Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Fine, I've heard better R&B. Its still R&B so it sounds good.
Not my go-to kinda soul but slick and efficient and that’s ok
3.5, enjoyed this one.
3.5
Great voice. Decent songs/arrangements. Not my personal favorite, but still well done.
fairly brave of Bobby Womack to name his album “The Poet”, as i’m not sure i can hear in his collection of love songs the kind of passion and dynamic lyricism befitting for its title. the songs are well composed, don’t get me wrong, and Womack has that throaty, cigarette-singed voice an r&b crooner should possess. but the songs are downright cheesy and often times surface level, especially in comparison with his contemporaries, who were lassoing the sun for their lover and professing their emotions in a pool of their own blood (you don’t coexist in the same space as Barry White, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, or Luther Vandross and then expect to pass off The Poet as anything holding any true potency). i will say, however, that Womack’s brand of lightly funky r&b is quite pleasant to listen to; and the song “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” feels like the only song with any real personality. not much i feel i’ll be returning to here — put on the Richie, please and thank you.
Normaal ben ik niet zo van de Soul en R'nB maar dit album verrast me positief. Het kleine disco uitstapje "Secrets" (waarvoor ik helemaal naar Youtube moest!) was een prima en "Just My Imagination" doet ook onverwachte, maar wel geslaagde dingen. De laatste 3 nummers zijn wel weer van die typische, semi-eindeloze nummers die zo'n artiest, inmiddels vergane glorie en zwaar obees, op North Sea Jazz dan badend van het zweet zo'n 20-25 minuten lang, enorm onder de indruk van zichzelf, staat te rekken met schreeuwerige adlibs waarbij je als leek af en toe twijfelt of die laatste uithaal een vorm van bevlogen zingen was of gewoon een rochel die uit de weg geruimd moest worden. Met achtergrondmuzikanten die elkaar iets te tevreden glimlachend aankijken en een enorm intelligent publiek wat probeert te acteren dat dit écht genieten is mits je slim en vooral ook ontwikkeld genoeg bent om het te begrijpen.
Couldn't get into it, but also couldn't fault it anywhere. May try again eventually, but not today.
pretty good
First half was very good. Second half drew on
2/8- Fun r&b with great, uplifting backing vocals to complement a soulful front man
This was alright, not really my genre.
A soulful, mellow offering that is easy on the ear, but perhaps not Bobby Womack's most memorable work
Not my cup of tea, it all sounds the same, not particularly moving
I don’t normally enjoy this kind of music, but Bobby just hits different for some reason
I haven't listened to a lot of Bobby Womack, but his sound and vocals are unmistakable. I liked a lot of songs on this album with their mix of disco, funk, soul, and more than a little reggae. "Lay Your Lovin' On Me" is a smooth and swinging love song with piano and a driving disco groove, a stirring background vocals. 'Stand Up' starts with a funky organ backing and fun hand claps. It really makes you want to get up and dance! Then comes the 'covers'. I put 'covers' in quotes because I had no idea that Bobby Womack wrote 'If You Think You're Lonely Now'. It's a perfect example of a great R&B love song. He's probably one of the better vocalists that I've heard so far with a great gruff sound and powerful at a big range. I have no doubt I'll listen to this one again. Favorite Track: If You Think You're Lonely Now
So smooth you'll wish you were in your satin bathrobe
Nice background soul music, but also a forgotten one of the genre
Swingin' soul RnB with real 80s vibes. Not bad.
Not really my jam but it had a couple bangers so it can have a 3
3.75
Wanted to have more listens of this one, but I'm not getting time to come back to it. Recall it being pretty good overall. Found myself bobbing along at points. I read up on Bobby's biography while listening...dude had a rough, drama-filled life. Surely it impacted his music. I'd like to come back to this. 1 = bad 2 = average 3 = good 4 = great 5 = outstanding
Smooth vocals and relaxing instruments with great backing vocals complimenting his passionate style.
Enjoyable Soul & R&B album that had a little blues edge
Funky but overproduced for my taste.
je n'y ai pas beaucoup prêté attention .....
This was good! I enjoyed it. Along the lines of Barry White, which appeals to me greatly. Obvs not as good. Enjoyed the mention of likening some aspect of a relationship to fried chicken, something about it being a mystery. Funny!
Estuvo ok.
Some tracks really landed, others went on too long and didn't offer much. Not surprsing given the breadth of his career.
Hmm do i like soul?
Totally not my thing! I'm learning that R&B is really one of my least-understood/appreciated genres, but I never want to be unfair to good musicians just because I don't get a genre. The musicianship here is good, but the production is schmaltzy beyond belief. It's almost a stereotype of early 80s easy-listening, borderline muzak style production. That said, it is, in fact, easy to listen to and I rather like Bobby's soulful voice. 3/5
This is basically a solid 3 album with a couple of top notch tracks. Expertly produced, smooth and soulful sound, and Womack is in excellent voice. Fave Songs: So Many Sides of You, If You Think You're Lonely Now, Stand Up, Games, Just My Imagination
Hieno soul-levy. Helposti tämäkin huomaamatta pyörähti muutaman kerran
Estilo blues, tranquilo y reposado. Buen timbre de voz. Falta comprobar algún que otro tema más, pero se escucha bien. Y está muy bien producido
Never a Big fan, but then again, this is ok groovy stuff.
this slaps although does get samey / does not stand out a great deal vs other similar albums of the time n genre. Best tracks: secrets, lay your lovin on me, where do we go from here
All I know is that if I compared my woman to a KFC then serious questions would be asked..
