The Poet

This was pretty fun and easy to listen to

I liked it a little bit more than most of the cheesy quiet storm genre. Maybe a little more soulful? Why it matters: The Poet was Bobby Womack’s comeback record and one of the albums that helped define the smooth, emotionally direct “quiet storm” style that dominated R&B radio in the 1980s and influenced neo-soul decades later. Its centerpiece, “If You Think You’re Lonely Now,” became a genre template for conversational breakup songs and late-night slow jams. The album isn’t especially famous outside R&B circles, but it’s a key link between classic 1970s soul and the sound that artists like Luther Vandross, Keith Sweat, Maxwell, and D’Angelo would later build upon.

3.5 stars. Like this well enough. Smooth R&B.

Some smooth and sexy soul for a hot summers morning, driving with the windows down.

Very pleasant soulful tunes!

this is clearly a great album, with excellent musicianship; I would have enjoyed it more if it had been just a bit rawer, if it had just a bit more grit to it; as it stands,its defining feature - the incredibly smooth, refined sound - is also a bit it's limit.

Groovy, funky and smooth, some great lines, some great soul. Loved the backing vocals. But for gods sake, can atleast one song not be about love & heartbreak? Is there nothing else to sing about Bobby? Don't you have any hobbies? Other emotions? Idk, maybe I'm just a bitter single soul, but seriously.. the only song that strays away from that trope is Stand up, so I guess I will give him a bit of credit. But legit every other song.. The lyrics are about the same damn thing, just with different adjectives. Bobby got too crazy with the thesaurus here, and I got tired of it after my 2nd listen. I don't think I'd be as annoyed as I am if the lyrics and backing instruments weren't so in your face about it.

Not great but not bad

I was surprised to discover that Bobby Womack's voice was familiar to me — that fashionable man in a lavender suit staring at us from the cover sings on one of Gorillaz's most popular songs, "Stylo." And he's on there because "The Poet" is Damon Albarn's favorite album. Bobby had a very uneven career: everything was fine in the early '70s, then there was a strange phase of experimenting with country music, three albums in a row that flopped, problems with drugs, and it's sheer luck that this record, released on an indie label about which you can barely find any information these days, became a hit. Why this is so is a mystery. The songs are good, well-played, some danceable funk, some romantic soul, enjoyable to listen to, but nothing special. He was never able to replicate this success again; perhaps it was just providence.

Et bien, c'était plutôt sympathique ! Je connais pas trop le genre, mais c'est sorti en 1981 et ça se sent bien, surtout quand tu as droit à un petit solo de saxo qui va bien ! Bon, comme je le disais, c'est pas un genre avec lequel je suis familier, mais fondamentalement, j'ai trouvé ça fort sympathique. Il faut aimer les sonorités d'époque, mais c'était cool.

First listen

Discoisch plain soul. Bit boring.

3/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/bobby-womack/the-poet-2/ Another ‘not for me’ album. Can enjoy it to a certain extent, but at some point I get bored. Some songs do really stand out from the rest tho, so for the short runtime it’s enjoyable enough

It's ok

It’s ok

Some really fun bass lines in this. Not something I’ll likely revisit too often but I kinda enjoyed it.

I've heard better soul albums

Before this, I only knew of Bobby Womack in his old age through Gorillaz. I’ve always liked his voice, so getting to hear him in his prime is fun. This is a very tight album, the keys and bass are great (naturally), and I love how emotive his voice can get. The arrangements are cool, and I like the storytelling in the lyrics, but it’s a very straightforward album of love songs. It’s a great listen, but not much to dissect beyond that. Favorite track: So Many Sides of You

This is nice. Weird that I know Just My Imagination while it wasn't a single. It's a silly sounding song though.

Good soul album. It's missing some standout songs and the production that made earlier soul music so great. Still not a bad album though. 3/5 Might listen again

I didn't realise Bobby Womack had died more than 20 years ago, I think because I think that Gorillaz track he guested on was pretty recent when in fact it came out in 2010. This was a nice chilled listen but also not particularly memorable.

Worth listening to for sure. Nothing really good or bad enough to write more about.

Pretty decent album nothing super crazy, but decent

I like Bonny Womack but I’ve only listened to his 60s/70s stuff before. This album feels a bit too polished and overproduced. It’s still good but he’s done way better

His thirteenth album. Funk / Soul. So Many Sides Of You is a very nice opening track, I like that bass. Very smooth vocals throughout the album. It is somewhat of a cliche, dim the lights and get it on album. The production is tight and the arrangements good. Perfect backing vocals for the type of album. Smooth 80s cheese.

This was alright

schöne und angenehme Musik, sehr entspannt. Fehlt aber das gewisse Extra. schwer zu beschreiben.

It's smooth enough and pleasant to listen to, but every song sounds the same

It’s a smooth jam. Not much else to say though

Just My Imagination stood out. Easy listening, but it will make you move. 3/5

I get that this may have been important for Bobby Womack, but it's just your average 70's R&B/Soul album. It's good music, but nothing to hold it apart from other acts. My Rating: 3/5

Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

The Poet por Bobby Womack me deu uma boa perspectiva das coisas, visto que o histórico e história por traz da vida dele antes desse álbum é interessante para entender mais sobre a obra. Após ter perdido o filho pequeno, irmão E lutando contra o vício em drogas, se viu no fundo do poço, pois ninguém queria apostar nele, e olha só, a gravadora pequena apostou e foi um sucesso. A música mais famosa do álbum é "If You Think You're Lonely Now", achei a vibe bem gostosinha mas gostei principalmente de "Secrets" e "Just My imagination". Um álbum que vai de dançante para um soul mais melodico e lento, com bons solos e vocais!

