About this CD
Pros
- At 67, Smokey's voice is, miraculously, every bit as flexible and beautiful as it was back in the Motown days.
- The song selection limits itself to direct influences on Robinson.
- The arrangements are tasteful, and the setting allows Smokey to open up emotionally.
- This may be Smokey's sexiest album.
Cons
- Ths string overdubs are the only element here that seems tacked-on, but it's a minor concern.
My review
So attention must be paid, and it's rewarded, mainly due to Robinson's keen decision to record these cuts live in the studio in a jazzy setting; it allows him to create a performance rather than just sail through an established melody. And the selection has real meaning to Smokey, as well, which is why Kurt Weill's "Speak Low," a major melodic influence on Robinson's songwriting, sits here next to "Night And Day" and "Fly Me To The Moon," and also why Sammy Cahn's "Time After Time" is folded into a medley with Cyndi Lauper's quite different hit of the same name. It's music with meaning and nuance, not just aural wallpaper for your next cocktail party. It may, however, be good fuel for your next makeout session; Robinson's muse usually wrestles with devotion, but the sexual electricity running through most of these compositions forces him to explore the romance of carnality for once, instead of the other way round. Not bad for a trendy album.