This is a lovely record, even not being so recognizable to me. I liked it, and I'll probably go back to listen to it again, but it's not remarkable.
пожалуй проверю ещё потом
OK, pleasant but really not my thing
Ehh... some great stuff but at the same time just wasn't feeling it. 3.5/5
Soul y R&B. Ni fu ni fa.
Soul, R&B.
Solid if unspectacular; an album that feels like a warm hug and a mug of cocoa.
Knowing nothing about this, I was slightly apprehensive about the title. Poetry is garbage, and there was a fear in my mind that this might be - the horror - folk rock. Thankfully it isn't. What it is is is soul. I mean, it's uncomplicated, soully and ultimately forgettable, but it's not exactly bad.
New one for me. Smooth funky vibes that seems pretty ageless. Great production untarnished by the 80s. Can't really say much negative about it 'cept its not something I would normally choose to play. 3.5
Was nice n easy on the ears Fav song: just my imagination
Only half the album is on Spotify, but I liked what I could listen to. All new to me.
Some good tunes others not so much
Not bad - decent groove
bien, quizás yo hoy no estaba justo en el humor para esta musiquita en particular, pero bastante bien
I enjoyed this OK. Lots of soul/R&B ground covered in 40 minutes, though nothing left much of a lasting impression. I was glad to learn about this guy, though. Dude played with everybody.
Before listening I wanted to give a 5 just for those glasses and the suit. Spotify blocked the first 3 songs on the album so I jumped into this on track 4, Just My Imagination. I can appreciate this R&B vibe and would enjoy it as party background music. But truth be told, I appreciate his look more than his music. Still going straight down the middle with Bobby
J'ai bien apprécié mon écoute, sans plus. C'est très bien fait, mais moins dans mes goûts.
Not bad but nothing remarkable either.
Very listenable slice of late-period soul, without quite nailing the memorable tune bit.
I did like the music a good deal, but the lyrics were... sophomoric, at best. I can imagine liking them more when I was younger. But I just kept thinking of Mr. RANDY WATSON from "Coming To America." Bobby Womack at least had talent. But calling the album "The Poet..." has a BIT of overconfidence to it, you know? But I mean I guess that how you were back then. Good, but the lack of depth at the lyrics kinda nags at me.
One likes how he lets it all hang out, but man does this feel like an ‘80s special, with the poppy bass-ing, the quite practiced representin’/testifyin’ vocal gestures (up and down and across the verses, the beat and melodies) the back-up singers, the tinny keys, etc. One might expect a bit more poetry given the title. The lyrics about apple pie and fried chicken don’t quite qualify. Still there’s loads of soul here, especially in “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” and “Where Do We Go From Here,” the two closing cuts; apparently BW likes saving the best two songs for last. One wishes one liked it a bit more.
Some disco-y Motown that’s fine to have on in the background
A nice r&b album that has some groovy hits and classic soul ballads. The guitars and vocals are both really Good on this album. I found Womacks singing to be very good as far as r and b singers go. I would listen to this album again as Womack is one of the better r and b artists. 7.2/10
a few good songs...70s funk
Was alright
Bobby Womack is best known to me as the guest vocalist on Gorillaz’ Stylo, Cloud of Unknowing and Bobby in Phoenix, and he’s always been one of my favourite feature artists for that band, so I’m excited to finally hear an album of his. • While Soul isn’t a genre I typically listen to, I can definitely respect the skill and talent being showcased on the album • The songs sound large, helped largely by the choir backing vocals • No songs really stood out as better or worse than the others, so it’s tough to pick a favourite Favourite song: Games
Pretty funky but not long enough
Nice soul stuff. Is that a Zemaitis he’s holding on the cover? Very cool.
Not bad, I liked parts of it a lot. Overall a bit bland though, not sure if I'll come back to the whole thing.
Liked this album. Music was pretty cool!
Blues r and b. Kinda 80s sounding.
Only got in 3 songs. Soulful. 09/21/2022. A day I’d want to forget.
Pretty good.
Great voice. The Kentucky Fried Chicken line in Secrets. 😂
Boom chicca waah
Smoooooooth.
3/4, litt uengasjerende helhetlig/instrumentalt, men fet vokal
Åpningssporet oooser av sex. bassisten herjer. Notorisk sound gjennom hele plata, men varierer for lite, det blir for kjedelig i lengden. Denne musikken er hva Donny Benet drømmer om, og får til ganske bra.
👍
A solid enjoyable listen plenty of funk and soul elements. Didn't take to the heights though.
