Customer Reviews

All Our Love

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was Gladys Knight and the Pips last recorded album together before Gladys went off on her solo career. It is well worth having, not just from the collector's point of view, but because there are some interesting and great numbers.

From the opening number "Love Overboard" with it's heavy beat, pulsating bass, and complex instrumental and vocal arrangements, this one is a cooker! No wonder this was a big hit single! "Lovin' On Next To Nothing" was another big hit from this work. "You" is a wonderful ballad that is a soulful love anthem! "Let Me Be The One" is a masterful ballad that Gladys sings perfectly. The scorcher, "Complete Recovery" has a catchy beat with a wildly fun arrangement plus a hot sax solo. "It's Gonna Take All Our Love" is the most magnificent song on the album. It has rich feeling, a beautiful arrangement, and Gladys singing from the depth of her soul. The final song "Overnight Success" is one of Gladys' great torch songs. The string section of this song was arranged by Burt Bacharach.

Certainly a must mention is the contribution from brilliant musicians on this album. George Duke, Dave Koz, Billy Preston, Jeff Lorber, Tom Snow, and Pablo Batista are just a few of the names that may be familiar to most music lovers. The album was produced by Gladys and her brother Bubba. It is a genuine labor of love.

If you are a Gladys Knight and the Pips fan and haven't added this one to your collection, you must ask yourself "why?" Don't put it off, get it soon.

This is the final full-CD effort released by the group before Knight began her current career as a solo performer. It includes one of their biggest and best hits: "Love Overboard". Gladys rides the slinky groove with restrained passion, while the Pips support her with some of their most appropriate falsetto cries ("Doot! Doot! Doot!"). The rest of the CD's songwriting and production doesn't live up to the standard of "Overboard" (which was written and produced by Reggie and Vincent Calloway), but Knight's singing consistently packs punch. Her throbbing wails ring out on tracks like "Complete Recovery" and "Say What You Mean".

Worth looking for is a clip of Gladys Knight's appearance
on a 1988 episode of "A Different World" performing the bassy
funk groove of "Love Overboard" with Jasmine Guy and another
talented yet unsung singer-Dawnn Lewis.The album contains almost
two handfuls of like material-all hot late 80's synth bass-driven stompers with Knights likeable,explosive voice bringing
out the groove in each number.And as usual the ballads are
FIRST RATE.Some of the cuts are a little experimental musically
but Gladys & The Pips are never far away from their own groove.
I could tell 2000 words on how great each song on this album is
but I can't so don't let the late date put you off.This is one
of their best overall albums!

No one realized when this lp\cd was released it would be the last official release from Gladys Knight & the Pips, well what a great finale cd that went GOLD! featuring the #1 R&B hit 'Love Overboard'..this is a strong lp by this group, i remember seeing them when they toured this lp and 'Complete Recovery' sounded great live...and what a great song 'Overnight Success' is, more artists in the business could learn a thing from Gladys by hearing this song!

Her vocals are impressive and emotive. All the tracks are great. My favourite is the hit single "Love Overboard." Recommended.

"All Our Love" is a delightful CD, albeit uneven as far as material is concerned, with high quality vocals from Miss Knight and The Pips throughout.
The first three songs LOVE OVERBOARD, LIVING ON NEXT TO NOTHING, and THIEF IN PARADISE (my personal favorite) are fantastic; energetic, powerful and complex. YOU deserves honorable mention for the great vocals. LET ME BE THE ONE is a romantic ballad with a lovely melody. COMPLETE RECOVERY is a terrific up-tempo number that sizzles. SAY WHAT YOU MEAN (the title kind of says it all) a pounding message song, sung with truth and conviction with outstanding vocal arrangements.
On the remaining cuts it is the arrangements, not the vocals, that range from clumsy to lackluster; IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OUR LOVE is simply a slow, bland ballad. LOVE IS FIRE (LOVE IS ICE) has a great chorus, but little else worth mentioning, while POINT OF VIEW had the most potential for a great mid-tempo gem but falls a bit short.
The exception comes at the end of the disc; OVERNIGHT SUCCESS is a ballad beauty that works on many levels. A truly outstanding recording.

Perhaps because "All Our Love" is Gladys Knight & The Pips' last CD together, it was the producers goal to give us a collection that showcased all of the styles of music that this brilliant group has entertained us with over the years. Overall, this is a CD that any Gladys Knight and the Pips fan will enjoy having in their collection for many reasons.

Mot one of Gladys Knights more famous CD's but nevertheless a gem. If you love Gladys and haven't got this one then its your own fault.

I liked Gladys Knight and the Pips' very last album as a group. I thought that they sounded good over the newer '80s technology of music that dominated the album. But Gladys Knight and her group were on for the challenge and they succeeded. Strong songs like Love Overboard, the dramatic title song, Say What You Mean, You, Lovin on Next To Nothin, and others. While this won't match their Midnight Train to Georgia era of hits from the'70s, this was a fabulous swan song for the group. And Gladys' soulful voice just cuts through on all the songs.