GC Cameron is, in my view a superstar. He has sung lead vocals for two of the most spectacular soul vocal groups of all-time, the Spinners and thenThe Temptations, and has had a string of glittering albums himself as a solo artist from 1974. In my opinion he should be a lot bigger than he is. If anyone ever doubts the validity of this case then please let "Shadows" change your opinion. This was released well into 2004 and of the 11 songs on offer there are only two that failed to impress me. The groove is definitely in the Y2K bag without aiming at the kids' R&B market and balances steppers and ballads in perfect measure. We never get tired listening to this. The man definitely still has the guts and the gravel in his delivery that we all know and love. G. C. Cameron soothes, he growls and he hollers his way with a powerful voice powered by the magical ingredient which is SOUL. "Foolish" is the perfect opener on this CD and instantly won me over. The beats and eerie synth very cosy bedfellows indeed, drenched in Cameron's versatile chops. This track alone is worth the price of a CD. Add to this the KILLER "My House" with its warm Rhodes has some seriously delicious Impromp2 overtones; a track like this is written for warmer, longer days. "I choose Your Love" is a contemporary ballad with elements and throwbacks to the great vocal group tradition with the harmonies. Very nice indeed. Another killer for me is the luscious, sax filled ballad, "Falling Bridges" which apes at the traditional nursery rhyme. What a lovely track and one that really stands as one of the cream cuts. I think that "No Lovin' Til Friday" is possibly the most 'today' inclusions as it is quite sparse - again the organ pops up, but the song is quite quirky and not bad at all. Funkier than this is the "Inner City Blues" Marvin Gaye-ish vocal cut "Price". On this, Cameron sounds both like Larry Graham and Ron Tyson - is this one hell of a feat or not?! "Got What You Need" is a more traditional outing and fares well, but pales in comparison with the KILLER "Shadows II"... oh what a track. This is what real soul music is all about, and yet again we are reminded that that there is some strong music about. The original Ardent 7" from 1989 isn't bad either, so seek that out if you haven't already. The 70s styled ballad "Truly Wonderful" - an apt title - closes the lid on our listening pleasure, and has our hero crooning and letting rip in the most fantastic fashion away to a gentle swishing tempo, bringing to an end the latest instalment of this great man's ongoing career. Let's have more of this in 2009! Readily available from CD Baby! Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe
The Vibe Scribe