For some reason on Spotify (in the UK at least), the 1981 release has some unavailable tracks, but the are available on the 2021 re-release: https://open.spotify.com/album/3b4FRQBIqULkm6vudUXkcS
Favourite track(s): If You Think You're Lonely Now Love the choir in the background. And it is just very listenable to me in general. However, the vocals tend to get tedious on repeated listenings, some songs blend into one another and some instrumentals are kinda weird here and there.
Decent. Naming it “the poet “ is bit pretentious
groovy
This album is OK but doesnt have a great theme. Its got a couple of good tracks, but I dont think I would recommend it to anyone who wasnt already into Bobby Womack. 3/5
It was okay
Enjoyable album to wrap up the week. Nothing really stood out but this was a good listen while I was getting work done.
Nice little blues/R&B project here. Where BB King was more guitar than voice, this guy's more voice than guitar. But still a pretty solid project, I enjoyed a few grooves on here. Favorite tracks: Lay Your Lovin' On Me, Secrets, If You Think You're Lonely Now. Album art: Pretty simple shot, but I like this one. I've seen it before I think, and from a distance I assumed it was a much older man. He's got that old blues sitting style I guess. 3.5/5
While I'd heard of Womack before, this was the first time I'd actually listened to one of his albums. "The Poet" was apparently his thirteenth album, and I gotta admit, it feels like he was getting a little long in the tooth at this point in his career. He's leaning hard on the force of his personality in this album, and his propensity for directly addressing the listener leaves him sounding like a lounge act at times. Not sure how many people other than Barry White can get away with that without sounding a little silly. "Stand Up" was funky AF, though, and "If You Think You're Lonely Now" is a classic, although I have to admit that I prefer K-Ci's cover. Regardless, those songs get him two stars, and I'll give him one more for being an R&B OG.
What a fun musical journey. Great for late night listening for sure. There's some fantastic guitar in here.
80s smooth jazz / R&B / soul is not in my wheelhouse and I couldn't name you one Bobby Womack song, nor do I have any recollection of the song that made this album a hit. Which is kind of the weak point of this type of list. Anybody can easily name off 100 albums that are a must listen to. Music aficionados might be able to pull off 500. But 1,001 is going to have some holes in that leaves people scratching their head. Like this album Sonically and production-wise it's an okay album, but again, this music isn't my thing so I really can't judge it. 3/5.
What a fun little album. Bobby really knows how to have a party and he doesn't overstay his welcome at all. Womack has an unusally charming voice that he uses to great effect and he really sounds like he's enjoying himself. He's supported by a strong cast of backing musicians as well, I particularly enjoyed the groovy bass lines and the great backing vocals as is so often a staple of the genre. I will say It does feel like an album you put on when you're in the mood to dance but I don't feel it has the memorability to make it a truely great album. Standout tracks: So Many Sides Of You, If You Think You're Lonely Now 3.5
An 80s and 70s sandwich. Wasn't as poetic as I'd hoped.
Really enjoyed this but not enough for 4*
Enjoyed that. Loving the slap bass... Just a three I think but a high one.
This album really hits the sweet spot of late 70s/early 80s muzak that I just completely hate. There's something about the tone on the bass especially that I just can't stand. It's not bad overall but there's nothing about it that I really like either 3/5
Not really my taste, and would probably only give this a 2.5 if I could, but I can't in good faith give it a 2, despite the fact I'll never probably listen to it again.
Ágætis sálarplata. Mjög disturbing maður að ýmsu leyti.
Yeah
It was okay
Leuk, soulfull maar niet onmiddellijk mijn smaak
Shame on me that I haven't listened Bobby Womack before! A delicious album plenty of nice songs. Great suggestion .
Easy listening and inoffensive. Bobby has a great voice but no masterpiece.
Pretty good! I listened through twice. It was hard to stay focused on, but the singles were quite good. The other songs were pretty forgettable. I think overall I wouldn't revisit this again, but I enjoyed it enough. 3.49/5
Some fine soul, the bass playing is sick. Not wow'ed by this and it gets a little too cheesy at times for me but very enjoyable.
Huge fan of his 70s releases. This starts strongly, but slowly slides into 80s R&B.
Soul
Enjoyable. A lot of clichés production wise but not bad
[Not Heard Before] (+) So Many Sides of You
Smooth music from an artists who seems to know what they are doing. If You Think You're Lonely Now certiainly has a hook.
Not my favourite Soul album, but there's enough good stuff here to keep me interested.
Soul y R&B. Ni fu ni fa.
I half-listened to this, and liked the parts that I actually got through
I didn't connect with this one much, I think this just isn't my genre of music.
Correct mais pas incroyable
Struck me as a straightforward soul album, nothing hit me that strongly, but it was all well done, especially considering it was the work of a person who was well into the throes of being Sly Stone’s cocaine buddy.
Bom.
Smooth and silky, with Bobby’s fantastic soulful voice throughout. Joyous.
Fine, but not as good as I was hoping. Nothing special.
Sam Cooke's guitarist made a phenomenal record if Stevie Wonder didn’t exist. He does. Nevertheless, a beautiful ballad soul crossover. (6/10) FT: If You Think You're Lonely Now, Where Do We Go from Her
Pretty good. Wasn't sure what to expect. No huge highs, but some very good stuff. Nothing g too bad either although "Games" was a bit too long. I'd probably consider listening to this one again or perhaps another of his albums.
