Customer Reviews

Get Loose

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Evelyn King followed up on the success of her 1981 album I'm in Love (see my review above) with this even bigger smash from 1982. This time Morrie Brown took charge of producing the whole album, with Kashif and Lawrence Jones (now going by his full title of Paul Lawrence Jones III) assisting.

King's voice is on top form and the synthesizer-driven formula is emphasised even more here. Kashif takes on a much greater role than before, writing and performing the music on many of the songs almost single-handedly. Some of the tunes are more bass-driven though: "Back To Love", my favourite song on here, features a bass line played by Wayne Braithwaite that is a huge, rich sound and so vibrant it almost sounds like a living breathing thing. It still amazes me when I listen to it now. Neil Jason plays bass on "I'm Just Warmin' Up", the ballad King closes this album with (and another favourite of mine) and he manages to produce a very similar sound. Deep and solid. I love it. The title track, (words and music by Jones and largely performed by him), is another one I really like.

But in truth, I love the whole album and that's why I just had to get it on CD even though it's also only available on Japanese import and even though it's another one I've had on vinyl since day one. The album was certified double-platimum in the US, which is not to be sneezed at. The album made it to #5 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the R&B album chart. "Love Come Down", which was easily the most popular hit from the album, was a top 20 hit and a #1 R&B hit. It was also King's only UK top 10 hit, peaking at #7.

The follow-up, "Betcha She Don't Love You" was a #2 R&B hit but only made it to #49 on the pop charts. My song "Get Loose" was apparently only released as a single here in Europe and was a top 10 Euro hit and a top 40 hit here in the UK. This album was to be the biggest seller of King's career. Kashif became a big star in his own right following his success with King, releasing albums in his own name and becoming a much sought-after producer. Even jazz guitarist George Benson (who seemed prepared to do anything for pop or r&b fame back then) had a track produced by him on one of his albums in the early to mid-80s.

Whenever my buddies and I are out clubbing or bar-hopping, these are the kinds of songs (when we're lucky enough to hear them) that make us either raise our glasses or jump up and down (never both at once, mind) and scream: "Tuuuunnnnnne!!"

Disco queen turned electrofunk siren Evelyn King gives her fellow contemporary Madonna a run for her money in the dance/funk arena with the synth-dance classic "Love Come Down"
and everything else (including the like-minded title song) pulses along in a similarly compulsive vein.Only the closing
slow groove "I'm Just Warming Up" changes the pace.One of those
albums that NEVER looses sight of a good groove and is the next
logical step from "I'm In Love".

I can't tell you how many YEARS I have been looking for this cd. Now my collection is complete. Thanks ...!!

This is the fifth E.C.K. album and the 4th to go Gold (preceded by "Smooth Talk," 1977, "Music Box" 1979 and "I'm in Love" from 1981. Mighty M Productions are back with her, as is Kashif and Paul Laurence Jones III. The sound is polished to a tee and the vocals sweetly sung in a high register than on the predecessor. Rumour had it then that Kashif was repulsed by Evelyn's lower register saying that he thought she "sounded like a man." This always perplexed me because her voice has paved the way for such artists as Toni Braxton and Monica, to name only a couple. Besides, she didn't sound like a man; she's an alto. Did Phyllis Hyman sound like a man? Did Anne Murray sound like a man? Then 'nuff said. They're women with alto voices, and those very voices are supremely sexy! I won't carry on about the content of this album because others have reviewed it quite extensively already. I will only add that the hits are/were "Love Come Down," the MONSTER of the album, "Betcha She Don't Love You," the second consecutive monster and the title cut. My favorites aside of the hits are "Stop That" and "Back to Love," which were more than certainly qualifiable to have been singles as well.

Who doesn't like Evelyn "Champagne" King? She'd always put out plenty good music back in the day I was more than happy to find "Back to love" which didn't get enough radio play nor would you find it on any of her "best of" series. A true rare find. If you're REALLY old school, I can tell you this cd provides the lyrics which rates this cd a 10. You won't be disappointed buying this cd.

If you haven't purchased an Evelyn King CD and you want one with every cut being good? This is the one. We live in a day when half a CD is good and the other half is usually so so but this CD is good from begining to end.

Since she was 22 when this was made, Evelyn "Champagne" King could no longer call herself disco's teen queen. Not by any means, however, did she throw her talent away. This is probably her most consistently good album, spawning the huge hits "Love Come Down" and "Betcha She Don't Love You" and featuring the soulful dancers "Back To Love" and "Stop That." I'm not sure where she's been since the late 80s, but having been born in 1960, she's certainly still young enough to make many more albums, and she really should, because every album she's ever made so far has been either good or great, and from listening to her albums through the late 80s, she always is able to modernize just a bit without abandoning her trademark grooviness.

I love the Evelyn King song and it also has well known songs on it that are memorable and exciting songs that bring back great memories

We don't need another review of the music itself, here is a technical review. This remaster has at least two big faults. The beginning of the first track has been chopped off by fractions of seconds and you can hear it, that something is wrong with it even if you have never heard the song before. You can easily compare it with the two extra versions included who have not been chopped off.
The the beginning of the Instrumental of Betcha sound as if someone was playing with the pitch, you will hear the tone changing and not being stable. It sounds like the record was warped or could not keep the speed fixed.

A word of warning to those interested in the reissues by Cherry Red and its sublabels like BBR, Cherry Pop etc: they are reissuing lots of great albums, and it's a great idea, but they are "mastering" them very loudly, so they will sound distorted when played on most equipment, several tracks are sourced from vinyl and they do not tell you that, so they will have cracks and pops sometimes, and sound very distorted.

This Album Should Have Sold More Copies Then "Thriller"!!! Evelyn Sings Her Soul Out On These Infectious Grooves, Every Song Is A Winner And They Hold Up Even 23 Years Later!!! A CLASSIC!!