The Phoenix Network:
 
 
 
About  |  Advertise
Adult  |  Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures
 
CD Reviews  |  Classical  |  Live Reviews  |  Music Features
50_bands_50_States_2009_banner

Lee Fields and the Expressions | My World

Truth and Soul (2009)
By GUSTAVO TURNER  |  June 16, 2009
3.0 3.0 Stars

090622_fields_main
It's hard to dislike Lee Fields. He's an almost archetypal jobbing soul singer in the shouter/grunter/talker/improviser tradition of Otis Redding and James Brown, and he's currently undergoing something of a revival as a Sharon Jones collaborator and featured vocalist for Eurohouse hits. Fields's shows are by all accounts a lot of fun, and his obscure '70s singles have been championed by SoulSides and other exquisite arbiters of cratedigging.

On My World, the Truth & Soul production team use him as a vehicle to indulge their Thom Bell and Norman Whitfield fantasies, encouraged by a market that has rewarded the equally hard-working Jones for her Dap-Kings material. Although the producers have mentioned the Delfonics and the Stylistics as explicit models for the whole project, that vibe is mostly achieved in the instrumental tracks ("Expressions Theme," "Last Ride"), where the ad hoc Expressions get to paint sweet landscapes without the distracting rasp of the singer. Otherwise, Fields proves versatile within his limited range, essaying a Sly-esque ballad ("Honey Dove"), a Godfatherish lament over a budget Whitfield backing track ("My World"), and a thoroughly worthy Supremes cover ("My World Is Empty Without You"), where he effortlessly channels Jimmy Ruffin atop a clever Axelrodian arrangement.

The one problem here is that any familiarity with the material being paid homage only underscores Fields's lack of true star quality. You wonder, for example, what James Brown would have done with "Money I$ King" if the Truth & Soulers had become his Rick Rubins before he booked the great Apollo in the sky.
Related: Michael Jackson and his fears, Michael Jackson and his fears, Chairmen of the boards, More more >
  Topics: CD Reviews , Celebrity News, Entertainment, Music Stars,  More more >
  • Share:
  • Share this entry with Facebook
  • Share this entry with Digg
  • Share this entry with Delicious
  • RSS feed
  • Email this article to a friend
  • Print this article
Comments

--> -->
ARTICLES BY GUSTAVO TURNER
Share this entry with Delicious

 See all articles by: GUSTAVO TURNER

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2009 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group