Willie reaches his full potential on "Gifted". The right songs. The right sound. The right performances. 13 tracks of modern Soul gold. The masterful Al Green-kissed "Going Crazy" from his last record ("Full Circle") was a portent of great things to come and "Gifted" is the fulfillment. Although he hasn't completely abandoned mainstream R & B (as evidenced by the sumptuous lead single "Boom Boom Boom"). At its heart "Gifted" is classic Southern Soul. Willie Clayton is "gifted" with one of the most elastic, yearning tenors in the business today and he's at the peak of his powers on horn-backed ballads like "Beautiful", "When I Think About Cheating" and his duet with Shirley Brown on "Trust". As a footnote, the lilting, melodic Pop ballad "My Lover My Friend" could probably even snatch up some of that Disney money. Horns are an integral part of Soul music and Harrison Callaway and the Muscle Shoals Horns add layers of frosting to an already sweet éclair. The production is crisp, full and clean on each and every track either produced by the Clayton/Vick Allen team, Mike Snoddy or Paul Richmond. There are too many highlights to mention but upbeat shuffle-bumpers like "My Miss America", "Sweet Lady" and "She Holding Back" are surefire radio staples. Even the lone two covers are exemplary. Tyrone Davis' "Can I Change My Mind" has been covered often but the version here is the first one that makes the song sound fresh. Same goes for Johnnie Taylor's "Running Out Of Lies". A lot of talent went into this project so "Gifted" may be the album to beat come this year's Southern Soul Awards.Excerpts from by Dylann DeAnna (Blues Critic).I edited my profile at Freeweblayouts.net , check out these Myspace Layouts!
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