Easy listening with great vocals and a classic sound. The songs are mostly forgettable and not too unique, with quite cheesy lyrics and production. Favorite songs: Just My Imagination, Lay Your Lovin’ On Me

Pretty good.

Such a good voice. The big song on this album I thought may have been one of the weaker ones…. I liked the first couple of tracks the best

Funky songs

This is a very smooth album. Funky. Decent 3.3/5

it's fine

“I can't sleep at night, when you're on my mind Bobby Womack's on the radio Saying to me, "If you think you're lonely now" Wait a minute this is too deep (too deep) I gotta change the station” Thanks Mariah. Frankly his batshit deranged personal life is far more interesting (and unsettling) than this album is but the music is smooth yet distant and not absorbing. Not interesting. It’s left my mind as quickly as it entered it.

It’s okay, but nothing really caught me

Egentligt ok inden for R&B genren. Album fra 1981, blev snydt af, at Spotify har 2021 stående som udgivelsesår. Var først imponeret over den tidløse lyd, men det er jo så ikke tilfældet. Lille 3'er-

Bobby sounds great, these songs aren’t especially my thing but I enjoy hearing him.

Me cuesta este rollo pero estará bien seguro.

Decent soulful blues but nothing crazy.

Dançante, boa de ouvir.

Bobby som sångare, musiker, arrangör och producent briljerar. Låtarna är egentligen inte så märkvärdiga, men det är hans utförande som gör att de lyfter. A-sidan är stark. B-sidan är lite balladtung och drar ner mitt betyg från fyra till stark trea.

Jag gillar det här soundet. Lite skön slick soul. Det finns många som går fel vid den här tiden men Bobby fixar det bra. Sen är tyvärr låtmaterialet lite för svagt. Skivan är trevlig att ha på men man rycks sällan med.

Starts groovy, gets more soul. I like it, but I did space out for a while

3 A nice listen, nothing special though and feels quite dated

Liked the vibe.

A bit more lush and energetic than most soul, so I kinda liked it. Still just very mid and not memorable. Not much else to say. It’s fine.

I don’t think I know any of his songs? Immediately here for the vibe. … learning some lore where he worked closely with Sam Cooke then married his widow months after he died 😂 jfc Stand Up. If you think you’re lonely now. Where do we go from here? Great vibes all around.

It started off really well but then I quickly realised it's a tad overproduced for my taste and this kind of early 80s, polished, too cheesy production is not for me. The songs are good, and I appreciate the talent, but I was a bit disappointed with this one, as it's one of those albums that hasn't aged that well.

Some really great songs on here, but the opening track and "If You Think You're Lonely Now" are really bad. Difficult to see why the latter was a hit. The closing track is also annoying. However, the other five tracks range from fantastic to listenable, and the album is only 40 minutes. 2.5/5.0: Mixed

smoooth & funky.. picks: if you think you are lonely now, secrets

On the cusp of 70s/80s soul - it's better where it falls on the 70s side like Stand Up which is great, really funky. I quite liked Secrets - comparing his girl's secrets to the Colonel's chicken recipe or his mum's apple pie. Just My Imagination has a really weird country vibe with a spooky sound in the chorus. Odd. He's got a great voice, even when singing nonsense.

Þetta er óttalegt sull. Hljóðfæraleikurinn er hins vegar mjög góður.

I have a natural appreciation for funk and soul, so I really enjoyed this. It's my first time actively listening to Bobby Womack, so I approached this from various angles throughout a handful of early morning listens. The guitar is a stand out character on the musical composition of this, the display of talent is appreciated, and crosses really well with his vocals which often feel like well executed guitar screeches themselves. Nothing too harsh ever, this is a smooth listen, maybe just a little overproduced. I'm not as impressed lyrically on a project titled "The Poet" which concerns me, though I can appreciate how well written the pieces are, and how virtually the entire track list was written by him. Still, not feeling like a "must listen", though I'm very glad I did. 3.4/5

I can appreciate the quality of music and production, but this is not my usual kind of music.

A good solid album.

Pretty solid album enjoyed it but not life changing for me

Very 70s-80s smooth r&b kind of album. Was alright, not outstanding for me. 3*

Kinda fun but also kinda annoying. I'm just not the crowd for funk.

Perfectly fine but nothing special at all

6/10… soul / funk / *1981

His comeback album after uneven output late 70’s. Feels a couple years ahead of its time.

5/10 Largely forgettable. Funky in its way, but lacks anything I could hook into

It hasn’t nostalgic feel and for that reason I’ll give it a three but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

This is pretty solid all the way through. I have to be in a specific mindset to listen to this genre for a sustained album length period of time. There weren't any tracks that stood out to me on first listen that made me want to put them in a more frequent rotation but might just need to give it another chance.

a fun listen, just didn't grab me much. some of the songs went on a bit long

It was soulful and good listening.

How can something released in the year it was sound both 80s and dated (as in feel like a 50s (album). There's always been a market for this bland, lady-pleasing pseudo dunk, but why is it on this list? The guy can sing. It's passable chart music. Nothing bad. Nothing great. Just like a billion other songs you've heard.

