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Jul

Randy Crawford – Abstract Emotions (LP) (1986) – €10,00

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Abstract Emotions is the eighth studio album by American jazz and R&B singer Randy Crawford. It reached No. 178 on the US albums chart, No. 53 in the US R&B chart.

After a three year hiatus sophisticated Jazz-Soul chanteuse returns with industrial sounding commercial Dance effort which falls on deaf ears… The thing is though, Abstract Emotions is a fantastic album. Randy sounds just as at home here as she did on even Raw Silk. The soulfulness is still there and the songs are all really well written by amongst others, Reggie Lucas and James Newton-Howard. The album also features Almaz, Randy’s self-penned classic which has perhaps become her international signature song.

Randy put together 10 outstanding cuts to define “Abstract Emotions.” Her vocals are first class Randy, emotional without being heavy handed (“Can’t Stand the Pain”), understated (the original version of “Almaz”), and joyful (“Higher than Anyone Can Count”). My favorite cut is “Don’t Wanna Be Normal,” a declaration of living life on your own terms, set to a driving beat.

Side one

Can’t Stand The Pain – 6:02
Actual Emotional Love – 5:05
World Of Fools – 5:00
Betcha – 4:31
Higher Than Anyone Can Count – 4:14

Side two

Desire – 5:25
Gettin’ Away With Murder – 4:02
Overnight – 5:14
Almaz – 4:04
Don’t Wanna Be Normal – 5:20

Notes
Release: 1986
Format: LP
Genre: Jazz, R&B
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Catalog# 925423-1

Vinyl: Excellent
Cover: Excellent

Prijs: €10,00

Sep

Randy Crawford – Now We May Begin (1980) – €10,00

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Now We May Begin is an album by the American R&B singer Randy Crawford, released in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records.

With her husky voice and special vibrato she captures the right feeling. The producers Wilton Felder and Stix Hooper were two jazz musicians who also founded The Crusaders with Randy Crawford, so it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of jazz influence.

So this is soft AM jazzy soul, very smooth and very inoffensive all around although I’m not sure who this is supposed to appeal to. The Crusaders are the folks responsible for the music and production, and they seem to do a nice job (although it’s a bit bland and stringy). Randy’s vocals are sweet and soulful, when she gets going she can really belt it out, but when she’s singing softly she sounds perfectly elegant. It’s just that she seems so much better suited to some more interesting music, see it’s kind of like an easy listening album from an artist who deserves a little more oomph musically. “Last Night At Danceland”, “Blue Flame”, and “Same Old Story Same Old Song)” were definitely the best songs on the album. Parts of this are just too tender and jewel toned for me like “Tender Falls The Rain”, “Now We May Begin” and so on.

Side one