Coming Back to You

Melinda Doolittle | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 3, 2009)
• Original Release Date: February 3, 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hi Fi Recordings
• ASIN: B001K98M8M
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,471 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soul Magic, November 13, 2008

By 

J. Moffet - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Coming Back to You (MP3 Download)

From start to finish, Melinda Doolittle's new album, "Coming Back to You" is simply soul magic. Thirteen songs showcase her vocal range with an exquisite blend of gritty blues, Tina Turner-style rockers, smooth jazz (imagine Nancy Wilson but even better), and beautiful ballads reminiscent of "My Funny Valentine" which feature Melinda's rich velvety vocals set against lush instrumental backdrops. Every song has as its foundation, soul, pure powerful heartfelt soul. Most albums have four or five "good" songs tops. This album has thirteen "incredible" songs, no duds! Each song is like a miniature tapestry, where Melinda paints a musical picture-story with her voice. If you're searching for an album you can play from start to finish, listen to over and over, and never tire of it, this one's for you.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Forgettable Songs, Beautifully Sung, April 6, 2009

By 

Joshua Cohen "Cooking Since Childhood" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Coming Back to You (Audio CD)

Of all the American Idol contestants, Melinda Doolittle has been my favorite. I knew she wouldn't win with her sophisticated song stylings, but I also knew she had a voice we could be listening to for the next century...something like a modern day Gladys Knight or Ella Fitzgerald. So I have been looking forward to her first album for some time.

First, let may say everything is beautifully sung and I still believe she could become a musical legend. However, I hate to say the choice of songs left me cold. I would have much preferred an album of standards like her brilliant interpretation of Roger and Hart's "My Funny Valentine." A voice of this power and ability needs proven songs that can stand up to it and this mediocre collection of undistinguished R&B numbers simply does not.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Melinda Doolittle's Debut CD, February 3, 2009

By 

Tom "Bassman23" (Lakeville, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coming Back to You (Audio CD)

"Let's get back to the fundamental things
Let's get back to the elements of style"

So sings Melinda Doolittle in the opening cut of "Coming Back to You", her debut CD. And get back she does, applying her impressive vocals to grooves, rhythms and melodies that span the best of the past, including songs from Robert Johnson (a scintillating "Dust My Broom", "Walking Blues") and Sammy Cahn (gorgeous renditions of "The Best of Everything", "I'll Never Stop Loving You" and "Wonder Why"). Other standouts include "It's Your Love", an outstanding "girl group" effort and "If I'm Not in Love", a song made famous by Faith Hill and reimagined as a soul burner. Few artists have the vocal chops of Melinda Doolittle, but it's her emotional connection to the material that makes her one of the best vocalists of her generation. This CD both satisfies and whets the appetite for more - five stars.
After listening to this CD for months, both in my car and on my home system, I have one recommendation for anyone who wants to understand how great Melinda is: Listen to "Wonder Why", the final song on "Coming Back to You".
It is just Melinda's voice, backed by a Fender Rhodes style piano. And her phrasing is astonishing - utterly beguiling. There are a few examples of an artist so completely inhabiting a song that it becomes a definitive version. Eva Cassidy's "Over The Rainbow" comes to mind, but where Eva's emotional center was one of human yearning so poignant as to break one's heart, Melinda's emotional center here is of the giddy feelings of first love; not a childish fantasy, but a mature appreciation of having the self-confidence to lose oneself in another. After being impressed with Melinda's star turn with "My Funny Valentine" on Idol, this performance proves that Melinda Doolittle was born to carry the Great American Songbook to a new generation.
All of the performances on "Coming Home to You" are great. "Wonder Why" is world class. Melinda, please do an album of standards and take your place as the Ella Fitzgerald of your generation.