An enjoyable mix of uptempo soul and smooth R&B. Some tracks get a bit repetitive towards the end of their lengthy runtimes, but a healthy dose of slap bass sitting forward in the mix means even these moments feel infectiously groovy.
Really solid opening three songs but not as interested in the slower second half.
Good r&b with some funky bass lines
Gutes Soul Album mit coolen Bassläufen, jedoch ohne wirklichen Highlights. Etwas zwischen 3 und 4.
Bueno
A good R&B album, but I wouldn't consider it to be groundbreaking. Womack sings really well and I read in the 1001 album book that it marked the final years of the popularity of the genre. Quite good for listening while doing something else
Good raspy vocals and pleasant 70s style disco and soul. Nothing very special, but certainly not bad. Low 3.
Serious 70's R&B sound. I enjoyed it but it wasn't really exceptional.
Disc d'r&b sedós i cumplidor, amb una veu i uns arranjaments a l'alçada del personatge
Liked it but didn’t love it
Smooth soul is very marketable and it kinda loses it's edge as a result. Bobby Womack has enough personality to make up for this, but it ends up being just alright soul. Maybe if it wasn't so watered down, it would be better!
OK, a bit funky
This didn't grab me - I think it's the 80s instrumentation and production creeping in. I want my soul to sound more 70s or earlier, I guess, and my funk to sound weirder and more psychedelic. Fave track - "Stand Up" probably had the highest energy....
Luscious soul album, very enjoyable. Voice is gorgeous. Almost a 4 but it’s a bit too cheesy for me to really consider this a great re-listen. A solid 3.5 though.
Good ideas but the songs are too long without really going anywhere. Probably increased the birth rate between 1981-1982
Pretty cheesy, actually, but I like how his glasses are the only straight thing.
Started off strong, slow songs / ballads as the album progresses became a little boring.
3.5/5 Not a genre I listen to a lot but I enjoyed this album. Favourite songs: - So many sides of you - Just my imagination - If you think you’re lonely now
Se ha quedado muy ochentero... demasiado ochentero para mi me temo.
not bad
a little too ~poppy~ for my taste but still an enjoyable album!
grooooovy
Smooth as silk. I dig his sharp guitar lines as punctuation in the tunes.
Some good stuff on this album. The last few songs specifically were really good and soulful. 6/10
From the half that I listened to (only half is on Spotify), I thought it was alright. I can definitely tell this was made in the 80s, but I liked it. I feel like this is more R&B than soul.
È proprio come te lo immagini: bass slapping, cori, paddone, sax, e il nero protagonista che fa tutti dei vocalizzi e urli, oppure parla smooth. Se hai voglia di un bel R&B, è top.
I like Booby Womack a lot. This is a fun album that would murder at a summer party.
ganska gött men svårt för hans röst
6/10
I thought I heard some pretty strange poetry. Of its time and silly in many, many moments, but still compelling. I liked my time with this album, especially the high of "Stand Up". And in the balance, it's "poet" not "poetry", and the poet is necessarily a product of his time.
Party jams or fuck jamz. Good on you, Bobby
Overall: Solid soul album. Relisten? No
Cool. Real cool
Wird zum Ende besser. Ist mir stellenweise zu beliebig und es fehlt ein echter Hit. Aber Soul.
Enjoyable to listen to but it doesn't stay with you.
I feel bad but this style of R&B/Soul isn't really my thing. This is okay though.
It's really smooth
ok
Good, solid R&B. 3 stars.
Not great. Not terrible. No need to listen to it again. Babies were most likely made to this album.
Groovy
Oh that's some babymakin' music. If you think you're lonely now was the highlight of the album for me. A lot of the tunes were just average. Not much to say, saw he does have some great tunes in his repertoir but this album didn't do a whole lot for me.
Limited tracks on Spotify. Dinner background at best.
A name I heard from time to time and can't say I ever took any time to listen to it. Glad I finally did. Funky but easy to have on while I work.
Nice quick album to listen to. Funky at times, great singing and music. 7/10.
This was aight! Good sounding but didn't hold my attention really.
Kinda falls between the sounds of the 70s and 80s. I like the songs that lean towards more of the 80s sound with the funkier bass and synths like on "Secrets" and "Stand Up."
Instrumentally I like everything that is going on, but lyrically it's all cheesy-80s-soul to me. Although I'm sure live would be really cool, it's not something I'd listen to on my own.
6.1/10
A nice smooth jazz album. 1RS
Half the album is missing from spotify, but I like what's available.
Otro álbum que empieza arriba muy arriba y luego se convierte en un mnnnneh absoluto.
Found myself questioning how much to embrace this after hearing the issues going on in the artist's personal life at the time of recording. But the music is winning me over, it's hard to deny. I found the middle part to drag a bit, I think it was a little too 80s soul for my liking. But the beginning and end are great.
Song nice funk and R&B.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: So many sides of you, If you think you're lonely now
Fairly average. Some hilarious lyrics. Neither blown away nor angry.
