Post by jrmugz on Dec 6, 2015 10:41:20 GMT
OK, my CD of the Week is Jon Gibson "Body & Soul". I really enjoyed this CD a lot when it came out in 1989 and over the years.
I saw him twice in concert is his prime for this album and it's follow-up. Both times he was a one man show alternating playing on bongo, piano, or guitar.
When I've conversed with people about him over the years the two things always said are "talent" and "Stevie Wonder". The latter because he's played on Stevie Wonder records, and his singing voice resembles his quite a bit.
On his website it lists the famous people he has played with:
"Stevie Wonder - Miles Davis - Sammy Davis Jr - The Nelson Riddle Orchestra - Nancy Wilson - Billy Preston - Herbie Hancock - Rick James - M.C. Hammer - Timex Social Club - Justin Timberlake - Marroon 5 - Kirk Franklin - Michael
Paulo - Ray Parker Jr - Chante Moore - Shirley Ceasar - and many others."
There is youtube recording of him and Stevie doing "Ebony and Ivory", and Stevie praises him at the beginning saying to the effect of that he would like to welcome his very talented friend to come to sing with him. But too much idle chatter in it, so will spare everyone from the link.
Then supposedly, this is the first Christian rap single (yeah sure, whatever, and who cares anyways), and done with MC Hammer.
His other stuff I heard contains some good/great stuff, but this is the one CD that I enjoy through and through, and may have been his most popular album,
though I have a feeling his "Jesus Loves Ya" CD that followed may have been more successful due to great success of the title track.
I like "Body & Soul" the best, for a few reasons: great cohesiveness, quality songs that use basic instrumentation and less synthesizers than his other stuff, no cliches, and it really feels like it earned the title "Body & Soul".
So here is my breakdown of "Body & Soul":
01. "Heart Of Gold" - Defeinitely Stevie Wonder on there, maybe part of "Sir Duke" or something that it reminds me of. Good song of not letting "jerks", for lack of a better word, bring us down.
02. "In The Name Of The Lord" - It seems like a song like this reflect the great contribution of Bruce Hornsby to pop music, with "Just the Way it Is", etc. I think no way would there be the piano solo and overall feel on this one
without Bruce Hornby's influence.
03. "Merry-Go-Round" - Soulful song of regret, redemption, etc. For some reason, I think this is my favorite.
04. "God Will Find Ya" - I really like the unique keyboard rhythm on this one. No idea what to compare it to, but works great for me. Very simple, but effective, for me anyways.
05. "Father, Father" - I really like the "OK I screwed up, but here I am asking for help anyways" attitude of this one. Unique chorus, like it a lot.
06. "Have A Talk With God" - This song is a cover of the second song on side one of Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life", and Stevie himself does harmonica on this one, and a great job at that. Nice funky soulful song, with what sounds like some pretty
good advice from our master-of-Motown friend for when life's too hard.
07. "Long Ago" - Fun safari walk that touches on the birth, death, and ressurection of Christ and the calling to bring His message of love all over the world.
08. "Us Now" - Fits with the flow of the album OK, beautiful simple piano rhythm. Somewhat laughable, perhaps the weakest track on the CD but seems to fit with the flow at least. I'm sure the guest vocalist wouldn't mind having a re-do of his part on the bridge, since can't understand a word of it. ha ha
09. "Everyone Needs The Lord" - The thing I like about this on and tracks 3 to 5 is that they are just really unique and nothing to really compare them to, but just a really soulful and sincere expression of what is inside.
Star Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Prime Cuts: "Merry-Go-Round", "Heart of Gold", "Father, Father", "Have a Talk With God"
Bottom Line: Great songs, and performances, that live up to the title of "body and soul".
Here are a few of his other famous songs from other albums, if you wanted to hear them. A little more on the touchy feely side, than most of the "Body & Soul" CD; but they were famous, because overall they are pretty decent for what they are (CCM ear candy), so
definitely worth checking out, since at least have the hooks, etc.
"God Loves a Broken Heart"
"Friend in You"
"Jesus Loves Ya"
"You Can't Live Without Jesus Anymore"
Also here is one more of his that I really like.
