Reviews (page 7 of 8)
I enjoy most stuff of a funk / soul / disco nature. But I did not like this. It’s just too cheesy-pie. It really rubbed me up the wrong way somehow. I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
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
..
It was fine.
autsch, wieder einmal schnulzig ohne ende - kann dem echt nichts abgewinnen.
Ist halt nicht so meines..
Technically good but practically boring.
Let me get this straight... this guy married his bandmates wife 2 months after said mate died... and then proceeded to fuck his new stepdaughter? So the wife shot him and then remarries his little brother? I thought my family was dysfunctional - 2/5 stars for the lore alone.
This was out of my wheelhouse, I've heard of Bobby Womack but hadn't listened to him before. Giving this a 2 but this made me curious to go check out some of his older stuff.
Schmaltzy soul
Smooth 80's soul. Some nice yachty florishes but it's not really hitting any hooks. Bland and inoffensive. Surely there's better soul albums out there than this? Best Tracks: So Many Sides of You; Just My Imagination; If You Think You're Lonely Now
Somewhere in between classic soul and neo soul and it probably needs to be forgotten. This era just doesn’t do it for me.
It was ok, not a fan of Lovey Dovey music ( a mix of Barry White and Marvin Gaye IMHO ).
Very slow nondescript Soul. The guitar playing is jazzy, clean, melodic, subtly interesting. The keyboards are good, though veering only slightly into synth cheese here and there.
Bobby is always fun, this is a fun groovy album, but it's not particularly remarkable for me. It's very much a middle of the road. I think I treat my rating system not as a rating as an album in and of itself but as a response to it being on the 1001 albums list, and therefor it gets a 2*. Not because it isn't good but i'm just very apathetic towards it and it stirs no strong emotion good or bad.
Alright
Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: 🎸😎🆒 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: ✍️📜🤔 Rating: 🪩🪩(🪩)/5
A little too yacht rock for me, but for a morning vibe, it was fine.
The ballads are not for me but Stand Up had me grooving. 2.5
Eh...
I don’t hate it but I don’t love it. An album I need to hear before I die? No.
Awful
Soul and funk, overwrought vocals. Not unpleasant but not memorable.
Far too 'easy listening' for me.
Really found this dull. Represents a time and place but not special as far as I can tell.
Tough one. Has virtually all the elements of music I'd like, but its about 5cm off center, and that apparently spoils the whole thing. Took something with sould and transformed it to cheese. Soul cheese.
I was driving throughout this album and it didn't disturb me!!
I like it. It’s groovy and funky and great background music to jam out to. 2.5⭐️
This is definitely well-made music with production that was top tier for its time. If you’re someone who enjoys 80s soul, you’ll probably get a lot out of this. Personally though, it didn’t do much for me. It felt pretty cliché, and the sound hasn’t aged all that well. There’s a certain slickness to it that comes off as a bit dated and cheesy today.
This honestly just didn't do much for me. Had it's moments but that was few and far in between. Honestly was just waiting for it to be over at some point. High 2
5/10 This was well put together but fundamentally boring. What is a totally fine 80s soul album doing on this list? It felt pretty inessential to me. I liked the bits where he was channeling Stevie Winder, and the other bits less so Best: Stand Up
Artiste inconnu. J'aime beaucoup les lignes de basse sur cet album, et les (trop rares) chorus de sax. Et la harpe amène une originalité bienvenue. Par contre certains sons de synthé ont mal vieilli (Stand Up et son synthé basse), et les morceaux plus lent finissent par être ennuyeux (If You Think You're Lonely Now). Je ne pense pas l'écouter une seconde fois. =>2/5
This guy has about a half dozen better contributions to music than this cringefeast
Ok
Okay
Eh
Didn't realize Bobby Womack was a previously successful R&B artist as my prior exposure was through his work with Gorillaz. I guess I should have figured since Damon Albarn has an incredible eye for talent and continues to collaborate with so many respected musicians. Any appreciation I have for Bobby will always be tied to his involvement and featured tracks with Gorillaz, though I was glad to dip a toe into his solo work with The Poet. It's an OK album I guess. There's a couple funky tracks that I enjoyed (notably Stand Up) but also some stuff that's skippable. I expect he has some quality nuggets hidden among his discography that I would enjoy, though I have no plans to comb through 40+ years of work. Glad for the exposure but happy to move past. 2.03 stars
It's a smooth affair, but nothing that really stood out to me.
