Brenda Russell
5 stars based on
34 reviews
Brenda Russell Reviewed on this page: She's so amazingly consistent I had to exaggerate the ratings a bit: DBW Brenda Russell Gentle pop, generally based on piano and Fender Rhodes and her softly yearning vocals, with only occasional guitar, horns or strings. The arrangements are almost identical to contemporaneous works like Rushen's debutbut not as catchy: Since she doesn't use horns or strings, the arrangements have nowhere to go, and it's a bit mind-numbing after a while.
There's one fine riff tune, though unfortunately it's the shortest track on the album "Lucky"and there are a couple of moving love songs "Sensitive Man" and dueling guitar solos by Steve Lukather and Buzzy Feiten on "Thank You.
DBW Two Eyes Produced by Tony LiPuma, but it's the same quiet pop as before - she never falls on her face but never really takes any risks either. A little bit of love lyrics brenda russell title track is another moving love song, and "Jarreau" a tribute to Al Jarreau, who appears on the record is clever light funk; otherwise there's really nothing to distinguish this from the rest of her work. There are a lot of guest stars this time around, including Christopher Cross, James IngramCaleb QuayePatrice RushenRita Coolidge and Leon Warebut everything's so carefully in the background it's hard to tell what the guests contributed.
She exec produced and co-produced, but this time didn't play any of the instruments, and the record is her least personal-sounding. There are a few uptempo tracks "Make My Day" but she focuses on ballads: Other high-powered musicians with fusion credentials include Joe Sample, Vinne Colaiuta and Jimmy Haslip, and Stanley Clarke co-produces a couple of tracks. Pleasant enough if you're in a laid-back mood, but you might want to start with one of the other discs, most of which have more variety and vitality.
She's a clever lyricist and able tunesmith, with a heavy-duty backing band including Greg PhillinganesEarl Klugh, Jeff PorcaroWalter Afanasieffetc. The album's weakness is a little bit of love lyrics brenda russell it's overprofessional: The couple of dud tunes including the title track, produced and co-written by Narada Michael Walden, and "Justice In Truth" don't help either.
There are a lot of fun tunes here, from the sexy title track to the funky, a little bit of love lyrics brenda russell hop-influenced "10, Words" to the a little bit of love lyrics brenda russell swinging "Life Is Waiting," with soulful guitar soloing from Michael Thompson. Like the previous effort, this is a musical smorgasbord, but this time it's more compelling, less subdued. She allows herself to stretch out a bit more on vocals, though you still feel she's holding something in reserve.
The record flopped, but to me it's more successful than her better selling releases. There are no memorable melodies, and precious little energy - "Catch On" and "Please Felipe" are a bit livelier than the rest. More disturbing, a few tracks are overly derivative of Stevie Wonder: Produced by Russell and Stephan Oberhoff, who also played keyboards and programmed drums throughout the disc Russell plays piano on only a couple of tracks. The backing band is high powered: Smith and Kathy Wakefield.
The approach of this record is almost identical to Paris Rain but the results are much better: Even "It's A Jazz Day," a silly laundry list namechecking jazz greats, builds a distinctive, slightly eerie mood. DBW Stop running away.