Love his voice. Album sounds a bit dated. I love Stand Up.

Great soul singing, a groove, but the songs don’t seem all that memorable. I guess titles can’t be copyrighted but I was looking forward to a cover with “Just My Imagination”. No such luck but that’s what I’m adding to my Generator playlist.

Not bad.

Solid album, great sound, great lyrics, enjoyed listening. On the cheesier side, but it works. Mellow but I still want to dance, overall easy listening but not so impactful. Favorite song: Stand up

Very smooth, very perfect, very catchy - and a bit boring

It's good and I had a good time but I don't know enough about soul to know if it's significantly good or just normal good. 6/10

First thing to call out is I have very little knowledge of this artist, position or wider context for the genre. To me though its a pleasant comfort blanket of sound. Its warm and easy listening. I guess the catch for me was it just blended too easily into the background. It did have variation but to be honest I barely registered it maybe with exception of "Stand Up" as that finally gets a major injection of energy and twisted style. I respect the talent of this but never really goes beyond the average engagement overall.

This is a good recording of some great funk and soul. Not a lot to fault here in terms of musical delivery and the production sounds really good. My issue with this genre is that, although many individual songs are bangers, they all sort of just blend into one. I feel like I have heard this album a dozen times before. Regardless of the evident talent, it seems that most artists in this genre stay within a clearly defined box. That might be a true statement for most genres, but I guess in this case the box isn't one that connects with me.

Alright soul funk. Not my thing, but nothing to complain about

Nothingburger. Nije lose.

Comfort food funk/soul. Did this change the game or blow my mind? No it didn’t, but it didn’t really need to. It was enjoyable with solid grooves and great vocals. Favorite songs were Lay Your Lovin’ On Me, Secrets, and If You Think You’re Lonely Now.

Somewhat dated

Just like some good old Kentucky Fried Chicken, not all of it was good enough to be finger lickin' (the lyrics to Secrets are definitely finger lickin'). It's a bit of a poor man's Al Green/Barry White. Better guitar work, a little more blues than soul, and then there's the lyrics. Wow. Influence 2. Quality 4. Intangibles 3. Hits 2. I want to give this a 3* because the lyrics made me laugh out loud 3.

Pretty great groove overall, but many songs felt a bit forgettable and too similar to others. Also many went on far too long and seemed like they were just milking it because Bobby Womack is this big famous guy who can do whatever he wants. Not to discredit this, because a lot of these are very catchy and have wonderful lead and background vocals. Simply it wasn’t as special or unique and feels like I will forget about most of these pretty soon. Still the groove was there and it was fun to listen to.

Nice and funky, but I don't have the endurance for a full album of it. Great for a couple songs, but then I am mostly waiting for it to be over. It wasn't even a very long album.

Ok

Ok listen

This album is so groovy and so much fun. I really enjoyed it. It had plenty of changes throughout and was very interesting to listen to. The mix sounds soooo good and clear. This was solid. Liked Songs: "So Many Sides Of You" , "Lay Your Lovin' On Me" , "Secrets" , "Just My Imagination" , "Stand Up" , "Games" , "Where Do We Go From Here"

Groovy tunes fun but not over the top. 3.5/5

Pretty decent and chill. 3.5

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘦𝘵 is a good, confident soul album, but it’s hard not to compare it to 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘯 — and Bobby Womack simply isn’t Marvin Gaye. His voice has grit and character, yet the record never reaches that same emotional or conceptual weight. Still, there’s enough smooth, well-crafted material here to make it a solid listen, even if it falls short of greatness.

Decent. There were some really cool hooks in some of the songs. The bass player was fantastic. Overall, not great, but was not a waste of time to listen to either.

This guy's Wikipedia page was crazy. I enjoyed the album, but I don't think it will be sticking with me for very long.

Not exactly in my wheelhouse, but it's pretty good. I do like R&B, soul, and guitars and this purports to be some combo of those things, but doesn't really fulfill it's promise. It's pop soul with only occasional guitar flairs. The music is fair, but nothing too interesting or experimental. His voice is fine and he does try some different tones, but it's not grabbing me. Not soulful or evocative enough. Sounds like I'm bashing it, but it's nothing annoying at all. If you come in thinking it'll be decent background or sexy-time music, you'll be OK. Squarely a 3

3/5

General thoughts: It is not fair I got this after "There's no place like America" by Curtis Mayfield. He drastically set my expectations up for what soul entails, and that’s raw emotion, a journey with no clear destination. Bobby Womack’s sound is more Disco or Pop than Soul. Somewhat catchy, yes, but highly commercial and formulaic. The production and instrumentals are decent, but nothing impressive. For me, the Womack feeling is about being showy, about shouting, gargling, and regurgitating words. Soul-like? Yes. Soulful? No. Also, "The Poet" is such a lame title for simply bad lyrics. As an album, zero substance, boring; individually, they're good classic love songs. There isn't really any filler, though; it's really him trying his best. "Just like some good old Kentucky Fried Chicken And all of it was good enough to be finger lickin'." Outstanding song(s): So Many Sides Of You, Secrets Weakest song(s): Where Do We Go From Here Cover: Lame portrait Real rating: 3.43

3.5

He is very good

Wasn't bad by any means, better then any pop music on the radio.