This seems like pretty standard run of the mill 1980s R&B which is to say it's fine, but definitely not for me.
Bad 70’s slow funk vibe
I just don't really jibe with early 80s R&B that isn't straight-up funk, really. It just sounds way too smoothed out and over-produced. Very sterile.
I’m shocked how much I don’t like this. I first heard of Bobby Womack from none other than Mariah Carey, as a little pre-teen girl singing along to “We Belong Together.” Being a nerd, I obviously sought out the song she referenced [“If You ThinK You’re Lonely Now”] and, while I immediately fell in love with it, I never felt so compelled by it to seek out the album it came from originally. Even as an adult, whenever I come across this record in a shop bin, I always pass it over, for some reason or another. So this was a brand new listen, but based on the single, the cover, and the general je ne sais quoi of Womack’s vibe, I figured this would be an instant 5 star review. Oh, how wrong I was… Throughout The Poet, Womack is either a bad Stevie Wonder impressionist or a skeevy manwhore. Sometimes, he’s both, although he most keeps it split evenly across each side of the record. Right out the gate, we get the worst Wonder-lite take with “So Many Sides of You,” which feels like a Stevie chord progression à la “Higher Ground.” It’s fine, but it’s distracting, and I can’t quite shake it. Thankfully, for the next two tracks, I’m kind of passively on board. Sure, they still appear to be Stevie rips, but they’re better. But soon enough, the sap kicks in, and it doesn’t let up until the end. Now, I’m not averse to the quiet storm thing, and I do think “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” holds up, but the majority of this record is wrapped in the stink of a stained satin sheet. It’s really a thick scent, and it stays in your noses, and most of the time, I really don’t want to keep getting a whiff of whatever happened during this recording process. And that’s the main issue here. Womack is an undeniable guitar player, especially in this style of music, but how much sex music does one person need in their life? What The Poet offers beyond that is Walmart Stevie Wonder, and I don’t need that, either. In the end, I’m left with one good song, a couple more okay-ish/tolerable songs, and a bunch of sleaze. Even as an ardent lover of ‘80s soul and R&B, this does nothing for me.
Who knew funk could be so cheesy?
I'm curious why the creators of "1001 Albums" added this one to their list. The singing is good, and the musicianship is fine, but Bobby Womack was a stronger artist in the 70s, and there are better examples of soul and funk music out there, especially from Womack. Right artist, wrong album.
2.5/5
A little too pleasing and monotonous for me.
About a song in, I thought that this could be good, kitschy fun; with good vocals over fun, dated production. But, it just ended up being dated and underwhelming.
First song kind of made me think of 'Master Balster - Jammin' by Stevie Wonder. 'Stand Up' made me think of Earth Wind & Fire. And like those songs, the Temptations cover was competent, but didn't really bring anything new to the table. His vocals are great, but lyrically (Kentucky Fried secrets? Really?) and musically this made me mostly wonder how this ended up on the list.
I found this to be mostly forgettable
Middle of the road.
Stand Up was the sole redeeming track from this album.
1980s black lady music, get it gurl
Musica que pondría de fondo pero sin ser necesariamente mi estilo. No me quedo con ninguna canción en particular.
Not for me
Meh. Long winded.
