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ROBERTA FLACK The Very Best of Roberta Flack (Rhino/Warner) |
 I HAD to go to great lengths to get my hands on this. And now that I've got my way, I'm kinda feelin' like I shouldn't have gone through all the trouble for it. Of course, if you asked me to compare Flack's music to the stuff played by most of today's hotties, I'd still pick her songs anytime. Most of the 17 tracks on this album would sound mighty familiar to cats who got their stereos tuned in to Light n' Easy 24/7. It goes without saying that the mellow pop/jazz/ballads featured here include what is probably her most famous number -- the heartbreakingly tender Killing Me Softly with His Song (yes, young 'uns, the Fugees version -- though phat -- was a remake!). Besides that, there's also the sunshiney Feel Like Makin' Love, the sickeningly syrupy Tonight, I Celebrate My Love and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, just to name a few. On the whole, though, this best-of compilation is a little sad coz it shows that Flack was a pretty one-dimensional singer -- one unable or unwilling to move too far away from the formulaic, radio-friendly blueprint she was comfortable with. I'd say that Aretha Franklin would still get a lot more of my R-E-S-P-E-C-T. |