Whilst there are some pretty great slow jams here (and the hilarious Secrets which appears to compare a woman to, er, kfc), the album is more a mess of ideas than an overall cohesive whole. Womack is a talented musician with a wonderful voice. But after reading about his personal life, you gotta say, the man had a hella unpleasant traits.
Pretty good! So Many Sides Of You was my fave track from this one.
real soulful but not much else. nothing really stood out but I kinda vibe
Muzak
Very smooth, sounds more like background music to me though.
Amazing voice and groovy album. Best song: so many sides of you. Rating 3/5
Quite neat, though quite a few songs are similar in being about love. Stand Up was probably my favorite song. Each song has quite a good beat and sounds quite neat. Aside from several songs being solely about love, the lyrics are all interesting and not too repetetive. However this album doesn't stand out to me too much .
Has some nice slap bass. I was a bit disappointed there wasn't any electric organ and that a lot of the songs just faded out at the end, but it was still a good album overall. Games was my favorite song.
6th July 2021 Listened with one earpod in in the morning while working on the day of the Spain Italy euro semi final. Italy won on pens. I liked this, it was soulful and smooth with a hint of melancholy
Maybe I'm just generous because I'm really into this style of music at the moment. Would be good to know if I think the same in 3 years.
I totally respect the musicianship and songwriting, but I find this type of music just a bit too smooth for its own good and a bit cheesy. 6/10
Bobby Womack is the king of product placement but probably only a duke of soul. He was not terrible but did not rise to my level of "i must hear more of this man" - he wa aight - he shall receive three "Bleeding Gum Murphy's"
Fun but not exciting.
It was decent enough. Some groovy bits. Between a 2 and a 3, as it’s Euros week feeling a bit generous
Instant, confident, happy, funky in places. Not pushing any boundaries, but an enjoyable listen.
Meh... Una sola canción me medio gustó. Aburridon como es de esperarse de un disco de baladas, aunque sin duda es una gran e inconfundible voz. Mood: mi padre tu producto, qué buena presentación, pero yo estoy fuera.
BOBBY
So smooth, great voice
Decent soul vibe
Bobby you crazy. Some good grooves but didn’t go deep enough and some songs started to drag. Good craic though.
cool
Funky soul. Best track: If You Think You're Lonely Now
Good solid modern soul. Think the shiny production gets in my way of enjoying it more. Favorite tracks: "Secrets", "If You Think You're Lonely Now"
games -> if you think youre lonely now -> where do we go from here.... very strong 3 song run! (3.5)
None of the track really stuck out but it was an easy listen. Not my style
Eeeeyuck
Just like some good old Kentucky Fried Chicken And all of it was good enough to be finger lickin′ Bit of a coked-up mess?
700 albums in and I can confidently say that Dimery is pretty clueless about Soul and R&B. Listen, I've been regularly critical of his failure to include black artists on the list. And after a week of XTC, Susanna Vega, and Fairport Convention, I'm grateful for any blast of soul I can get. But the 13th studio release from Bobby Womack?? To start, 1980 was not the high water mark of the genre; everyone was severely hung over from disco which was a whitewashing of the (GREAT and wholly unrepresented here) Philly Soul sound of the early 70s. But even for 1980's R&B, this album is nothing special - an Adult Oriented Contemporary album meant to be played in dentist's offices and elevators. I can forgive anyone for not having personal experience with a genre. But if you hold yourself out as a musical historian, you should do SOME research instead of just adding an album that your favorite aunt used to listen to (or whatever random experience put this album on this list.) If I want this late-70s / early 80s experience, I'm going for the Duke by Q, Luther Vandross' debut, Diana from Ms. Ross, Chaka or Naughty from Ms. Khan, any of the five (!) studio albums released between 76 - 80 by the Commodores (but especially In the Pocket), Teasing' from Cornell Dupree, Bad Girls by Donna Summer; hell, I'd even go All Things in Time from Lou Rawls before Bobby Womack. NONE of these artists have appeared among the 700 or so I've heard so far. Future Shock from Herbie Hancock should definitely be on the list as well. I've come to feel like Dimery should have humbled himself, stuck to his lane, and just compiled a list of the 750 British albums everyone should hear before they die.
I like a lot of stuff like this but for whatever reason this one didn’t land. Cool voice though
Not a fan of this kind of slow soul sound
I'm not a fan of 80s soul. How it increased the pop vibe, threw in a tad of funk and diluted the identity it had in the 60s and 70s. This album sounds like a pre-cursor to artists such as Alexander O'Neil and Luther Vandross and it does very little for me. So Many Sides Of You is OK and If You Think You're Lonely Now is the most soulful, and also strangely upbeat for a song that's about someone being dumped! Not bad enough for the lone star, but definitely not more than 2.
A soul and funk album that is perfectly fine to listen to. Personally I felt like it was a little generic. Perhaps that is my untrained ear or maybe it is because I cant appreciate soul as well as other types of music. But it doesn't feel as smooth, fun and fresh as someone like Solomon Burke. And hasn't got the soul of someone like Aretha Franklin. Overall it was absolutely fine. (2.250)
It was some fun the first half but I was growing tired of it by the end. Rating: 2.5
#414 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ I like Bobby Womack, but I don't like early 80's pop music. This was so much steeped in the 80's stuff that the soul bit tastes wrong. I genuinely had problems listening to this album all the way through. Indifferent 2/5
I dont have enough crackers for all this 80s cheese. Maybe ill check out some of his earlier stuff. Or a bottle of cab.
