Search - Merry Clayton :: Emotion

RIVETING & MAGNIFICENT VOCALS~BRAVO MERRY CLAYTON!!!

Bradly Briggs | TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA | 11/07/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Merry Clayton is THE #1 legendary session background singer who really can out sing all of the numerous superstars that she has brilliantly backed over the past thirty plus years as this classic set clearly illustrates...opening with an incredibly great version of Webster Lewis' "Emotion", Merry hits the heights in this great song and turns it inside out infusing it with an emotional depth and vocal beauty that is extraordinary to experience and this masterful performance should have been a huge hit and a Grammy Award Winner...a tremendous arrangement plus very inspired play by a group of hot cooking musicians including a scorching soprano sax solo by Ronnie Laws and this is just the opener!!! "Cryin' For Love" hits a wild funky groove with hot driving rhythm that perfectly showcase another soaring and burning vocal...a passionate bluesy masterpiece "When The World Turns Blue (Melodies Of Love)" is stirring and hauntingly brilliant featuring a deeply soulful vocal that is just plain heavenly and quite moving with the great Joe Sample sublime on Acoustic Piano...a vocal tour-de-force is made of Don Henley's "Wasted Time" and by now it is clear that this singer is one of the all-time greatest who should be making LOT'S of very successful albums and be a household name...what is wrong with American Radio and the music industry for letting a masterpiece like this go without exposure and to the industry (i.e. Grammy Award Foundation) for not giving recognition to such a great set of songs done by an incredible artist at her peak...Merry turns "Wasted Time" into a gut-renching emotional experience that is sublime and beyond compare and Don Henley must have been thrilled and moved by this magnificent version of his song which is turned into a timeless masterpiece by this extraordinary performance.

Sly and the Family Stone are given a riveting salute by Merry that should have been and still could be a huge dance club sensation...this suite of songs takes it up a notch higher than the original versions and with exposure would have been equally hot on the charts...this is a smoking set of songs done to the max and once again Merry Clayton's vocals are peerless and burn the tracks!!!

Dangerous is this hot and cooking version of "Armed And Extremely Dangerous" which way outdoes the hit version with a riveting vocal and amazingly great arrangement full of fascinating tempo changes that are loose and wildly funky...a real celebration and again what a vocal performance...this athem should have been a huge dance club hit making one wonder where was the promotion...guess that department must have been out on an extended vacation!

Sadly all great things must come to a close and what better way to end this classic set of magnificent performances but with the crown jewel "Let Me Make You Cry A Little Longer" which Merry Clayton turns into a riveting tour-de-force giving a soul-deep performance that should be a must hear for all wanna be singers or anyone who wants to experience one of the great natural wonders of the music world! THANK YOU Merry Clayton for sharing your tremendous talent...anyone who loves a great, great singer do not miss this limited numbered edition of a true masterpiece...enjoy and lets hope that this once in a lifetime AMAZING talent gets back into the studio and REAL soon!!!"

A Celebration of Song!!!

Beverly Praiswater | 12/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the most remarkable works ever recorded! Merry Clayton will blow the top of your head off with these vocals! Just one listen through this cd is infectious. The musicians cook and the production is very fine. The tragedy is that this album was never promoted. Had it been played on the air waves when it was first released in 1979, it would have sold out in no time! Merry's talent has no boundaries and the songs are timeless. A musical treasure, this is one to celebrate!"