Lee Fields – My World
Reviewed by Sadie O., 5/14/09
Deep, wrenching soul in a 60’s-70’s vein – lush instrumental backing and intense impassioned singing. Many tracks are about lost love, and some veer to the smarmy, velvet suited end of the soul spectrum, but the vocals are so intense that you gotta believe in the sincerity, if nothing else. Then there’s the two sociopolitical tracks that are something completely else again – like deep blues meets James Brown meets Isaac Hayes. Lee Fields became a soul cult classic putting out his own singles in the 70’s, and even with a young studio backing band it’s got that 70’s sound. Not disco, mind you, but thick, gooey soul music.
No FCCs. Tracks 4 and 7 are the shizznizzlewit.
1. 3:25 **downtempo, simple sway, spoken lovers plea – sorta like Barry White but with more funky soul and less pudge.
2. 3:11 **slow groove with trembling strings (very 60’s high drama), and running bass, very impassioned soulful singing, lover’s lament.
3. 4:07 *downtempo guitar flourishes and drums, another lover’s lament. He’s clearly VERY serious, and that girl had better come back before he slits his wrists.
4. 3:19 *****downtempo serious soul – rather 70’s Isaac Hayes style production, and James Brown intensity of singing, this is the track right here, look no further!
5. 4:01 *mellow midtempo bossa nova groove with lush backing vocals. Yep, it’s a cover of the Supremes hit, and the chorus does quite a bit of the singing. I sure hope he can get over this chick someday!
6. 2:51 *midtempo, relaxed, low key soul instrumental.
7. 3:27 ****low-key but fairly funky groove, sociopolitical commentary. Similar to track 4 but not quite as stellar.
8. 4:17 *uh oh, it’s Barry White again. Music is similar to track 2, lyrics are utterly unctuous. Hate to say it, but this is so bad it’s good.
9. 3:08 *slow orchestra soul instrumental with wah wah guitar and horns. Would actually make a dandy soundbed.
10. 4:10 ***slow, trembling strings and chimes, more heartache. Man, you can feel the heartache, though – the vocals are intense!
11. 3:40 ***upbeat soul instrumental with big band.