OK, so Narada looks as if he's had a champion day out at the Chelsea Flower Show, and I can't say I blame him. I once streaked naked at the Chelsea Flower Show one year. Instead of being arrested, as I expected, I won first prize for the best dried arrangement! OK, joking aside, please ignore my bad joke and Narada's hat which threatens to attract a horde of bees. This extremely rare CD was released in japan only in 1995 and contained 5 stonkingly soulful tracks amongst what is best described as a rock music environment. Narada is a talent at whatever he does, but he won't mind my saying that I prefer he keep it soulful. It's kept soulful enough for me here, and if you are able to track a copy down - MusicStack or eBay is your best bet, then it's well worth the thrill of the chase. If any track is going to get you hunting it's gonna be the hot duet between Narada and Howard Hewett. This is track 5 on this album, and even amongst the chosen gems it sticks up head and shoulders. It's a warm, sexy and very 90s stylish ballad which has some excellent vocal interplay between our soulful heroes; Howard, I am definite, has the vocal advantage and is very much at home on a soulful, sexy groove such as this. Well worth paying the steeper Japanese import price tag, though. And in 1995 they weren't cheap! "Tell Me What It's All About" is a quality, quality second track with a sturdy bassline and plenty of synth - Narada's vocals shine brightly on this one. A radio-friendly effort is the upbeat "Soul Desire", a track that you could imagine Shanice tackling with great aplomb. Lovely warm keys on here too. OK, a bit poppy perhaps but I love my pop as much as anything else and it does one good to have a change! If the loping Soul II Soul beat is your bag from the '90s then the melancholic and emotional "Best Years Of Our Lives" will make you happy. A great track this with plenty of haunting synth and atmosphere. My final pick is the mindful "Lay Back", a bouncy and cheerful track which reminds us to take time out in our lives to do what makes us happy. What makes me happy is listening to great 90s soulchoonz, and these picks are certainly of that ilk.
Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe
The Vibe Scribe
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Buy Rare Narada Michael Walden CDs and LPs at MusicStack
Buy Rare Narada Michael Walden CDs and LPs at MusicStack
