Search - George Benson :: 20/20

One of my favorite albums in my collection!

Music Lover | Annapolis, MD | 11/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even the reviewers who trashed this album are right in a way. It is very soul/pop/light jazz oriented and to me that is just fine. Benson does that type of music so much better than most artists. The first 5 songs (or 1st side of the original album) are flawless. "Hang Around You" is a wonderful song which got airplay on lightrock radio. This song should have been a major hit. It is light and breezy and Benson sounds like he is enjoying himself. He displays his jazz chops on "Beyond the Sea" very nicely. "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love" is a wonderful ballad which I like even better than the Glen Medeiros version which was a hit. The 2 album openers are uptempo numbers and yes are very synth oriented but they are very enjoyable songs.



The title track "20/20" is the only flawed track on the album, though it isn't bad. His voice sounds a little sped up and the song is mildly overproduced. His lovely duet with Roberta Flack is a joy to hear as is the haunting "New Day." For his guitar fans, he also gives us a good instrumental.



Yes, the album mostly focuses on Benson's vocals and fans of his guitar work will be disappointed. Of course, I love hearing him play guitar, but also enjoy his singing as well.



Really, even though I love Stevie Wonder, I thought that this album was better than what Wonder himself was doing at the same time.



A must to avoid for jazz purists, but should be a delight to soul/pop fans like myself. A nice album to relax to.







"

My favorite Benson recording

C Jones | Tacoma, WA | 07/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't listen to the haters. There's substantial musical value on this album. Love the 80s DX synths, and great songwriting, melodically and harmonically. If someone can provide a legitimate critique of the actual songwriting and production on this album, I'm all ears. Until then, it's my favorite Benson--even more than "Breezin'" or "Bad Benson." If you're not afraid to admit you like stuff that other people think is "cheesy," please buy this. The opening track alone is worth it--I'll never forget the first time I heard it. In fact, I like all the songs except the throwback "Beyond the Sea," which is actually the one track the haters seem to like the most, steeped in traditional jazz and arrangement techniques as it is. To me, it is the worst track on the album, in the sense that it is completely out of place in the midst of all the other mid-80s awesomeness.



Highly, highly recommended, especially for those who understand and appreciate jazz but aren't snobs who only want acoustic instruments and "swinging.""

WHAT A SURPRISE

C Jones | 04/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was in England when Glenn Medeiros had released Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You. At the time, it was a very special song for me. I was surprised to find that George Benson had actually written this song and Glenn Medeiros used it to win a talent show with. Gleen won the talent show. He recorded and released this song. And as of 1999, it sold over 10 million copies."