An Underrated Soul Masterpiece !
P. D. Laffey | Hitchin | 07/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sorry , but I have to totally disagree with Rickey Wright's Editorial Review above , this album is every bit as good as Marvin Gaye's - Midnight Love , and to describe the uptempo R&B of - So Many Sides Of You - as " reggae-tinged " is tenuous to the extreme .After a period of turmoil in his life , Bobby Womack returned to the studio to make The Poet for the small Beverly Glen label . It was the use of these recording sessions as a cathartic healing process that inspired him to write some of the finest songs of his long career . The voice was as great as the songs , with a hint of pain , as Bobby sang about the highs and lows of relationships . Incredibly the magnificent first five tracks were surpassed by the majestic trilogy that concluded the album as Bobby took it to another level by really getting down , sometimes pleading , and sometimes testifying in that gritty voice of his , but always leaving the listener emotionally drained , as he proved beyond doubt that he could still deliver some of the deepest soul out there ! Ironically the success of this album only intensified Bobby Womack's woes , as he became entangled in a legal writ with Beverly Glen over the royalties , but if that was the price he had to pay in creating this masterpiece I would selfishly say it was worth it , as I really do believe that this just might be the greatest soul album of the Eighties ."
Still sounds good after all these years!!!!
Christopher Jones | Odenton, MD United States | 01/31/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Even though it's over 20 years old, Poet is still one of my favorite records. My mother had it on wax, and finally had to get rid of it. When I ordered the CD, it was like being transported back in time. As long as the oldies are on CD, I'll never have to listen to that noise they call music on the radio."