GLADYS KNIGHT
AT LAST (MCA)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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This isn't even a genre that I particularly care for -- contemporary mellow R&B -- but from the first track I was in the spell of a master. Gladys Knight, one of the greatest R&B singers any of us ever had to privilege to hear, surrounded herself with young contemporary R&B artists and producers in hopes of tapping into their creative energy source. The end result is At Last, which arrives exactly 40 years after her first release, and let me tell you what: At Last is a mighty fine glass of wine. Ms. Knight's song selection is, for the most part, inspired, and the musicians and various producers do fine jobs but never distract us from the lady we're there to listen to.

Unlike most artists from past decades, Gladys doesn't rely on a big name guest on every track, but there is one duet that also happens to be one of the highlights of the CD. Jamie Foxx joins Gladys for "I Wanna Be Loved," a line-trading song that is best summed up in the liner notes' dedication: "Dedicated to those needing an example of an honest conversation between two people who love each other." Despite her status as a non-writer, Gladys makes songs her own on more levels than most. Bill Withers' "Grandma's Hands" is a tribute to all grandmothers, really, but by putting her name in the grandmother's mouth, and doing so with an audible lump in her own throat, she not only makes the song her own, she shares her childhood with us. Bill Withers wrote the song, but I feel an urge to place a rose on Gladys' grandmother's grave. On paper this sounds easy, but very few can do it like this.

Fans of contemporary R&B are very apt to find this CD to be perfect. For me, there's an unscratched itch that wouldn't be bothering me if Gladys had cut loose on at least one number. The tempo on every track is very, very traditional for the genre. Which means medium-slow. Just one belter would have felt fantastic on this side of the speakers, but I understand. That's not who her audience is. She's got it in control. In "That's Why They Call It Love," she asks, her voice so unsure, "but baby, baby, baby, can we survive?" I don't know how the couple in the song will make out, but if this is the kind of album the great Gladys Knight makes after 40 years in the business, we at least know her survival is assured.

© 2001 - DJ Johnson