I would have preferred it with less harp
I don't know and haven't tried to find out why he named this record the way he did but I hope he didn't name it after himself.
It's fine, but a bit boring. 2 Top track: if you think you're lonely now
Has some value but I really don’t care for this.
Bobby's outfit on the cover is tremendous; the tunes are great but not memorable .
I thought I’d like this more than I did. Fun sound in the beginning but got boring really fast
Not bad, it just doesn't stand out from the crowd
Does this do anything new or original with the genre? This feels like the kind of generic soul music a man in a sitcom puts on after ignoring all of his wife's needs and desire for years, forgetting an anniversary, then buying flowers and cooking her the one and only meal he knows how to cook (that he assumes is her favorite, but she thinks is mid) as an apology - and somehow she forgives everything and they are more in love than ever before. Some of the lyrics are funny, though.
Not for me so hard to rate. I could be convinced it's brilliant.
Tight music and grooves but something is off - i like soul and funk but this feels out of place somehow
Smooth maybe, but easy to forget it’s playing (or that you played it). Took the soul & funk of the 60s & 70s, a good start, then smothered it. It seemed to be the thing to do in the late 70s & early 80s though, so he was definitely not alone. And the formula also seemed to work for a lot of folks. Just not me.
Didn’t like this very much.
I’m very much not the target audience for this. It has its moments but sounds a bit soulless at times for a soul album. I like the talky bits.
Reminds of my time playing with the Soulebrities; same voice, tight arrangements, great backing band.
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: None I don't think I care much for this. I found myself humming some of the melodies and beats, but its basically an album entirely about women and romance. At some points it feels creepy and contrived. I really did not like that flat, weirdly out of tune "sound" (dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun) played periodically over the course of Just My Imagination. Evokes images of a bad drug trip... or you know... your mind playing tricks on you. Or maybe clowns. Anyways, did my two listens and that's about as much as I plan to invest in this.
Quite bog standard soul I'd say. If you like this sort of thing you'd like this but we have listened to enough soul albums that I can confidently say I don't. He does have a good voice and it's a fair example of the genre but not for me.
That's a soul album alright.... It's fine, but not my thing. Across 110th street is the only of his I was aware of, and nothing here convinced me there was any reason to seek more out
I used to get cornered by a dude who called himself ‘the poet.’ He’d make up a really quick bullshit couplet and then ask for payment. He saved my life once though when I was being chased through the night by some ex-convicts who were feeling rapey. He appeared from an alley and started rhyming. When the convicts saw him, they figured it was worth it more to give up a knifepoint fuck than have to listen to the poet. I wonder if he was Bobby Womack.
Genuinely had to check this was the same, grizzled, battle scarred, Bobby Womack I’ve listened to and enjoyed in the past. I hadn’t realised he had such a slick phase. I don’t think it suits him.
It didn’t click with me.
I think I'd have enjoyed these songs if they were on a sixties soul album, but like apparently everything in the early eighties, the production and arrangements do nothing for me. Tinny, artificial and cheesy. Most of the songs felt as though they could have been the soundtrack to an embarrassing sex scene in an eighties action movie.
Ein paar starke Soul‑Momente, aber als Gesamtwerk zu glatt und zu einförmig - ja fast langweilig. Die Produktion ist warm und typisch frühe 80er‑Soul, doch viele Songs bleiben erstaunlich blass. Selbst wenn „If You Think You’re Lonely Now“ heraussticht, trägt der Rest des Albums diese Qualität nicht durch. Womacks Stimme ist wie immer kraftvoll, aber das Material wirkt oft formelhaft und ohne echte Überraschung.
razmišljao sam o tome da dam trojku jer se s tehničke strane nema što zamjeriti ovomu albumu, no ne znam, uživanje mi je bilo apsolutno nikakvo. kao nekakav stereotipni prikaz crnačke glazbe ovog vremena, sasvim bezvezeno i mjestimice dosta naporno. svaka pjesma kao da traje deset puta dulje
Not some legendary album or anything. Kinda generic.
Not terrible but unsure why it’s on this list. It’s average at best, music must have been lacking in 81
I listened 3 times, but I have to say no song on there was memorable. I think I will forget about this album shortly.
It was ok, and I imagine that it has a place in the right circumstances, but this did not meet my Monday morning energy boost requirements
5/10 - I liked this album as something to have on in the background. I wouldn’t seek this out but if I was having a dinner party and wanted something with good vibes in the background, this would fit the bill.
Good vibes but also kinda cheesy and dated. Wouldn't listen again but it's also not that offensive. 5/10
oof... here I thought I might be listening to "Across 110th Street" and other solid 60s/70s soul and instead I get this. It sounds like all the synthy, smooth jazz shit that soul became in the 80s. Why *this* album?? Maybe this is on here because it started that terrible trend? IDK, it wasn't great.
