Make Do With What You Got
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The last year has seen a plethora of old soul stars coming out of retirement and returning to the studio. Of course Sol is slightly different in that he never seems to have gone away. It was only last year that he released his fabulous “Don’t give up on me” album to greatly deserved critical acclaim. Indeed it won Mojo’s prestigious ‘album of the year award’. It was a CD I enjoyed enormously and as a result was delighted to hear that he had released another album so quickly, “Make Do With What You Got”. As on his previous release Solomon sings powerfully and clearly with superb enunciation throughout. Again it is produced with limited instrumentation, lead and rhythm guitars, bass, piano, organ and drums. Unfortunately this material is nowhere near as good. The first track “I need your love in my life”, is heavily influenced by rock and roll, and eventually reduces to a basic chant of “I need your love in my life”. The second track, “What Good Am I?” is an indictment of people who don’t deal with problems, ostensibly regarding relationships but with possible wider issues intended. One of the main faults of the album is that it is littered with cliché’s, no more so than on the third track, “It makes no difference”, examples of which include, “Sun don’t shine any more”, “Rain falls down by my door” “Without your love I’m nothing at all”. Something more original should come from an artist of his stature. “Let Somebody Love Me” is the monologue of a pitiful individual wanting love. The line that he “knows someone above who loves him” moves us into gospel territory, but is inconsistent with the story of a sad individual seeking womanly love. “After all these years” is possibly the best track on the album, but it really isn’t saying a lot. It’s the testimony of an old man to his lifelong partner/wife who is all that remains once the children had grown up. I haven’t a clue what “Fading Footsteps” is about, and frankly don’t care, it is a midtempo number of obscure meaning which is not helped by the fact it is the only time when Solomon’s enunciation is not clear. Maybe he didn’t know what he was singing about either. “At the crossroads” is another healthy dose of cliché where a relationship is compared with a geographical decision. In keeping with the banality of the song he sees “the light come shining though”. The final three tracks “I got the blues”, “Make do with what you got” and “Wealth wont save your soul” are nondescript hunks of very average country flavoured soul. Sorry Sol, but this is nowhere near your best. Track Listing I Need Your Love In My Life What Good Am I? It Makes No Difference Let Somebody Love Me After All These Years Fading Footsteps At The Crossroads I Got The Blues Make Do With What You Got Wealth Won’t Save Your Soul |
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Why Not visit the Authors other Website, 'The Alternative Blackpool Website' at http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/bpool This Site Last Updated 18/05/05
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