Customer Reviews

Be Yourself

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

 

 

I had this album on a cassette tape that I borrowed and it had been destroyed and I only remembered one song (which I had the title only half right). I loved the song 'Yo Mister' which I thought was Hey Mister. I didn't know the name of the tape or remember any of the other songs, but in any event, just getting the Mister right helped me to find this album that I had been searching for for two years. This song is so eerie, that only Prince could compose it and Patti could do justice in performing it. I love the whole album. It really gets me energized like a 20 year old, and I'm 57. Just get the album and see for yourself.

So it's been ten years since this collection was released, and by no means has it collected any dust on my shelf. It is a constant in the CD rotation, most notably for the funk.

When I first heard "Yo Mister", I almost shook my car silly rocking in the seat. This was Prince at some of his best funk, and Patti doing something quite different that we'd heard before. The combination of "Yo", and "Love 89" are enough to make this disc a must-have for you.

Other hot tracks are "If You Asked Me To", which is good on CD, but SOOOOOO much better live in concert. Also, "Be Yourself" gets high marks. Again, the live performance will make you believe.

In fact, the real joy of Patti can only be experienced live. Patti, by her own admission, feeds so much on the emotion of the crowd, and us to hers, that it's impossible to capture raw Patti on CD. Unless of course, you get 1992's Live! or 1998's "Live-One Night Only". If you get the latter, make sure it's the boxed set with the video....she sings with LUTHER VANDROSS on the video, but not on the CD.

This is a terrific CD. I bought it originally as a cassette when it first came out and have since replaced it as a CD amd bought the maxi-CD of Yo, Mister. Prince co-wrote that one and years later I would use it as a springboard for a script that i screen wrote and directed.
I'm now getting back into reassembling my entire Patti Collection. I've seen her in concert and this CD was one of her break out bests as it started a healthy collaborative effort with others. I highly suggest you buy it.

She did "If You Ask Me To" before and better than Celine Dion.

"Love 89" is a classic!

"I Can't Complain" should have been a hit.

Buy it and you'll see why.

Absolutely , this is one of her best albums. It is very diverse with ballads, uptempo R&B, and modern funk courtesy of 2 HOT songs from Prince. It has some of the best ballads that Patti ever did, like the astounding IF YOU ASKED ME TO, which Patti did first & best, and Celine Dion covered [ just like how those bland pop singers did in the late 50's by appropriating R&B songs by black artists & scoring pop hits with ]. That opening song alone means you're in for more of the best singing that Patti ever put forth in the studio. The beauty of gorgeously sung , melodically arranged ballads is evident on songs like I CAN'T COMPLAIN, I CAN FLY & I'M SCARED OF YOU, which are all done in the best classic Philly style. Uptempo R&B like STILL IN LOVE and BE YOURSELF are a nice change of pace , and provide variety & diversity. The best of these include the Prince produced & written LOVE 89, where Patti just gets to testify with that amazing voice and energy that goes into the stratosphere! YO MISTER is the other Prince song, a hit for Patti & a funky message song that is timeless. One of my favorite albums from Patti's tenure with MCA, and before she started loading her albums with all ballads. Patti mixes the uptempo & the beautiful slow songs expertly on this treasured album.

MRS. PATTI LABELLE YOU ARE THE BEST, I LOVE YOUR MUSIC I LISTEN TO IT ALL THE TIME NO ONE CAN TAKE YOUR PLACE I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET YOUR COOK BOOK I WATCHED YOU ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA YOUR DISHES LOOKED SURPERED I WANT TO COOK LIKE YOU DO I HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESURE I HOPE TO MEET YOU ONE DAY IN PERSON I LOVE YOU MRS. PATTI

In 1989 this CD was released by Patti LaBelle, I completly understand why she took on this style of music. Two years after LaBelle released this album. Donna Summer took on her own album Mistaken Identity, both of these albums expressed who inspired rap and hip-hop. LaBelle's album "Be Yourself" sure let her be herself. "If you asked me to" her balladish song was used in the 1989 movie "Liscense To Kill". "Yo Mister" was Patti's crazy song. It would have been nicer if Patti's background singers would shut up in that song. The song was all background. Similar to Summer's "What is it you want". Love 89 was put to the test. Three 8-10 year olds who would rather spend a day listening to ACDC or Nelly. All tested "Love 89". Child 1 commented "The song was very silly." Child 2 spoke out by saying "Patti LaBelle is totally hip-hop" Child 3 told me "I liked it but she screamed too much." They all rated 4 1/2 except for the child who listened to ACDC 5. This album IS NOT your run-of-the-mill. Patti LaBelle album. If you WOULD like to see another side of LaBelle than this album is for you.

As other people have stated, Patti really shines on the albums' ballads fabulous! The uptempo songs are different but are not bad. It shows her winningness to experiment and try new songs/vocal approaches. The hit song, "If You Asked Me To" should have reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. At least it did make the Top 10 of the Adult Contemporary. The title track is a percolating, uplifting song. While "I Got It Like That", produced by Full Force is surprisingly enjoyable! The middle of the album has the most disappointing songs. The album version of" Yo Mister" is underwhelming while "Love 89" sounds absolutely ridiculous! It is a song that Patti should have rejected with immediate effect! It is a song I would not care to hear her perform live, ever! Thankfully the album hits the high it did in the beginning with the two closing songs. My favourites of the ballads are "If Youu Asked Me To", "I Can Fly", "Need A Little Faith" and "I Can't Complain." Overall, "Be Yourself" is an album worth adding to your music collection if you do not already own a copy.

Here is my rating of each track:
1. "If You Asked Me To" 5/5
2. "I Can't Complain" 5/5
3. "Be Yourself" 4/5
4. "Yo Mister" 3/5
5. "I Got It Like That" 4/5
6. "Love 89" 1/5 (SKIP IT)
7. "Still In Love" 3/5
8. "I'm Scared Of You" 3/5
9. "Can't Break Me Down" 4/5
10. "Need A Little Faith" 5/5
11. "I Can Fly" 5/5

Patti Labelle's Be Yourself is a perfect example of two many hands in the pot. Although a good effort by Labelle, it has a lot to be desired. By far the ballads are the best (as is usually the case with most of her work), followed by the two Prince penned tunes Yo Mister and Love 89. Even the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced Be Yourself is just medicore. Not nearly Labelle's best work, but far from being her worst.