Soul/R&B only go so far for me. It’s all respectably fine music, none of is great. If You Think You Are Lonely Now is easily the best song 5.0/10
This is weird, man. Unexpectedly weird! The music is giving me funky groovy good times, but the lyrics are just awful. Not awful in a blatantly trying to create controversy or incite a reaction. Awful in the "I think I'm an artist and everything I say is so profound, but is actually a huge load of shit and completely lacks any real talent with words whatsoever" kind of way. You know this person. They think they're a writer or a singer or an artist, but they are a talentless hack and totally deluded. Yet, for some reason they charge at their dreams hard enough and nobody pipes up to say "actually, you should keep your day job" so somehow they find "success". I think of my cousin's idiot ex-husband who self published a book re-telling his dad's life story and then handed it out as the Thank You gift to everyone who attended their wedding. For real. Next level egotism and delusion. After this listen, I think Bobby Womack is the kinda guy who'd do that same thing. The fact that this album is called The Poet and nary a snippet of interesting poetry can be found here speaks volumes about how far up his ass his head is.
I didn’t know they still made music like this. Sounds like it’s straight out of the 80s and funky as hell.
Good but not ny stle
It was exactly as I was expecting. Passable would with a slight 80'e vibe. Nothing stood out but it wasn't offensive.
If it wasn’t for Stand Up, which is the only track here approaching funky, I wouldn’t have given this a second listen. But I did, and it still sounds to me like a run-of-the-mill sophisto-soul album that is more rooted in the early-to-mid-70’s than the post-Off The Wall 80’s. Surely this stuff had already been done to death by 1981. Two stars.
Funky 70s R&B that while good was a little bit forgettable. I had to hunt down the album to hear all of it, but honestly the song Secrets wasn't really worth the effort. Overall, I am a fan of the sound of the music so this is probably a 2 star record getting a generous "genre and era" bump. A rare cheat but I'm feeling generous towards this record for some reason.
The number of collaborations on Bobby’s resume is incredibly impressive. But…even with only 8 songs on this album, I found it a slog to get through. Most likely b/c some of the songs were 6 plus minutes. Oof. What I found more head scratching is this was released in late ‘81/early ‘82 when disco tinged styles like this were already way dead. Yet, this album was still top of the R&B charts when the rest of the world had clearly moved into punk, indie, new wave. Who woulda thunk it? Not me.
Spotify has this listed as release in 2021 and I was very confused. Overall it’s….fine. I didn’t mind it but nothing really stood out and there are some parts that drag with their repetitiveness (I know everyone has secrets! And it’s fine that there’s standing room only!). I just can’t get out of my head hearing this in the car with my parents when they were listening to the station that plays the best hits of the 70s 80s and today. Or maybe a doctor or dentist office. Sorry Bobby.
Sorry, Bobby, I did not really enjoy this and don't have much to say. Dig the album cover, tho. 2.5/5
This is a big old slice of funktastic 80’s cheese with a side of soul from one of the great soul voices that sounds like it would be great for a romantic night in. Sadly though, the songs don’t quite measure up to the singer. On “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” our hero whines about “his woman” complaining that he’s never there and is broke all the time, so he does the passive aggressive thing of threatening to leave her. Lovely.
Smooth AF, not my cup of tea.
Romantic one. Most of the songs were unavailable, but what I heard was both new and familiar. Old standards in a voice new to me.
Ah, yes, only a true poet could extol the virtues of finger-lickin’ Kentucky Fried Chicken, alongside the crumbling cookie and mom’s apple pie. Great R&B can put you in the mood, but “Secrets” only put me in the mood for food. The rest of the album was more geared towards the typical R&B tropes of love and romance, just enough to get your mind racing, to get your imagination running away with you. Wait, that’s a different “Just Your Imagination.” Womack’s was playing tricks on him again. Weirdly derivative song. Overall, it doesn’t sound like there’s much originality on “The Poet.” What makes this, his 13th album, the notable and special one? It did make it to the top of the Top Black Albums chart and placed a song number three on the Hot Black Singles Chart. Hold on, what are those charts called? Throughout the 80s, those were the names of Billboard’s R&B charts. Now off to grab a bucket of KFC. Because it’s finger lickin’ good.
freeing myself from the shackles that this generator seems to put every album from an artist just for the sake that the artist itself is iconic and listened to fly me to the moon instead. was nice.
