you know! Value for money and all that, chaps!
