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Elly Roberts reviews
Gut Records
- Cat.no: GUTCD50
- Released: October 2005
- Rating: 8/10
Some critics and music fans might snub this album on the grounds of Rowetta‘s X-Factor connection from 2004.
Also, establishing some kind of longevity credibility is a problem for mostof the contestants few if any succeed. My gut feeling is different aboutRowetta. The huge voice, a favourite of Simon Cowells amazingly only managedfourth place.
She entered the competition with a strong reputation as a vocalist with theHappy Mondays, Inner City et al. Now after 18 years of being in the studioenvironment, she gets her chance to showcase her talents. It would have beentoo easy to follow the predictable trashy pop path, but Rowetta has carefullyplanned her route.
With a truly eclectic tracklisting, every song is perfectly suited to herhusky soulful larynx shes capable of giving Alison Moyet a run for hermoney any day. Along with some pretty impressive covers which make up mostof the collection, shes even tried her hand at self-penned tracks Fly,Thunder and Lightning and Pure and Faithful.
When I saw the tracks, my first impression was that shes perfect for musicals,reinforced by outstanding workings of Camelots If Ever I Would Leave Youand her disco attempt at the Dreamgirls musical anthem And Im Telling You,which was a huge hit for Jennifer Holliday in 1982. As energetic as thisversion is, Id have preferred an original ballad cover.
Every track is tackled with supreme confidence, and she also proves howmalleable and adaptable she is.
Big ballads – It Should Have Been Me, big band sounds on a subtleopener Hello Detroit, and even a superb self-penned Northern Soul gemin Thunder and Lightning make this a very impressive debut.
Her destiny is surely in musicals, where shed be as a big a name as the voice.
Weblinks:Rowetta.com /Gut Records.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Hello Detroit
2. The Look Of Love
3. Fly
4. Stop Crying Your Heart Out
5. Higher Ground
6. Thunder And Lightning
7. If Ever I Would Leave You
8. Pure, Faithful And True
9. Just A Little Bit
10. The Greatest Performance Of My Life
11. It Should Have Been Me
12. Eleanor Rigby
13. Somewhere
14. Under The Boardwalk
15. And Im Telling You Im Not Leaving
16. Over The Rainbow
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.