Decent enough laid back soul music. Doesn't really do anything for me, or stand out from similar artists in the genre. 2/5
Sleezy slimey love making music. Eww.
Can you be too funky? This music sounded very outdated. It doesn’t stand up.
This album sounds very of its time. It gives post-disco R&B funk, but those lyrics? What I’m sure was meant to be sexy now just sounds cheesy. Still, it wasn’t boring.
“The Poet” is a bold declaration. But when he was able to work the finger lickin’ and Kentucky Fried Chicken into a verse he backed it up - pure poetry. Very boring album, but listenable and forgettable.
Boring
I guess if you like R&B/soul this would be enjoyable?
Not a fan of the genre. It’s just ok
I thought this would be more R&B. Too funk/disco for me.
Billboard Top Black Albums? Hot Black Singles? tf are those categories and how is that a thing. otherwise, a chill album, nothing special though
Oof, too cheesy for me. 2/5
he's cool, this not really my thing though 2.3
There is so much better: Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, the Staple Singers, the Temptations, the Four Tops…
Its okay Spotify for me has removed half of the album's songs for whatever reason, but wasn't bad liked the last two songs a bit
Nice r&b
Father of R&B.
Soul elegante y tranquilo que contiene algunas suaves incrustaciones de jazz, y todo impulsado por la voz ronca y potente de Bobby Womack. Me gusta la alegría de "So Many Sides of You", el tema que abre el disco, y el que lo ciera, "Where Do We Go From Here".
The end of disco, and the beginning of the early '80s version of R&B. The hook is drawing, the voice is spirited, but the music is predictable and boring.
Sounds like late 70’s early 80’s R&B/Soul. Because it is late 70’s early 80’s R&B/Soul.
This is supposed to be romantic music, but those cheesy lyrics could ruin anyone's chances. Down a star for that KFC song.
Didn't like it. Won't listen to it again. Not a fan of R&B, and this didn't change my mind.
His voice reminds me of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgNkGPCqLmI That's it for my deep analysis, thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Not sure this should have ever happened. Can something be so smooth that it loses any credibility? I listened to a new (ish) Smokey Robinson album called ‘Gasms’ recently - similar vibes. Is it a joke? I’m not sure. What’s that song about secrets all about? Why’s he singing about KFC and some tasty apple pie. Weird. 1.8
Not for me
Lackluster.
Not my cup of tea. I get tired of the sameness; the background singers saying the same thing over and over and over while he rambles over top. I would have liked to have heard more of the guitar work that was displayed on “Games”. He certainly has some talent but it seemed too often lost in the mix.
The moves on this one are so smooth it gave me an urgent need for the toilet
Bobby Womack has an incredible voice. It's too bad he sings songs that move me not at all. Not my style. 2 stars
There is about 2 songs that I'd want to revisit. Not really feeling the rest.
This is what people played at dinner parties and in the bedroom in the 80’s.
this kind of soul is boring to me
I was expecting a bit more from this. The Bobby Womack songs I’ve heard, mostly his older stuff, I’ve enjoyed, so I expected I’d enjoy this too. Not so much. His voice is great, and I liked the songs “Just My Imagination” and “If You Think You’re Lonely Now,” but the rest of this just wasn’t that great. The songs went on for too long and most of them were fairly boring. I really wanted to like this more than I did.
Spotify wouldn't let me listen to the first three tracks without paying to upgrade. Mostly harmless, pleasant Soul / R&B, a flashback to the 1970s when this style of music was massive. The track "Just My Imagination" was a tad annoying because it sounded very similar to "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" by The Temptations , which may or may not have been the intention.
