Customer Reviews

Everything-N-More

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Aretha Franklin may be the Queen of Soul, but Chaka Khan's vast body of work, and numerous protege and imitators would indicate her influence in pop music is not something to be over-looked. Vesta Williams is one of several former back-up singers to Ms Chaka who have gone on to solo careers of their own (others Sandra St. Victor, Penny Ford, and Meli'sa Morgan). Vesta (who dropped the sur name few albums ago) has the pipes and energy to bring any recording session to a halt and the album "Everything N' More" is a great showcase for her particular brand of emotive singing. On the funky side, we have what is perhaps the best re-make of the Gap Band's "Outstanding" smash ever on record - thanks to Chuckii Booker's arranging talents. Also, "So Good" is one of those long long funk jams that makes you want to get dressed-up and go out dancing!

On the slower side the best tunes would be Vesta's collaborations with Brian McKnight (a musical marriage made in soul heaven) "Over & Over" and "Can't Let Go", the latter makes you want to reach out to the singer and offer a hanky and a few words of wisdom to just move on and forget about the pain of the past . .. But she sings the misery so well. Vesta even flaunts her jazz-singing chops on at least two tracks, the soft, plea of "Tell Me" and the introspective mid-tempo "In Your Mind", where the scatting is old school and the instrumental surroundings contemporary nods to the past.

This album should be in your collection if fine versatile soulful vocals are what you really like to listen to.

Go buy it!

KDP

Aretha Franklin may be the Queen of Soul, but Chaka Khan's vast body of work, and numerous protege and imitators would indicate her influence in pop music is not something to be over-looked. Vesta Williams is one of several former back-up singers to Ms Chaka who have gone on to solo careers of their own (others Sandra St. Victor, Penny Ford, and Meli'sa Morgan). Vesta (who dropped the sur name few albums ago) has the pipes and energy to bring any recording session to a halt and the album "Everything N' More" is a great showcase for her particular brand of emotive singing. On the funky side, we have what is perhaps the best re-make of the Gap Band's "Outstanding" smash ever on record - thanks to Chuckii Booker's arranging talents. Also, "So Good" is one of those long long funk jams that makes you want to get dressed-up and go out dancing!

On the slower side the best tunes would be Vesta's collaborations with Brian McKnight (a musical marriage made in soul heaven) "Over & Over" and "Can't Let Go", the latter makes you want to reach out to the singer and offer a hanky and a few words of wisdom to just move on and forget about the pain of the past . .. But she sings the misery so well. Vesta even flaunts her jazz-singing chops on at least two tracks, the soft, plea of "Tell Me" and the introspective mid-tempo "In Your Mind", where the scatting is old school and the instrumental surroundings contemporary nods to the past.

This album should be in your collection if fine versatile soulful vocals are what you really like to listen to.

Go buy it!

This album shows her always impressive vocal stylings. There are many good songs on this album & nearly no filler! She has a bit of a more individualized sound here than on her pervious album! This is an album that you will not want to miss!!!

Released in 1993, this was Vesta's fourth and final album for A&M Records and was considerably more diverse than her three previous albums. "Tell Me" and "In Your Mind" are Jazz numbers on which Vesta both scats and displays the natural depth and range of her voice. The Pop-R&B ballad "Always" was the CD's big hit but it (strangely) failed to cross over onto the Pop charts--it certainly had the potential to become a major Adult Contemporary hit. As a singer, Vesta Williams is well-known for her distinctive voice but crossover success has always eluded her. "Everything N More" is not as powerful an album as 1988's "Vesta 4U" or 1991's "Special" but it's still worth getting if you're a serious fan of 1980s and '90s R&B.

The CD case and cover was worn and the last track on the CD skips throughout it's entirety but I don't like the last song, so that's ok. Overall the quality of the CD is good although I was worried that the CD would get stuck in my car radio because it was slow to eject.

FROM BEGINNING TO END A GREAT CD. BUY IT! IF YOU LOVE VESTA'S VOICE LIKE I DO. YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT IN YOUR COLLECTION.

Vesta Williams' release Everything-N-More is a mature level of entertainment so that she simply goes by just Vesta. Showing hands on experience with writing and or co-writing five of the eleven songs it has a deeper feeling. Starting this LP off on a good note with a mature relaxing sound, "I'll Give You My Love" gives direction for what's to come. Brian McKnight adds a smoother edge production on both "Over & Over" and "Can't Let Go". "Now That I Have You" is an up-tempo pop dance tune that changes the tone of the album without destroying the chemistry. For a more old school feel, "Always" is a slow song where Vesta shows her vocal ability. She goes up and down the scale on "Tell Me" for another slow groove. To change the pace with an almost jazzy, stage show on "In Your Mind". Some of the songs resemble Chaka Khan with a more modern attitude. This album could do without the hip-hop tracks that negated the feel of the album, but she did give Everything-N-More.