Search - Gladys Knight :: At Last

Gladys is Awesome

L. Amie | Dallas, Texas USA | 03/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even after all these years in the music business, Gladys Knight still has a beautiful, strong voice. They need a radio station for old diva's and old singers, because this CD will not be able to make it in the "shake it fast, watch yourself", market called urban radio."

It's Growing!

the4thpip | Florida | 03/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, being the Gladys Knight fanatic that I am, I expected to either love it immediately, or to at least have it grow on me. What I didn't expect was for both to happen! While I loved the strong material and her impeccable vocals from the first listening, AT LAST's fine nuances make me fall in love with it over and over again - and every time I play it (and I mean several times a day), I discover something new and unique about it. The most youthful track on the CD must be "Greatest Love of All" - not the George Benson song, but a spiritual dance tune that will give Mary Mary a run for their money! In a similar vein comes "If I Were Your Woman II", a familiar title on a new song about the way men behave around the woman when they're not married to her... "I Said You Lied" is a strong, confident ballad that sees a familiar, angry Gladys borrow a line from "Neither one of us..." Take that, Les Brown! The confidence of a woman who has fought many battles and lived to tell the tale also shines through in the duet with youngster Jamie Foxx, "I Wanna Be Loved", the somewhat 1990-ish Babyface ballad "Love Hurts", the modern country music cover "Rose Bouquet", "Do You Really Wanna Know..." and "Better Love Next Time." "Something Blue" is a haunting, dark track that clearly carries the weight of the losses Gladys had to endure over the past 3 years. "Just Take Me", produced and arranged by veterans Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin is a song about love on every level: spiritual, emotional and phsyical - and as I have found out myself, it can really put people in the mood for love! The most surprising track for me vocally was Gladys' cover of the country classic "Please Help Me I'm Falling (In Love With You), as it takes Gladys into Holly Cole territory! She does things with her voice here I've never heard her do! Very, very moving indeed. "Grandma's Hands" was added to the track listing after the CD's release date was moved to 2001, and the album is the stronger for it. Those kids who don't know the Bill Withers original might think Gladys is borrowing from Blackstreet here, when those boys just sampled old Bill...



The only thing that bothers me about this CD is that it has not been released in Europe here, nor has there been a commercially available single. Gladys says she has sorted out her problems with MCA, I think they're still not promoting her properly!"

Wonderful!

the4thpip | 03/26/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

""At Last" is definitely one of Gladys Knight's best recordings ever. The CD is both comtemporary and timeless, full of songs that bring out the best in Knight's soulful, heartfelt voice. Although it's hard to pick favorite songs on this CD, Knight reaches her highest heights in the ballads about love gone wrong. "I Say You Lied" is destined to be a classic. "Something Blue" brings chills to the spine, sung as only Knight can sing it. "Love Hurts" is a sad, beautiful tune. My only regret with this CD is that Knight chose to sing a duet with Jamie Foxx, who simply cannot sing. But skip quickly over that song and you'll have an incredible listening experience."