Not for me
Watched the lyric videos, this guy is kind of a dick (Wikipedia research afterwards confirms this). Musically it’s fine, soul/funk I guess, and he’s got a good voice. Amusingly, So Many Sides Of You sounded like a cheesy sitcom theme song from the 80s (they were probably based on this style of music) and Just My Imagination had this repeating sound in the background like something bad happening in a platformer video game. Listens: 2 Fave Track: Just My Imagination Rating: 2
I don’t know, wasn’t for me. For a soul album it didn’t feel like it had a soul. It felt over produced and commercialized. It sound like a sound track to a beer commercial from the 80s
Нахуй соул
Meh
album 1002. there aint no way anything from this point onwards is even remotely good. this is like the aural equivalent to mbueno of brentford.
What is this madness?
Bobby Onesmack
Very, very generic.
Not my thing, won’t listen to again
Very average mid 80's soul. Nothing outstanding at all.
Muy disperso, me costo encontrarle una linea al album. Carece de balance al juntar el funk y el soul. Además no importa si lo pones en shuffle o lo escuchas de principio a fin, da lo mismo. Meh.
Ok, so this had its charm. I suppose it would be nice tootling away in the background. Didn’t light any fires for me though.
I didn’t mind this - couple of decent funky tunes.
Bobby sure can sing but the music itself is too uninteresting for him to work with imo. The big hit off this album was If You Think You’re Lonely Now which is just about, like, mocking someone you’re about to dump? idgi
2.5
Saknar hits.
Wasn't really for me
Enjoyed this more as a bassist than as a pop music fan.
No thanks. It's like making sweet sweet love to the weather channel on TV. I feel gross.
When this one came up on the page, I was like, "who?" "What?". I have no idea what this album will be. Genre, nothing. Exciting. The album starts with smooth R&B Soul, follows it with a very funky song--I think we might be getting somewhere here!--and then for the rest of the album goes back to smooth R&B Soul. Nothing--for me--extraordinary here. The singing is good and soulful, if nondescript. The guitar playing is jazzy, clean, melodic, subtly interesting. The keyboards are good, though veering only slightly into synth cheese here and there. When it was over, I thought "that was it??" I probably won't be returning to this one.
pretty poor
This was not good. Certainly not my thing. It's rough and unrefined and sounds like a first pass at an album.
Diggaan Bobbyn vanhempaa musaa. Tää kasarihomma jäi vähän pinnalliseksi. 2/5
Tyypillinen kasari-funk/soul, eli kaupallinen ja pinnallinen. Kumma, että eksynyt listalle. Taitavaa musisointia sinänsä.
Not really much for me. 2.5
Minne om The Cabin av Ylvis
Ну и зачем мне нужен Бобби Вомак, если чуть выше у меня есть Стиви Вандер? Ещё и пары треков на спотифай нет... Да короче какой-то пресный shit, не знаю. Это должен был быть соул, но... Его бы спас сильный вокал, но тут он слабоватенький какой-то прям очень.
Стэнд ап норм, остальное не мой жанр просто, но хорошо. 2+
Belli gli occhiali!
Meh
Soulful, with a lot of smooth guitar. Very radio friendly and my guest intro to Bobby Womack.
Was OK. I didn’t like the homoginaity of the sound.
Funky bass. I got real Eddie Murphy Dreamgirls vibes. Music good vocals not my favorite
This would probably be a lot better if it had been recorded 5 or 10 years earlier. The 80s production saps most of the soul out of these slow jams and makes them sound more plastic than soulful,
Baby makin music.
Nice, luister nooit naar hem, beetje slijmerige muziek, maar toch paar lekkere nummers! Jammer dat we niet alles kunnen luisteren. Favoriete nr.: just my imagination
There is a lot of filler in the music, which I'm not very keen on, especially in a recording. Live, it might work, but too much repetition over the same hook can get boring.
Meh.
