Thomtay Records have, as you have hopefully read, released the "You Can't Blame Love" revisited compilation - their first of 3 releases. This, "Soul Music Series 2" continues this troika of goodies and features their daughter, Gladys E. Thomas, Bernie Felton, High Life, Marisol Green, Lew Kirton as well as Thomas & Taylor themselves. This is a seriously tasty compilation with few fillers. By the sound of these tunes, they range from mid 80s material through to today, and what a jolly nice mix it is too! The opening track is one that I did not expect to like...you know my feelings on remakes and coverts...but this 2010 remake is actually very, very good and makes the song anew. Musically very different but the vocal direction is very true to the original. It works very well and Gladys does a great job. The next song she also excels on. "The Morning" is a modern track but has some Y2K sensibilities thrown in for good measure. This beat ballad will not fail to impress. "Ain't It Good Love" also works very nicely as well, and her sexy vocal compliments the beats very well. I have to say that the rap actually works nicely too!A new name to me is the superb male vocalist Bernie Felton. This has all the bearing of a song cut in the 1986 - 1987 period and had I heard it back then would have been down to my local importers in Portsmouth tout suite! Such a great vocalist with a real sense of soul about him. A question we all ask - I know I flippin' well do... - is "How Come Love Won't Come?" Love the lyrics of this song and not too sure about the vocalist, Marisol Green, but a great tune nonetheless. Her follow-up tune is a lot more up my alley, and a more recent venture to boot, methinks. "Sweet Melody" is a great track and one that would appeal to those who like the chunkier effort of, say Ashanti Munir. The great Lew Kirton ends the CD on a hippity hoppity note with "We Can Change The World" - again I like the lyrics, but I don't think this style really suits him...but he still carries it off very well indeed! A worthy release.
Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe
The Vibe Scribe