As with many artists in this project, I had heard OF Bobby Womack but don't remember ever actually listening to Bobby Womack. This was OK. I don't listen to a lot of soul.
I won't go too hard on this, because according to Rolling Stone Germany, it is "one of the outstanding soul albums of the 80s." Now, of all the outlets in the world, why the Wikipedia page would choose to include a quote from a German magazine - about American soul music - is confusing, suspicious, and hilarious. Speaking of confusing, suspicious and hilarious, the Wikipedia page taught me that Billboard once had a chart called "Hot Black Singles." I promise you that I have googled that phrase more than once in my life and the results have *not* been music charts.
Let’s get it on? Let’s turn it off
"The Poet" is a soul album with distinct gospel and R&B influences. Of note is a strong backing band, where something is always going on. Of particular significance a thumping bass, energetic piano and lush choir. It is limited in that Womack's gravelly, raw vocals are not on the level of the soul greats, and it shows it's age in cheesy spoken word parts and straight-up bizarre lyrics (see "Secrets" for a great example), which makes some of the love songs seems insincere. A decent album which has its flourishes, but one that shows it's age all the same.
I found this passable but uninventive and Womack’s voice on its own wasn’t enough to get me going. Wears his ego on his shoulder on some of the tracks. Had hoped for better.
Meh. What is this? Fusion, funk? Not for me unfortunately
Really cheesy, as only 80's Smooth [insert genre] can be.
It is a decent 80's soul funk album, but not sure there is anything groundbreaking here. Personally not sure why this is included in the list of album I must hear. I wouldn't play this again, maybe 2 songs were standouts.
Some days this challenge throws up a surprise that I didn’t see coming from an artist I’ve never listened to. But today was not that. This was really not my thing. Fortunately, ‘Stand Up’ was good enough for long enough to get my attention but otherwise it was a forgettable 35 minutes of somewhat soulful funk.
Best Track - "If You Think You're Lonely Now"
I like soul, but this has a bit too much of that 80s polished production value for my tastes. It's not bad, but not really what I look for.
Another album I could've died without listening.
No está mal, simplemente no captó mi atención lo suficiente.
Meh. He had a bit of soul but the range, emotions and composition just weren’t there
Like the guy but not that album.
Not for me
2.4 2x great but just not my thing completely outside of "liking" if you think youre lonely now
I'm not very high at all on this era of Soul/R&B, so this album was a bit of a challenge for me. I think "If You're Lonely Now" is probably the best thing here, but the rest kind of fluctuates between meh and a pretty cheesy. 2.5 stars.
Love album? Breakup album? Will I be returning to this on my own time - no Will I be skipping it if it happens to come on - also no
Musical sweetcorn. Goes through you with hardly any interaction.
p482. 1981. 2 stars. Sub-par Marvin Gaye clone. Starts off cheesy and improves slightly as he warms up. Great voice, let down by weak material.
Not great, feels very dated and one note. I'm sure this music might be better received if I wasn't a suburban white kid from the 80s.
Dude had a weird and pretty fucked up personal life, but I still like Bobby Womack and his music in general. ‘The Poet’ however, despite a couple of solid cuts, is average at best. I can think of at least ten other 80s soul records far more deserving of a spot on this list.
1. zidez - 1.5 2. lay -1.5 3. zecretz - 1 4. Imagination - 1 5. Stand -1 6. Games -1.5 7. Lonely - 1.5 8. Here -1.5
Not really my thing. This is the sort of stuff that always made it on to Top of the Pops at the time. Which seemed boring then and just seems odd now, given what else was going on. This didn’t really excite me now. It certainly didn’t back then. I’ve certainly heard better music from this genre on this list (Parliament’s Mothership Connection for example). This just seems boring and old fashioned to my ears. And I’m both boring and old fashioned.
not so much
This started with promise but overall was just meh!
I think Stand Up was a little bit above the rest of the tracks, but overall this is the very definition of background music. 2/5
Mais mince en fait j'aime vraiment pas la vibe de la soul, ce côté un peu langoureux, très léger / jovial qui me paraît overplay - autour de l'amour blabla - alors que l'instru et la rythmique sont hyper quali. Un album à côté duquel je passe à cause du genre qui me rebute dans ce qu'il dégage, mais quelque Mais mince en fait j'aime vraiment pas la vibe de la soul, ce côté un peu langoureux, très léger / jovial qui me paraît overplay - autour de l'amour blabla - alors que l'instru et la rythmique sont hyper quali. Un album à côté duquel je passe à cause du genre qui me rebute dans ce qu'il dégage, mais quelque chose me parle quand même vachement à certains égards, genre je peux avoir envie de danser dessus et je trouve que c'est vraiment des "bons" morceaux - j'admire et apprécie la compo sur plusieurs dimensions - mais voilà, un mur difficile à franchir.
Favorite tracks: Lay Your Lovin' On Me, Stand Up This album had a few fun songs, but overall it didn't wow me or stand out from other funk albums.
