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LINDA WILLIAMSCity LivingArista (1979) reissue by Big Break Records (UK, 2011)1) City Living 2) No Love, Now Where, Without You 3) Oh Honey 4) Elevate Our Minds 5) Do It 6) Our Song 7) Welcome Little One 8) Loving You Forever 9) Happy Music Bonus tracks: 10) No Love, Now Where, Without You (single version) 11) City Living (single version) Linda Williams was a totally unkown artists for yours truly, but I'm always delighted to get new reissue albums of the 70s or 80s soul music that I have never heard before. Christian John Wilkane introduces Linda in the liner notes, and we are informed that she was a musical director for Natalie Cole in the 70s. This 1979 album, originally on Arista, is a rather mixed bag ranging from soul disco to mild jazz-funk instrumentals, as Linda herself plays piano. Personally, I didn't care for the MOR-ish instrumentals or semi-instrumentals, and also the disco tunes like Do It or Happy Music sounded rather uninspiring, unlike most of the classic disco and boogie tunes from the late 70s. This leaves us a couple of nice mid-tempo songs (like the salsa piano and bass flavoured Elevate Our Minds) and the ballads to enjoy. The ballads follow much the same style as Natalie Cole's own performances during the 70s, and could be recommended to Natalie's loyal fans to check out. My personal favourite is the track titled Loving You Forever, which is sung over a swaying rich instrumentation. The background musicians include James Gadson, Paulinho DaCosta, Paul Jackson Jr, Jerry Hey and George Bohanon. Another classy cut is the bouncy mid-pacer No Love, No Where, Without You, which was the only chart single from the album (peaking at position 48 on US Billboard soul charts) . -IT The Latest CD Reviews Albums of the Month in 2011 Albums of the Month in 2010 Albums of the Month in 2009 Albums of the Month in 2008 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 |
