Randy Crawford
Permanent
Listening to Randy at the Circle Star years ago, I realised she could gone for two hours without performing every song I wanted to hear. Since then, her repertoire of gt favourites has expanded. Permanent [WB, 2001; 13, 53:05] is my fourteenth RC CD (excluding singles and a few in-betweens), so call me an aficionado.The current album is reminiscent of 1989's Rich & Poor, also an English recording. Producer Pete Smith understands that all Randy needs is good tunes tastefully accompanied. He doesn't add "contemporary" appeal to lovers of non-music. Anyone who appreciates great singing of beautiful tunes will love this album. Don't care for Ms Crawford? That's your loss. She's been there for me through every mood swing since the late 1970s.
The musical mood is established with "Wild Is The Wind." Randy offers her distinctive interpretation of the Nina Simone classic. She also covers "Alfie," which has been done often, never better, and shines on Stevie Wonder's "All I Do." A couple of the songs with familiar titles are new songs, not covers. Doesn't matter. They're great.
Most are ballads. The one less-than-stellar selection, "When the Evening Comes," is uptempo, but undistinguished.
Randy's own compositions are usually great. "When Will I Be Free of Love's Taboo" is no exception. And exceptional. Say, WB, how about a compilation of Randy singing her own tunes? I'd buy it. Since you aren't releasing her entire catalogue.
Permanent is the second great album in a row (Every Kind of Mood, 1997).
Randy Crawford sounds better than ever. I love her almost mystical
voice so much, I wrote a poem.
Definitely one of the year's best albums; surely one of the decade's as well.
