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Elly Roberts reviews
My Everything
Blue Note Records / Capitol Records (EMI)
- Released: September 2004
- Rating: 2/10
- Cat. No: 7243 5 77102 2 0
Track listing:
- 1. Youre My Everything
2. How Could You
3. In My Heart
4. Serious
5. How Does It Feel
6. Like You Used To Do
7. Close our Eyes
8. Youre My Everything – Revisited
9. I Cant Stop
10. Men In My Life
Its a poor return to form for one of the music industrys most respected artists.
Eighteen years ago American songstress Anita Baker made her UK debutwith the stunning Soul ballad Sweet Love, selling more than 6 millioncopies. Just about everybody knows it. It was one of the most requestedend-of-night smoochies at discos and parties.
Then she had a run of lesser know chart entries. In 1994 it all stopped toconcentrate on family life. Now the 46-year-old multi-Grammy award-winner fromDetroit is making a comeback with ten new songs, nine of which are self-pennedwith collaborations.
From the first listen it comes across as smooth, soulful with a sublimeproduction. That said, its bland and boring, and out of touch in terms ofmaking any kind of impact. It flows inoffensively from one track to another.And thats the problem nothing stands out except a far too brief Jazzed-upreprise (1 minute 12 seconds) of Youre My Everything Revisited, andslightly more interesting I Cant Sleep which contains a sensationalsax-solo. Its nicely packaged in just about every department, maybe too muchso; certainly for my personal tastes.
I was waiting for the whole thing to take off in some kind of spectacularfashion considering its her comeback project , its a major let down.Bakers singing is as pristine as ever, remaining elegant and smouldering.The big But is : Nuevo-soul has moved on considerably – perhaps her time -out was too long, especially for the British market.
No doubt she still has a strong fanbase in the States where shes apparentlywowing the Yanks once again: I doubt if it will transfer to the UK.
Sorry Anita, nothing going on here to want to make me buy it. File under snooze.
Weblink: Bluenote.com,Bluenote Europe.comandAnita Baker.org
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.