Smooth music with occasional bursts of energy. Pretty repetitive and lacking in melodies/hooks to hang on to. Not particularly inspired songwriting. Nothing wrong with this but not something I’d really choose to listen to. Best song: Lay Your Lovin’ on Me
I’m familiar with Bobby’s charismatic voice mainly through his work with Gorillaz, though I wonder if this is an instance where the performer might be legendary but their discography isn’t? I actually enjoyed tracks 1, 4 and 7 (the clear standout), but really wasn’t a fan of the rest. It just left me cold.
For some reason Spotify doesn't have the first three songs available, so I cheated a little and added his top three listened songs in their place. The only Bobby Womack song I know is 110th Street from the Jackie Brown soundtrack, which I do really enjoy, so I went into this with promised hopes. The album starts in earnest with Just my Imagination, which I was digging until about the final two minutes when it started to drag. The rest of the album was disappointing, a cross between accidently going to the wrong gig and feeling too awkward to leave ("this next songs dedicated to all those lovers out there..."), and something my mum would have on a mixed tape when I was growing up in the 90s (if you think you're lonely now). Shame. After a long row of disappointing albums this week this one follows suit.
2.75
I am not very familiar with Bobby Womack and do not know if this album is a great example of his body or work. I suspect it is not, but either way, I did not care for this. It’s a very slick 80s production that just does not appeal to me. Other than Womack’s voice, which is indisputably great, nothing here engaged me.
Ehh. This wasn't very much fun. It was okay I guess, but not something I'm going to listen to again.
Listen in the background
No.... this is supermarket tannoy background music
Not really my thing. i found this a bit tedious
I think this album missed the mark for me. I think it’s kind of awful actually. Debating between a 1 and 2 stars. If you think you’re lonely now is the only song I kind of liked.
gaaameeeeessss
Music for sex. As a non-sex haver I have no reason to like this
Would have given it 2.5 stars if I could have. A poor man’s Al Green.
The album was fine I guess.
I’m being generous here
Cut the funk, stay creamy soulful and I‘ll stay for longer 2.3
Vocal marcante de soul, só que não percebi a guitarra e nem reconheci o hit.
This was aight. Not really my jam but I liked his voice especially liked Stand Up.
Meh
James Brown but without all the yelling.
A cool sounding smooth soul album that will hurt absolutely nobody, but that will also be forgotten in... Oh, well, it's already forgotten. Who was I listening to?
LOL at the cover art for The Poet II 80s sucked. Dude had some good albums. Albums that had funk and soul! Why pick this? Oh right, this list creator is an imbecile.
A pleasant enough voice with questionable lyrics and quite bland music. I couldn’t help thinking, who is this album for? And when would one listen to it? The thought provoking “if you think you’re lonely now” just made me think “I’d rather be lonely than be with this misogynistic bar steward”
I was expecting great things from The Poet after hearing from several different sources raving about it. Sure, it was soulful, but it wasn't the masterpiece I was led to believe. There's too much reliance on the technology of the time. The songs would have worked better on the raw power of a live band.
Meni sulavasti ohi ilman kummempia tuntemuksia.
Great vocals and I love the energy but the length of the songs is way too long. Also, half the album is unavailable on Spotify.
Had its moments, but this slickly produced soul style isn’t really my bag. Plus, it reminds me a lot of the eighties which was full of rip offs of this sound.
Jazzy 80’s sound.
No suena mal pero no me ha entusiasmando
Slick 80s Soul. Yeah its good, but doesn't do anything for me at all. It's not Across 110th Street.
It was a very nice album. Great singing with nice music as well. I'm not sure I'll ever listen to it again, but it was good. No songs stuck out as really good, but none as bad either
Fine, but nothing exceptional to my ears.
Heard of his name before, but don’t really know anything about him. This was very meh in my opinion. Not really my genre, though, so not sure. I have not been liking the 80s albums. Some of the reviews mention disco and dance music, and I did not hear that at all. If I had, maybe I would have liked it more.