Great

A solid bit of late 70s/early 80s style soul. Quite a nice vibe for a Sunday afternoon but nothing really stood out as being great and it’s not something I’ll be rushing back to.

Is there anyone Bobby didn't collab with? Some interesting history in his personal life too. The album is funky, jazzy, a little rocky, with just a latent hint of disco thrown in for good measure. What does it want to be when it grows up. Listened before? N Saved tracks? N ⭐⭐⭐ Liked it well enough but saved no tracks

I guess I expected better lyrics from an album called The Poet? Some good funky grooves and nice vocals, though. And his Wikipedia page is bonkers.

Not bad but I didn't feel like that sort of music

Not bad. But hasn’t aged well IMO … a little too cheesy for me.

I don't usually care for the cheesy soul records. But there were enough songs on here that I found enjoyable to slightly give this a 3 over a 2.

Cool record. Very easy to listen to, but I'm not sure how it's influential or why it's on the list

Best Song: If you Think You're Lonely Now Another album to bang to! I would never listen to this other than for that purpose, however. 3/5.

saved nada but hella satisfying

Vibeesss, muito legal

2.5

The type of album I would bump if I was a single woman in the 80s coming home to my high-rise apartment after a long day at my office job

Pretty romantic album

Decent.

Great start. Love the bass guitar in Lay Your Lovin' On Me Very funky

Not so great.

Crazy back-loaded, funky, soulful album. Not the greatest songs I've ever heard, but with a voice like that, do you even need them? Faves: Games, If You Think You're Lonely Now, Where Do We Go From Here

Solid

3,5/5 + A very easy listening experience + As not an expert on the genre and its conventions, it feels a little generic and samey + Overall very enjoyable Fav: If you Think You're Lonely Now, Secrets Least Fav: -

This was a tricky one for me to rate as I wasn’t really in the mood for an album like this today. The first half of the album was hard for me to get through, as I really enjoyed the first track “So Many sides of You”, but the next three just didn’t hit for me. They are also longer songs too which meant if I wasn’t vibing, there was still a while left on the song. Going into the second half it speeds up nicely with Stand Up, which isn’t really my style, but enjoyable nonetheless. It then goes into Games which had a nice jazz feel, but almost made me fall asleep. I very much enjoyed Do You Think You’re lonely now, but it just was too long for me, same with the closer. The instrumentation on this album was really good. I liked the guitar and prominent bass, the vocals were good and I liked the horns throughout. The gospel and jazz influences were very evident and enjoyable. Each song was different from each other and it didn’t blend together at all, however, I did find the length of the songs to be a bit off putting. I feel like some of them would’ve been better with a bit of a cut. Overall rating 3/5 ⭐️, didn’t blow me away but it was musically interesting and deserves its spot on this list! Favourites: so many sides of you, stand up, do you think you’re lonely now Least favourites: games 3/1001

R&B and soul rocked up a bit - reminded oddly of Prince here and there. Not a bad listen.

Soulful

A pleasant soul album to wake up to today.

A nice R&B soul album for a change of pace.

If I hadn't known this came out in 81 I would have guessed 80 or 81, because by 82 this sound was gone. This definitely has that soft R&B, kind of post Disco (especially with the bass grooves) feel to it and the times where he actually tries to get bluesy, one of the problems with the early '80s Productions is that it's far too clean for it to sound dirty. This is the kind of album that I don't dislike in any way shape or form and I can definitely be in the same room with it, but I probably won't take anything away from this album after today. (6.67) ★★★

I like the musicianship, but it is quite forgettable. Low 3 stars

So I put on this album. Skipped a couple of YouTube ads And though he’s not much of a ‘poet’ I thought it wasn’t half bad. High 3.5. Just My Imagination and Lay Your Lovin’ On Me pick of the sexy funky soul pops. If you like sexy funky soul pops of an early 80s timeframe then I would suggest Between The Sheets by Isley Brothers, In Your Eyes by George Benson or even The Best of George Benson by George Benson as albums to either fit alongside Bobby Womack’s The Poet or indeed replace it on the list as this album isn’t exactly filled wall to wall with Bobby Wo’bangers and Lay Your Lovin’ On Me is from a slightly weaker bit of the same sexy funk soul cloth as Benson’s Turn Your Love Around anyway.

6/10 Not sure it really delivers on the title, but the music was fun enough Highlights: Stand Up So Many Sides of You

Such a fun listen

Soul funk...very good to listen to...I almost dancing right now...

Funktional. Capable. Slid right in my ears and right back out. Seems like an attempt to give a talented guy an album on the list by picking the one with a commercial hit, which is a weird method that's happened a couple of times so far. As an album, nothing to really recommend or diminish it.

Fine. Enjoyable. Although nothing that made me want to re-listen in future.

Pretty okay. Didn’t come off as anything special.

In many ways I should probably have enjoyed this album more than I did. At the end of the day I just didn’t get along with the sound of this album

Sounds good, but the message and feeling just doesn't reach me

Thought this was good, though not really my scene. High 2s.

Some genuinely very funky stuff in here more in line with 80s styles than I'd expect from the bombastic soul I knew already by Bobby Womack, but when he starts entering full preacher mode near the end of the album it starts to drag on just a bit too much.

Smooth, sexy, funky, easy to listen to. Mr Womack's sound is the definition of "cool". Enjoyable album but one I will probably forget about down the line.

This was fine.

