Written by: Guest Bloggers at 12:57 pm
Guest Post by: RPalladino
The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster
Blue Corn Music Records
With her previous four albums, Austin-based singer/sometime songwriter Ruthie Foster has carved her own furrow, full of soul and meaning (not to mention that incredible voice).
With this new release, Foster has let go of the originality of her preceding albums and this time out, apart from the sublime opening cut “Cuz I’m Here,” it all sounds lazily executed, badly produced and, even worse, badly thought out.
Go back to albums like “Runaway Soul” and last year’s live platter “Stages” and listen to songs with the weight and beauty of “Runaway Soul”, “Ocean of Tears” and “Joy” and just soak in the soulful brilliance. Those are the albums where you find the heartbeat at the centre of Ruthie Foster. A stunning voice, an upcoming songwriter and a truly incredible live performer.
The problems on “The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster” can’t all be down to Ruthie, however. Most of the blame for switching off the heat in Foster’s music must land at the feet of producer Malcolm “Papa Mali” Welbourne.
He has given Foster a sound that just doesn’t work in this instance. Foster’s MO is a sweet soulful brew, something that should be sipped and savoured, while Welbourne’s version is an undrinkable, bitter sludge.
The music has lost all direction, subtlety (apart from “Cuz I’m Here”) and, more crucially than that, Foster sounds lost in the midst of having a good time (which is not usually a problem if you produce something worthwhile at the end of that good time).
Sure, the musicians are all of a superb standard, with drummer George Sluppick producing a uniformly brilliant set of performances, but a Ruthie release is about soul and feel, and that’s something that’s sadly absent from this album.
After her classic, aforementioned, releases “Runaway Soul” and “Stages” it’s difficult to fathom where this record actually came from. Foster is without doubt one of the most talented singers in most of the free world, but this collaboration with Welbourne was a massive miscalculation on Foster’s part (one has to presume) and it has produced a truly, and heartbreakingly, unlistenable 40 or so minutes.
Foster could have sat alone in a studio, with an acoustic guitar and that voice, and produced a way better album than this without the dubious help of Malcolm “Papa Mali” Welbourne.
Such a pity she didn’t.
Technorati Tags: Ruthie Foster, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, CD Review, music, album
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A mix of work by writers who have written for Literary Illusions over the years.
Hey Rob
It is refreshing and enlightening, to read your opinion of THE PHENOMENAL RUTHIE FOSTER, the record Ruthie and I crafted together.
After all, it is THE ONLY negative review, out of many, that I have found. Frankly, we expected a lot more heat.
Any time an artist shifts direction, as we so obviously did, there are bound to be some who feel disapointed or worse, betrayed.
But much to our delight and satisfaction, your well-written and heartfelt comments are, so far, COMPLETELY ALONE – adrift in an ocean of praise and kudos.
Writers who never gave her previous efforts (which I agree are excellent, if not fully realized) the time of day, are suddenly tripping all over their dictionaries to come up with new adjectives to describe her otherworldly talent. And most, if not all, have cited my guidance as a positive influence. All I did was provide the direction that, in her own words: “helped me to find my spirit voice”.
Furthermore, this release promises to be her much-deserved breakthrough. As of today (March 3, 2007)THE PHENOMENAL RUTHIE FOSTER is #9 on Triple A, #8 on CIMS and #6 on Billboard Blues charts. This, after only a few weeks of release.
Nevertheless, I welcome your review – I was beginning to think that we hadn’t pissed ANYONE off!
Sincerely,
Malcolm ‘Papa Mali’ Welbourne
PS – Have we met? Just curious.