Eihän tää huono oo mutta ei vaan genre oikein iske. Aika tylsä ja tasapaksu levy
Melkoista panomusiikkia. Pitää ens kerralla laittaa soimaan ja katsoa mitä daami tuumaa.
Nonii saatiin taas erikoismies listalta pulpautettua framille. Kohtalaisen värikästä touhua sekä ite päähenkilöllä, että hänen lähipiirillään, mutta ei anneta sen häiritä! Levy saundaa sillai ihan kivalta, että on nippelit kohdallaan, mutta vähän jää semmonen pliisu kuva. Levy potkastaan ihan rehvakkaasti liikkeelle, mutta ei oikein jaksa sitten kantaa. Albuumin suurin hitti, jossa lauletaan jotain luuloista ja yksinäisyydestä, on ainakin osotus, että joskus kasarilla pysty kohtalaisen kunnianhimosellakin tavaralla nousta listoille killumaan kellumaan. Kyl tällasissa pitää antaa luomusta plussaa kun on jouduttu ajatuksen kanssa tekeen tuotantoo ja sovittelemaan palasia kohdilleen. Räväkkyys kuiteskii puuttuu ja vaikka sekoilu on vähäsempää kun esim. eilisellä rinssillä, niin kiinnostavuutta on vähempi.
No ei kyllä lähtenyt yhtään. Womackilta on entuudestaan tuttu ainoastaan se Jackie Brownin soundtrackilla oleva Across the 110th street, ja olin varovaisen innostunut että josko tulisi yhtä kovaa kamaa. Mutta ei lähellekään. Ihan saatanan väsyneen kuuloista meininkiä, vaikka paikkapaikoin laulun kanssa vähän irrotellaankin erilaisten wuu-äänteiden muodossa. En aio palata tähän levyyn, mutta ei tämä nyt sentään yhden tähden tason paskaa ollut. Eli perus kaksi tähteä taas kerran.
Not really my thing
I don't want to stand up ... I think I am going to sit down for this one. There were times I wanted to get out of the chair and dance, but it didn't really move me all that much. Especially the second half just fell flat. Didn't hate it, it was just ok!
This era of soul (late 70s/early 80s) just isn't for me.
3/10
Bass lines are real
Meh.
2,6
Fine. Just didn't hold my attention
Just didn't grab me at all
The voice is great and tunes not bad - but smothered in too much 80's schmaltz for me.
The Poet His voice is superb, the production is very 80s, which I think would be ok if there were perhaps a few more, better songs that were worthy of his vocals and charisma, but as it is, that sound just ends up being a bit too distracting, the bass on Lay Your Love on Me, the synth wobbling away on Secrets, the bass again on Where Do We Go From Here. So Many Sides of You was surely inspired by Master Blaster (Jammin’), but it’s nowhere as good and ends up feeling rather cheesy. And even when the song is arguably the best on the album, e.g. Just My Imagination, a great, melancholic song, with nice country slide, the bass feels a bit much and slightly detracts from the overall. The most overtly 80s funk track, Stand, conversely works really well though, as it feels like a song written for that sound rather than one embellished by the production. And although I’m not as keen on the melody of Games, its relatively pared back instrumentation sounds nice in comparison, as it does on the slightly stronger ballad, If You Think You’re Lonely Now. Tricky one to rate, perhaps harshly I think it falls to a high 2, there just aren’t quite enough good songs to push past the production, despite his excellent voice, and, sadly, I don’t think I will come back to it. 🧀🧀 Playlist submission: Just My Imagination
Womack was a great talent, but this just sounds lame as hell to me. 2/5
I enjoyed it while I was listening to it but I don't remember any of it an hour later
This was a quick album. It seemed a little slow jammy but then if you listened to the lyrics it was a lot about shady girls and breakups. This guy was a little vindictive (when the skeletons are chasing you around the room). The lyrics were simple and plain with a lot of repetition, that is kind of cliche. Not awful but others are better.
R&B isn't my thing so it's got to be something really special to win me over. R&B music tends to sound really formulaic and the lyrics are all very cliche. That's not to say it can't be done well... like Al Green, Barry White, or even Billie Ocean maybe? But Bobby falls short of those greats. This album is called the Poet so I was really hoping the songs would live up to that. It's hard to get next to you when you have so many sides, baby. Fried Chicken? Back rubs? okay Bobby, you're not a poet. Although I've definitely heard worse 2's, this was sooo cliche and unoriginal I'm not really sure why it's on this project. Couldn't wait for it to be over.
Kinda repetitive
Apparently my general disdain for 80's music extends to soul as well. This sounded kind of cheesy, dated and bland. So was this was the best of 13 albums he released by this point? I hope not.
# Album Name: The Poet # Artist: Bobby Womack # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: wow, this aged badly. so cheesy. musically, theres some talent. but it just aint my kinda sound # Top Tunes: not sure # Would I listen to it again? no
Did not age well
Tylsää!
Tällähän on ihan hienojaki lauluja mu ei osunu tähän
Vähän liian hattaraa meikäläisen makuun. ⭐️⭐️
A little forgettable for me
Boring RnB. 2/5
Great playing, but does not really feel like it brings anything new or outstanding sounding.
2,2/5
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