Smooth sensuous soul

Not bad

Decent listen

Bobby Womack and R&B had better years than 1981--the production of this album is just a little off. Nevertheless, this album is still solid and Bobby can bring it. Top trucks: "Lay Your Lovin' on Me," "Just My Imagination," "Where Do We Go from Here"

Perfectly fine. Background music for me, mostly. one of the 700 albums to hear ONCE before you die I guess.

--So Many Sides of You...I like it when there's great use of backup singers --Lay Your Lovin On Me...lay this bassline on me! --Secrets...I'm an absolute slut for this bass. Keep it comin' --Just My Imagination...a pleasant but generic ballad --Stand Up...oh, we get funky now. this is a booty shaker --Games...cheesy and too long --If You Think You're Lonely Now...more soul with cheese --Where Do We Go From Here...see above

I'm not sure I've deliberately listened to Bobby Womack much if at all (although I *did* just hear Gorillaz' "Stylo" which features both Mos Def and Bobby Womack), but I'm glad he was included in the collection, and this sounds like it's a great selection from his discography. I really liked it that, despite its 1981 release, it has a much warmer (and synth- and electronic-drum-free) sound than most 80s albums, soul or otherwise. I'm not sure I had any real favorites on the album (maybe "Stand up"?), but I enjoyed the listening experience and definitely recognized his big hit "If you think you're lonely now". I'm also struck at how similar Ceelo Green sounds to Bobby Womack.

I really loved the bass on the first track and the whole album pops, though "If You Think You're Lonely Now" could have been at least a minute shorter.

Ok, this is a clear three for me. But I can't really review this in good faith. If you title your album the Poet, you need to deliver. Bobby didn't.

3.0

Nice production, well-focused songs that don't tire themselves, good performances and a great voice. The only thing holding this from 4 stars is that I don't really connect to the genre.

Good, but something about the 80s production rubs me the wrong way. Prefer his 70s material.

Some good old fashioned soul. Or maybe R&B? Or maybe not so old fashioned? That's more of a me problem than a Bobby problem - 1981 was 44 years ago, after all. It doesn't feel that way.

This was fun but also samey

Really good

Det är ju klanderfritt. Och smånajs. Men det är inte min kopp te riktigt. Träffar inte så jag känner "yes". Och inget som jag vill lyssna på frivilligt. Lite porrmusik-aktigt bitvis :). Men det är som sagt ett grymt hantverk och hög lägstanivå.

This was great. Nothing overly spectacular with it - it didn’t try rewriting any books or take many risks, but I found it entertaining and a good listen. Like many albums here I’d question how this is “essential” to hear, but that aside I liked it.

Good

Ok

Soulful and smooth, an easy listen, although not as memorable or funky as I perhaps was hoping.

3.5

Smooth and unintrusive

Run of the mill nothing special

Classic early 80s soul. At least what I think it would have been!

Fascinating. Wide-spanning in its execution --- feels like it covers a lot of bases, like scratching a bit of an Al Green itch.

This is soulful and funky, everything that you would expect from a Bobby Womack album. “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” is stunning and is the album’s standout, but is adrift in a run of fairly mediocre soul standards toward the end of the album. However, the greatest gift from this album is the falling down the Wikipedia rabbit hole for Womack’s incredible and chaotic - if largely unsavoury - personal life.

R&B from an influential veteran. But it’s a pretty standard R&B sound. I don’t hear anything super-novel here. It’s good but not great. A 3.

Mr. Bibby Wallmock back at it again with a Mr. Steal Your Wife claaAAAaasic. NOt tooo shabby folks...not too shabby.

Surprisingly good. I particularly enjoyed the cover of Just my Imagination.

nothing special about it but equally nothing bad about it, could have been any one of the soft soul artists, Quincey Jones etc. Smooth background noise, sounds better now Im older.

I like this guys voice. Sounds like a lot of soul music I've heard from the 70's. Nothing stuck out as something I need to go back to. I was nodding my head a lot, which is good.

This was fine, nothing to really write home about. He can sing well and the music wasn't bad, but not something really worth returning to. 3/5

Que chido :D

I’ve never heard of Bobby Womack before, but a quick glance at his Wikipedia page says that he played guitar for Sam Cooke (cool!) and also a cocaine addiction (I could have deduced this from the album cover, because apologies to Mr. Womack, but that suit and those glasses scream cocaine use). I’m not big on soul music from the eighties, but maybe my problem was not listening to someone who played guitar for Sam Cooke. The Poet wasn’t really my jam, but I thought it was fine. There was a really consistent vibe and sound to the album, the production was really good, and the bass riffs added a smooth groove to each song. I can see this album doing really well when it came out, but I thought it sounded really dated, the lyrics were pretty cheesy for the most part, and I didn’t find anything meaningful or impactful about this album. I thought The Poet was a unique way to make a soul album in the eighties, but a lot of these songs dragged on too long for my tastes, and I found myself a bit bored for some stretches. Some notes on songs that I enjoyed: “So Many Sides of You” was a strong opening track, with an excellent beat and additional rhythmic elements. Those backing vocals were excellent too. The lyrics on “Secrets” were really good. I loved the verse about cookies and KFC. Bobby’s delivery of those lines was perfection. “Just My Imagination” had a unique country vibe to it that I thought worked well. The bass was great, and I really enjoyed what I assume was a keyboard tuned to sound like a pedal steel. “Stand Up” was a really solid jam. It reminded me a lot of Funkadelic, and it sounded like something that should have been playing during the house party scene in Trading Places. This was my favorite song on the album, mostly because it was so fun. The Poet is a well-made album, but this sort of sound is just not really my jam, and it’s not the sort of thing I’d come back to.

