This superb 1994 release virtually disappeared without a trace, and without any fanfare at all which was a crying shame. I found that most of what us connoisseurs would call quality was either brushed aside or completely ignored. Wait for the time when these albums are considered "rare groove" Lol. This was a small label release with a big label sound, and the participants on this CD, too, were certainly from the league of big boys. LSO was the amalgam of the Linda Stokes of Magic Lady fame, and her mega-talented producer-arranger-writer husband Michael Stokes so if that isn't enough to get your pulse quickening then I suggest that you check your pulse! If you are a soul fan worth your salt then click the link below and grab a copy before it becomes a real rarity. There are some real quality tracks on here, and whether you prefer searing hot ballads or uptempo material your thirst for your ideal will be quenched. I'm lucky as I love both - and much more - so "What's A Girl To Do?" is a real treat. Linda is not alone on this CD and she invited some of Motown's finest vocalists to join her and the result is truly magic. Two duets, then, of real note: the first is a fantastic song featuring Smokey Robinson called "Blue Skies, Brown Eyes"; this is an uptempo track with much of a '90s groove and that said Michael Stokes essence is still all over it. Drenched in excellence, too, is Smokey who sounds just as good in this setting as he did back in the days of his fronting the Miracles. This man could simply read out the telephone directory and he would do it with such grace, soul and style. I never want this great man to stop making music. Our second Motown alumni is ex-Temptation Louis Price, fresh from his own solo set for Motown with the ultra-sexy quiet storm scorcher, "Secret Admirer". This is as good as quality 90s soul music ever got. Linda and Louis are a perfect meeting of soulfulness on this cut and Louis in particular, really extols the virtues of traditional R&B balladry. Once a Temptation always a Temptation. I still get the shivers listening to this 15 years after I bought it! "Down Down Down" also qualifies as a 90s soul gem, and this cut features Gerald Albright on sax. A slinky and seductive track with plenty of bassline and synth, I know that you will love this. A biggie of the '90s was Angela Winbush's "Treat U Rite", and the title cut is one that is almost cut from the same cloth. A rhythmic foot tapper with a harder, 90s, urban edge yet, importantly, the soul is still very much there. That's the main thing, folks! The 90s may have been a really confusing and annoying decade music-wise but the quality was there in between all the dross. So, check this gem out and don't look back.
Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe
The Vibe Scribe
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