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JAMES INGRAM: US Wounded Bird/Warner, 1993 / 2007 1) Someone Like You 2) Let Me Love You This Way 3) Always You 4) Treat Her Right 5) A Baby's Born 6) This Is the Night 7) You Never Know What You Got 8) Too Much for This Heart 9) Sing for the Children 10) Any Kind of Love This album was released with little fanfare in the summer of 1993 and was, at best, ignored and at worst, panned. WHY? Firstly James Ingram is one of THE definitive male vocalists of all-time, of any musical genre and secondly, the legendary Philly GOD Thom Bell produced a number of songs which were beyond essential. If you loved Thom's sweet Philly styling with the likes of The Spinners, The Delfonoics, Johnny Mathis etc, then you will love this updated 90s sound. Equally lush and orchestrated but still 100% Thom Bell in each and every way. James' interpretation of the 1973 Mathis track “A Baby's Born” is just spine-tingling, and “This Is The Night” and “You Never Know What You Got” are just sublime. The full orchestration, sitar and hallmarks of everything that made the Philly era classic are all present and correct. “Any Kind Of Love” is a real groover complete with flute and horns, and straight out of the Bell & James era. Superb! Indeed, another top-draw producer is Keith Thomas – he of BeBe & CeCe Winans fame – and his inclusions here are also little short of breathtaking. Beware, and I mean SERIOUSLY beware...do NOT flick through tracks such as “Let Me Love You This Way” and “Always You” and dismiss them as schmaltz or Disney tunes. What a grave, grave error that would be. I guarantee that if you listen to them properly and absorb them they will absolutely devastate you. There are only a few songs on here I find too sweet or schmaltzy, and one of those – surprisingly – is the Maurice White cut “Sing For The Children”. Thankfully, Wounded Bird Records stateside have seen fit to reissue this CD and give it a second chance. Make sure you check it out. It's more than a gem. It should be sat in with the Crown Jewels. -Barry Towler Other Fresh CD Reviews Albums of the Month in 2007 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 |