A bit of soul, but not for me.

Bobby is an undeniable force in soul and funk music, and his 80's transition, while not being my favorite, is still admirable/very solid listening

Smooth but not remarkable

Only heard Bobby's cover of California Dreamin' before (and a Gorillaz collab). Daaaamn wow, this album goes hard. Could tell the vibe is gonna be good just from the album cover alone 3/5

Kyllähän tämän kuunteli, mutta ei ollut mitään tajunnanräjäyttävää nautintoa. Makkarin puolella toimisi varmasti paremmin, kuin kuulokkeista tietokoneen edessä. Stand Up ehdottomasti levyn paras biisi, jos olisi useampi tuonkaltainen ollut niin voisi olla nelosen levy, tällaisenaan keskiverto kolmonen.

Not for me, but thanks

Like it 3/5

I need more time with this one.

Carino dai

I really enjoyed reading about this guy... What a life story! The music, however, was pretty ordinary. Soulful, plenty of nice bass lines. Not really cup of tea, but I enjoyed it somewhat when I put it on as background music. 3 Stars.

Bueno

Textbook early 80s R&B Soul album by a textbook flawed artist.

Bobby can sing - which makes him a pleasure to listen to - even if this drifts dangerously close to easy listening. Soul with a hint of funk.

Solid. Groovy. 3/5

Surprising album from a new artist for me. He unfortunately lost a full point for the "When I ain't there to rub your back" lyric.

It's fine. Just others have done similar previously and since, much better.

Meh

Bobby Womack's voice here is a classic soul voice. Very nice. I found the arrangements a bit busy and little overdone at times. It's a nice album, and one I quite enjoyed (I played it twice), but I'm not sure I would really class this as a 'great album'. From the Wikipedia page, it looks as though this was something of a return to form for Bobby Womack. Perhaps some of his earlier albums would be worth checking out.

Just ok

3.0 - Ok

There were some funny lines and it was a fun album to dance to. Not super my thing, but I was not bad.

This album is fine. Not a huge R & B fan, but it’s still better than KISS’s 1998 so-bad-it-caused-suicides studio sham “Psycho Circus”. I don’t know Bobby’s story, but I bet he fucked. A lot.

The funk never fails. I've heard some Bobby Womack before, and this one seems a bit less funky than what I've heard. It also suffers at times from the early 80s production. But the songs are strong, and Bobby is always great.

This was pretty solid.

Standouts So Many Sides of You If You Think You're Lonely Now

Definitely an album with a much stronger B side. While the A side is certainly fine, I don't feel like there's anything noteworthy until the album takes a slower and more heartfelt turn. Once the bass kicks in and the songs can breathe more, the album becomes much more engaging. Top tracks: Stand Up, If You Think You're Lonely Now, Where Do We Go From Here

Easy soulful listening. Started strong but a bit forgettable for me overall. Tracks to Track: So Many Sides of You

The grooves on some of these tracks are so fun & upbeat, with interesting bass lines and strong funk vibes. Secrets & Stand Up are standout bangers with an amazing vibe. The slower tracks don’t quite hit the same for me but overall it’s a great groovy soul album.

started off strong but got bored at the end

Great R&B album. Gorgeous backup vocals and smooth instrumentals.

It's all perfectly pleasant, but I can't help but think there are other Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Smoky Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder albums that could've made the list ahead of it.

Not bad, I enjoyed listening.

point1.

Liked it, but i don't think its anything too special.

I was just thinking we needed more soul in here. Best part are the closing couple of songs.

I didn’t expect to enjoy this one—Bobby Womack isn’t someone I’d normally go out of my way to listen to, and I probably won’t revisit the album. But The Poet surprised me. There’s some genuinely great playing throughout, with rich instrumentation and grooves that really carry the songs. While a few of the backing vocals veer into cheesy territory, they don’t overshadow the overall vibe. It’s a smooth, soulful record that managed to win me over despite my reservations.

Middle of the road funk/soul with a couple memorable songs

Smooth classic R&B. Really enjoyed this album. Till now my only knowledge of Womack was the song "Across 110th street" which I liked, but this really opened him up to me. I will be looking for more.

Hmm, I like it: solid mid-70s R&B. But there's no standout song, it's more of a vibe.

Better than expected. And how about that line ... "let's go to Mars where children play and live on candy bars"

It’s unusual to hear a decent soul album from the 80s. There are some missteps, like the countrified cover of Just My Imagination, and in general it can’t stand up to the classics of the 60s and 70s. But it’s not a bad listen and I think I’ll be exploring Womack’s earlier stuff

Funky stuff from Mr. Womack. Absolutely killer hook on So Many Sides of You.

This was fun and funky that made me bippity bop, but it also had a cheese factor that made it hard to take very seriously.

As cool as this album is, it's almost unbearably 80s R&B/Blues/Soul. I can't really put my finger on it but there was something about the production of this kind of music in the early to mid 80s that is just unmistakable. Maybe it's the long fade outs on every song? Cheesy synths? The over-tight sound of the drums? All of those things? I don't know. It was a fun record to listen to but any longer and I would have struggled. 2.5/5

Energetic soul album that had me grooving right away. Bobby has a nice voice and is stringing together many fun disco or soul tunes here. Lay your lovin on me, if you think youre lonely now and stand up are the standouts for me. Like but not love this lp.

