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Teddy,Your Voice And Heart Is Missed!

Andre S. Grindle | Brewer Maine | 01/16/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well here I go copping out lol. Teddy Pendergrass has just passed and here I am reviewing him for the first time. Interesting how when someone isn't with us anymore that sometimes our thoughts about their artistry really come to the surface. In this case it's a good thing because this is Teddy's debut solo album and it was and still is a joyous occasion all around. This is one of those albums that,among it's eight tracks you'll be hard pressed to find a dud in the bunch. Between the writing,production and lyrics of Gamble & Huff and the unmistakable sound of MFSB there is a level of consistancy and musical potentcy here that so many people making their solo debut outside a group setting can hope to achieve. It wasn't as if Teddy hadn't already achieved a brilliant level of quality with the Blue Notes but at the same time he only outdid himself here. With the varrying rhythms,tasty orchestration weaving in and out of the songs and Teddy's elastic shouts and gruff coos not only made him a huge star with this release but made huge creative strides as well. The tempo is raised on "You Can't Hide From Yourself" and again,there's a message in the music: let what that message is be a surprise when you hear it. Not only that but the percussive groove and the instrumental rhythms within them cross the boundries between soul,funk,latin,pop and disco music with such an ease you may in fact forget that the very nature of the Philly Sound embraces all of those flavors into it's own sound with the musicalality of those involved running on all thrusters. "Be Sure",the hit "I Don't Love You Anymore" and "The More I Get,The More I Want" are all equally shimmering jams all emphasising the same type of idea and all with the same catchy and well arranged tunes as well. As with many albums of this era the the midtempo tunes really give singer and musicians the opportunity to stretch out in different ways. The soulful "Somebody Told Me" and the latin inflected groove of "Easy,Easy,Got To Take It Easy" both allow the heavy,easy and mid range of Teddy's vocal instrument to announce the versatility he was capable of. "And If I Had" and "The Whole Town's Laughing At Me" of course give you two of those great Teddy ballads,building on the same foundation as the uptempo tunes he does here. On this album Teddy sings about the ins and outs of romance,the twists and turns of the sexual revolution and the social concerns of people at the time-all embodying the strenghs of the Philly Sound and few solo performers pulled it off quite the way Teddy did. In the end you have as astonishing a debut as anyone could possibly ask for."