Search - Patti Labelle :: Gems

Patti at her best!

jeff vitelli | 03/22/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Patti LaBelle is a GEM of our time. Being in the musical industry for over 35 years, she is the best there is. Everyone, including the likes of Oprah Winfry and Rosie O'Donnel, say that they can feel the pressence of God when Ms. LaBelle opens her mouth to sing, and that is the truth here. This album showcases the Patti LaBelle that everyone knows. If you're new to the Patti Scene, this is the album for you. An album of mainly ballads, Patti takes you on a smooth ride with infinite vocal range on such tracks as "Stay In My Corner" and "Come As You Are." You can't miss this classic album by the one and only Diva."

Patti Holding Back Here

gassy goon | 12/30/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I have every one of Patti LaBelle's albums, and this one started to trail off in terms of quality songs and powerful performances. There are a lot of background singers , and there seems to be a concious effort to hold Patti back from singing out as usual. A lot of the songs are very run of the mill, and adult contemporary oriented. My favorite is COME AS YOU ARE , the very last track for some reason & the best one on this CD without a doubt. Patti used it as a concert opener too, so she loved this song, written & produced by Canadian rocker Lisa Dalbello. She knew how to write & produce Patti, and more songs like this trademark Patti number are needed on this CD. The remake of The Dells' STAY IN MY CORNER is good too, a real oldie that you know Patti must have loved for years. The hit THE RIGHT KINDA LOVER is catchy, and not at all bad. But the rest of this stuff is mostly forgettable slow ballads that even after 10 plus years of owning this album, I can't even remember some of them. If you want solo Patti at her best , I recommend many other albums, especially the prior album she did BURNIN' , which is really diverse and hot."

A good Patti "chill" album - not for dancing around the room

G. Harrison | Canada | 10/09/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While I am a Patti LaBelle fan, I give 'Gems' 3 stars because in my opinion, it leans too much on the ballad side. Don't get me wrong - Patti's vocals are at their best when she delivers an emotional, powerful ballad but 10 of the 12 tracks on this album are ballads. The only real uptempo tracks are 'The Right Kinda Lover' and 'This Word Is All'. If Patti would've included 2 more tracks like these danceful ditties, 'Gems' would be a solid album and a welcome addition to any fan's Patti LaBelle catalogue. This album was quickly forgotten after its release, which is too bad. Patti's previous album 'Burnin' and her follow-up to this one 'Flame' were much better efforts and are definitely worth picking up."