I appreciate the craft here, he has a brilliant voice no doubt but it’s just not my thing really. I enjoyed it to a point but I probably tuned out after 4-5 songs so I won’t be returning voluntarily. I was debating whether to award this 2 stars but that seemed a bit harsh.

62/1001 Bobby Womack - The Poet Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ His voice is incredible, the arrangements and general vibe are smooth soul, with some funk elements. The lyrics can be questionable at times. I did enjoy it, but I don't think I'd be reaching for it at random...

Nice smooth, funky bass. Nothing terribly attention grabbing, though. It feels a bit dated, solidly in that late 70s early 80s disco era. Good background music, but that's about it.

This is good. I enjoyed the whole album. Again, as with a lot of the albums on this list, it's great for a listen or 2, but maybe not all the time. Maybe if the list was trimmed down to some essentials, you wouldn't end up with a lot of albums like this. 3.05 / 5 stars

Like it as background music.

Funky fine

So Many Sides Of You - 9/10 Lay Your lovin on me - 7/10 Secrets - 7.5/10 Just My Imagination - 7/10 Stand Up - 10/10 Games - 7/10 If you think youre lonely now - 7/10 Where do we go from here - 8/10 78/100

This dudes history vis a vis poor Sam Cooke and his wife is fucking wild. The album is cool kinda pioneering 80s soul. Some vocal affectations I associate with rick james, not sure who came first.

Pas si pire, mais pas vraiment mémorable

A bit generic until Stand Up. That one has a groove.

Really good album. A 3,5.

Funky Stuff

have limited knowledge of soul music so it was good to expand that. started this album in the baggage drop-off queue at manchester airport, finished it 3 weeks later. was pleased with the consistent use of the gospel choir - allowed womack to improvise adlibs over which sounded great. very funky bass guitar had a huge significance in a lot of tracks. the use of the harp was beautiful in some parts but overused in others. simplistic lyrics makes the title ironic. 'game' had a stunning instrumental.

Not bad but not for me

Временами приятно, временами тягомотно. 6 из 10.

Pretty good soul album.

78/1001. To quote Hitchhiker's Guide to tje Galaxy: mostly harmless.

Hyvää settiä!

Nice feel good music, very upbeat! I dont know that it super pulled me in ir felt super revolutionary to me but it was def a pleasant listen. Groovy. 3.4

Pretty basic.

This isn't for me. Its alright. It feels kind of strange but I think that it probably didn't at the time?

The Poet is a nice listen and a 3 ⭐ album. It's a great sounding album, from a mix and production perspective. Bobby Womack had a good voice, not being too smooth, with just a bit of grit to it. The guitar and bass are stand-outs. Some of the guitar fills are quite tasty. Ultimately, there wasn't any tracks on this album that grabbed my attention, got my foot tapping, my head nodding and stirred the soul; nothing to make me want to listen again or explore further. Would I listen to this album again? No. Would I buy this album? No. 1 "So Many Sides of You"- 3 ⭐ 2 "Lay Your Lovin' on Me"- 3 ⭐ 3 "Secrets"- 3 ⭐ 4 "Just My Imagination"- 3 ⭐ 5 "Stand Up"- 3 ⭐ 6 "Games"- 3 ⭐ 7 "If You Think You're Lonely Now"- The best track on the album.- 3 ⭐ 8 "Where Do We Go from Here"- 3 ⭐ Total - 24 Average - 3.00

Das Album The Poet wurde in den Kendun Recorders in Burbank, Kalifornien, aufgenommen. Bobby Womack war ein US-amerikanischer Sänger, Gitarrist und Songwriter, der mit diesem Werk seinen Stil zwischen Soul, Funk und R&B weiterentwickelte. Das Album erschien in einer Zeit, in der traditionelle Soulmusik kommerziell unter Druck stand, und zeigt dennoch eine klare persönliche Handschrift. Songs wie „If You Think You’re Lonely Now“ und „So Many Sides of You“ gelten als markante Stücke im Repertoire Womacks und fanden auch später noch Beachtung in verschiedenen musikalischen Kontexten. Die Stücke sind durch ihre betont ruhige, dialogartige Gesangsführung und ihre einfache, aber direkte Instrumentierung geprägt. Stilistisch ist The Poet dem klassischen Soul zuzuordnen, mit Einflüssen aus Gospel und Blues. Die Arrangements sind zurückhaltend, oft gitarrengetragen, wobei Womacks Stimme im Vordergrund bleibt. Die Produktion ist klar, aber nicht übermäßig poliert. Das Album vermittelt den Eindruck eines persönlichen Statements inmitten einer sich wandelnden Musiklandschaft. Es wirkt geschlossen und reflektiert, ohne sich vordergründig an Trends anzupassen.

2.8 That little guitar lick in Just My Imagination might be the worst line (and unnecessary) I have ever heard. Not familiar with Bobby Womak or its album but it really felt like an 80's soul album, which is precisely what it is. If you think your lonely know is a baby banger,

Album 838 of 1089 Bobby Womack -The Poet (1981) Rating : 3 / 5 I really enjoyed this one. It felt like a little blast from the past—smooth, soulful, and the kind of sound you just don’t hear much in new music anymore. Solid arrangements, tasteful musicianship, and Womack’s vocals stayed steady and strong throughout. It didn’t blow me away, but at no point did I find myself checking the time or hoping it would wrap up. Just some smooth, well-crafted tunes. “Just My Imagination” even made it onto my “like” list. A good, easy listen.

