Search - Chuck Roberson :: Love Freak

Better than you'd think

James Hinckley | Richmond, VA USA | 02/09/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album looked like a joke when I grabbed a free copy of it from the promotional stack at work. Indeed, there is a good bit of humor and good times to be had here, but Chuck Roberson is a serious performer. "I'll Even Blow Down There" is the highlight of this album; again, it seems cartoonish from the title, but it is actually a pretty deft Lou Rawls-style loverman turn, genuinely erotic and respectful, not dirty. "Love Freak" has neat chord changes, and "If You're Lucky Enough To Have A Good Woman" is a lovely Percy Sledge-inspired ballad. The cheesy keyboards don't exactly help, but they're competently executed, and there is some stinging guitar playing by John Ward. Listening to this album got me interested in the Tennessee-based "chitlin' soul" label Ecko Records (for whom Roberson records), and it's a pretty interesting label, though there is a great variance of quality and duplication of material (this in and of itself makes it kind of interesting). Roberson is the label's most talented performer, and deserves a listen from fans of classic soul; it's certainly closer to the real stuff than most modern R & B. For "I'll Even Blow Down There" alone, LOVE FREAK is worth having. If you've stumbled across this record and review by accident, I encourage you to give it a try. If you've come to it on purpose, you already have some idea of what a unique talent Chuck Roberson is. Either way, get LOVE FREAK. I love it, and I think you will too."