"In Too Deep"
And this one; too classic Stevie-esque funk to pass up:
A few more really great ones come to mind that would be fun to list, but like the last video says, enough is enough. ha ha
Jim
I saw him twice in concert is his prime for this album and it's follow-up. Both times he was a one man show alternating playing on bongo, piano, or guitar.
When I've conversed with people about him over the years the two things always said are "talent" and "Stevie Wonder". The latter because he's played on Stevie Wonder records, and his singing voice resembles his quite a bit.
On his website it lists the famous people he has played with:
"Stevie Wonder - Miles Davis - Sammy Davis Jr - The Nelson Riddle Orchestra - Nancy Wilson - Billy Preston - Herbie Hancock - Rick James - M.C. Hammer - Timex Social Club - Justin Timberlake - Marroon 5 - Kirk Franklin - Michael
Paulo - Ray Parker Jr - Chante Moore - Shirley Ceasar - and many others."
There is youtube recording of him and Stevie doing "Ebony and Ivory", and Stevie praises him at the beginning saying to the effect of that he would like to welcome his very talented friend to come to sing with him. But too much idle chatter in it, so will spare everyone from the link.
Then supposedly, this is the first Christian rap single (yeah sure, whatever, and who cares anyways), and done with MC Hammer.
His other stuff I heard contains some good/great stuff, but this is the one CD that I enjoy through and through, and may have been his most popular album,
though I have a feeling his "Jesus Loves Ya" CD that followed may have been more successful due to great success of the title track.
I like "Body & Soul" the best, for a few reasons: great cohesiveness, quality songs that use basic instrumentation and less synthesizers than his other stuff, no cliches, and it really feels like it earned the title "Body & Soul".
So here is my breakdown of "Body & Soul":
01. "Heart Of Gold" - Defeinitely Stevie Wonder on there, maybe part of "Sir Duke" or something that it reminds me of. Good song of not letting "jerks", for lack of a better word, bring us down.
02. "In The Name Of The Lord" - It seems like a song like this reflect the great contribution of Bruce Hornsby to pop music, with "Just the Way it Is", etc. I think no way would there be the piano solo and overall feel on this one
without Bruce Hornby's influence.
03. "Merry-Go-Round" - Soulful song of regret, redemption, etc. For some reason, I think this is my favorite.
04. "God Will Find Ya" - I really like the unique keyboard rhythm on this one. No idea what to compare it to, but works great for me. Very simple, but effective, for me anyways.
05. "Father, Father" - I really like the "OK I screwed up, but here I am asking for help anyways" attitude of this one. Unique chorus, like it a lot.
06. "Have A Talk With God" - This song is a cover of the second song on side one of Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life", and Stevie himself does harmonica on this one, and a great job at that. Nice funky soulful song, with what sounds like some pretty
good advice from our master-of-Motown friend for when life's too hard.
07. "Long Ago" - Fun safari walk that touches on the birth, death, and ressurection of Christ and the calling to bring His message of love all over the world.
08. "Us Now" - Fits with the flow of the album OK, beautiful simple piano rhythm. Somewhat laughable, perhaps the weakest track on the CD but seems to fit with the flow at least. I'm sure the guest vocalist wouldn't mind having a re-do of his part on the bridge, since can't understand a word of it. ha ha
09. "Everyone Needs The Lord" - The thing I like about this on and tracks 3 to 5 is that they are just really unique and nothing to really compare them to, but just a really soulful and sincere expression of what is inside.
Star Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Prime Cuts: "Merry-Go-Round", "Heart of Gold", "Father, Father", "Have a Talk With God"
Bottom Line: Great songs, and performances, that live up to the title of "body and soul".
Here are a few of his other famous songs from other albums, if you wanted to hear them. A little more on the touchy feely side, than most of the "Body & Soul" CD; but they were famous, because overall they are pretty decent for what they are (CCM ear candy), so
definitely worth checking out, since at least have the hooks, etc.
"God Loves a Broken Heart"
"Friend in You"
"Jesus Loves Ya"
"You Can't Live Without Jesus Anymore"
Also here is one more of his that I really like.
"In Too Deep"
And this one; too classic Stevie-esque funk to pass up:
A few more really great ones come to mind that would be fun to list, but like the last video says, enough is enough. ha ha
Jim