Great, but just didn’t pull me in.

I don't know. Cheesey but good fun

This one was good but it sort of sunk into the couch cushions and had trouble getting up again.

Sexy time music

god nok soul funk. Synes ikke rigtig det var noget specielt selvom jeg godt kan lide Bobby womack. Måske ramte jeg bare ikke dagen, er i en periode hvor musikken gerne må være lidt hårdere

Such a classic, smooth, sound. Turn the lights down, grab your best girl and a couple of glasses of wine, and make the evening memorable.

Before the likes of Luther Vandross and Prince, we had Bobby Womack and other trailblazers. I've listened to Bobby Womack in the past, but I can't really say that this is his most interesting release. It's a fine if not too notable listen, there are nice songs on here but nothing that's hugely consequential.

Extremely groovy music. I dug it enough to listen to it passively for a while, but it didn't really strike me as something I will return to.

Basically a doo-wop crooner. Had heard Bobby's name before, but probably would not have been able to describe his music. Good stuff!

A fun album with a little bit on funk.

It was fine. Nothing spectacular.

Nice and enjoyable. Didn't know. 3*

Some smooth and gentle R&B. Nice to listen to.

Kinda funky kinda corny.

I liked some of the songs

3.5- good funky soul

This was a fine album.

Interesting...I enjoy this old school soul funk sound. 3.5/5

kinda liked it

Oh the bass licks Very relaxed, a great vibe but also a tad forgettable

A definite 80s turn on Soul and R&B from our Bobby. Sure, the funk is there, but there's a fair amount of squelchy keyboard and it kind of gets in the way rather. Stand out track for me was If You Think You're Lonely Now, much more classic Womack. Overall a reasonable listen but I doubt I'll return to it anytime soon.

Cool cover. The music is good but I must admit it kind of washed over me, rather than drawing me right in.

Straight middle of the road. Fun but not special

It's not like it's bad, but I can't tell you anything I liked about it. It vaguely reminded me of things I like. I listened to it twice to try to figure out how I felt and I still don't know. I don't expect I'll listen to it again ...Oh there was one track with a really nice snare drum/clap sound...

Nice album, I love soul and he has a great voice but I didn't feel any one song stood out.

Alright, not my thing

Solid 3. Nothing amazing, nothing unpleasant

It was fine.

I enjoyed this; his voice is soothing, and it was easy to listen to. Favourite song was ‘If You Think You're Lonely Now’

Pleasant r&b

I enjoyed this album listen! This album is heavily influenced by blues, funk, soul and other music genres that I typically find myself to enjoy. Overall, I would listen to this again depending on my mood and recommend it to others!

So Many Sides Of You and Just My Imagination are the highlights. The rest suffers a bit from, you know, the 80s. I'd have gone with George Benson's Breezin' from just a few years earlier.

Not bad, just not my thing.

im so fucking mad today cause i messed up my music final exam by playing "smells like teen spirit" gradually faster and out of sync with the backing track while also played the solo all wrong. i don't need any fucking r&b to sooth it, i'd rather like some leonard cohen cause it will make me depressed. and this is so fucking cheesy!!! 3/5

Great songwriter, turmoil in his personal life adds more depth to the material, not always in a good way. The songs are clear slices of everyone’s life, but as a full statement there is too much.

Soul, RnB, 1981 -> 3

Again. Neither the best of the genre nor of Mr Womack’s catalogue. And in this case, I think the gaps are pretty glaring. On the whole I’ve enjoyed this project - it bludgeoned me into accepting Elvis Costello as a legitimate artist, for instance - but some of the selections are, well, peculiar.

High 3 Pretty fun album from a genre I usually find repetitive

Wasn't bad, just not my genre

Sensual, soulful, perfect for a quiet slow morning...or a sexy evening with some wine.

Funky, soulful and alot of fun.

Which one?

legal

It's ok I guess, maybe good dinner background music 3.15

A pretty smooth & chill listen. The songs aren't outstanding but they'd do in a pinch.

Maybe on another day this would have caught my attention more. But today it kind of just faded into the background. Definitely wasn’t unenjoyable, just not too memorable. 2.5/5

Undeniably funky, just not my thing unfortunately

I like the general vibe of this album. The songs are catchy, and, while I am not a huge lover of R&B or jazz, I thought this was quite good. Womack's voice is pleasant and smooth. I didn't really view this album as poetry, as the name of the album had me thinking, but there are some nice love songs. The guitar is the first thing my ear goes to in a song (other than vocals of course), and Womack's playing is fantastic across the board. Good album.

There are parts of this that I really enjoyed, but the production is so dated that it's hard to love it as a whole. The funkier parts are top-notch, some of the ballads are a little much.

Reading the description and other reviews, I was prepared to hate this. But it wasn’t what I feared. Not my usual jam, but a good listen.

Not a funk fan, but this was pretty decent.

A classic song writing, that not sure he makes the jump for a classic song writer/singer.

Funk soul brotha

I was in a foul mood when I put this on and it kind of helped to be honest.