This is the kind of music my family call “ooh ooh baby” music. It’s never done anything for me. Only song I liked was ’Just my imagination’, but I prefer the original Temptations version. It’s not ugly, horrible or offensive music. It is, however, interminably uninteresting.
R&B HUONOMPAA MUSTAA MUSIIKKIA!! Loppui kivasti, 2 tähteä sillä
Really nothing too grab onto in this one.
‘Just My Imagination’ had a harp. And seemed to be ripped off from The Temptations. ‘If You Think You’re Lonely Now’ was good. Nothing great, nothing horrible. I prefer my smooth jazz/R &B to be sung by George Benson. The last few albums make me feel like the mean judge on American Idol (Simon Cowell). I wish I knew what his catchphrase was, if he had one.
It's pretty lame, but it adapts to the turn of the 80s with a fine production and lush instrumentation and back vocals. Doesn't innovate, and I can clearly hear his Philly soul inspirations. Favorites: So Many Sides of You, Games, Stand Up
Acceptable background music at best.
Okej vi fattar du e sexig
This is the first time I have heard any Bobby Womack song, or even heard about him, as a matter of fact. What surprises me, is that usually albums on this list are debut albums, or records released rather early in the career, with the rule of thumb - after initial success, the band starts to "sell out" a bit. It's not innovative anymore, group is riding the wave of the past. In case of "The Poet", which is thirteen album in Bobby's career, this rule is definitely broken. Our today's album is a rather simple and ordinary soul and r'n'b release. Some of the songs are catchy, but they don't hook you for long, falling quickly into the background. The only hit from "The Poet" is a song named "If You Think You're Lonely Now". Apparently this track was the main reason which decided about placing this album on the list. However, in my opinion, the song is completely uncharacteristic, doesn't stand out in the genre, or even on this record. It is just an average release, doesn't matter from which angle I will look at it. Not the greatest listening experience.
Some of the songs weren't available on spotify. What I listened to was pleasant but not that memorable to me.
If you hadn’t heard the songs or heard of Bobby Womack, and read the lyrics out of that context, you’d wonder if it was a joke.
Didn't know what to expect with this one — I grooved along all the while, but I won't remember any of it.
Feels like someone with immense musical talent recording conservatively to achieve commercial success. I don't really think there's a single song here I'd want to relisten to.
R&B meets Gospel with this soulful voice.
vähän meni toisesta korvasta sisään ja toisesta ulos eka biisi oli hyvä, samoin If you think you're lonely now yllätti
Joo, lauluääni, satunnaiset riffit ja rytmit toimivat. Mutta melkein jokaisessa biisissä on jokin imelän jazzahtava elementti (keskeinen melodia, sointuvaihdos tai instrumentti) joka pilaa kokonaisuuden. Muita paremmat palat: Just My Imagination, kierrätetystä kertsistä huolimatta, ja If You Think You're Lonely Now, jonka kuuntelisin mielelläni uudelleen.
Not a fan
This one's just not working for me.
It's a fine album. But it's not for me.
May be good for others, but not my cup of tea
2.5
Gave the complete album a couple of listen throughs and didn't really click for me. Not opposed to the funk/R'n'B genre but majority of songs just weren't doing it. Highlights tho for me were the opening track and Just My Imagination.. those did get stuck in my head.
Good but not great. Just a album passing by
A little funk, a little soul, and way too much 80's canned-overproduction. An extra star for what could have been.
Bobby Womack has written some good songs through his career, and while I wasn't expecting another "Across 110th Street", I was hoping for something better than this. This is over produced 80s soul and pretty late in the game for the guy who penned the first Rolling Stones hit.
I really like Womack's early soul offerings such as Across 110th Street (what a great song to kick off Tarantino's Jackie Brown). He's a prolific songwriter with a great raspy voice, but this 80s shiny suit pop soul doesn't do anything for me unfortunately.
too smooth
Might have been lovely if I took to the genre, but I don’t.
nej bare nej
80’er soul, poppet, sprød guitar, rnb-vibes, opmuntrende