Customer Reviews

Good Woman

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

 

 

Miss Knight showed the world in 91 with her first album for MCA and proved that she can start her solo career without her Pips and she succeeds. Using Attala Zane Giles (Vesta's producer) to craft her an album that would push her to the adult contemporary field without sounding trite. Other producers were used as well and they made a bonafide star. Using backing vocalese of Vesta Williams, Alfie Silas, Vonceile Faggett, Patti LaBelle, Dionne Warwick, Alex Brown and a slew of others, they helped her succeed to being a staying force in this crazy business. Songs like Men, Meet Me In The Middle, Where Would I Be, If You Only Knew were cream top confections. Great Job Girl! Grade: A++++++

Gladys Knight who is the The First Lady Of Soul..recorded this cd after she and Pips decided to go their separate ways.. the first single "Men" went straight to #1 on the R&B charts. A good mixture of Ballads and Uptempo dance tracks made this a strong third solo cd from Ms.Gladys!!

"Good Woman" was Gladys's 3rd solo album. Unlike the two earlier efforts (from 1978 and '79 respectively), this release was more elaborate, carefully crafted and successful. Gladys, working primarily with little known producers like Zane Giles and D.C. Wilson, co-wrote and co-produced much of the record. It reached #1 on Billboard magazine's R&B album charts and produced the #2 R&B single "Men". Cuts like "Meet Me In The Middle", "Gimme A Chance" and the aforementioned "Men" court the 'new jack swing' sound which was popular at the time. Knight, proving the timelessness of her style, is at home with the busy beats and skittering production flourishes. The ballads do not work as well. Hitmaker Michael Powell provides "Where Would I Be". This languid number might have suited someone like Anita Baker, but it doesn't play to Gladys's declamatory strengths. The lyric to "Superwoman" (a massive hit previously for Karyn White) couldn't be more appropriate for Knight's persona and steel-belted sound, but the vocal rearrangement (to accomodate appearances from Dionne Warwick and Patti Labelle) sabotages the song's momentum. I think Gladys would've handled it better as a solo. "Mr. Love" is a slow number co-written by Gladys that is a cut above. It has a strong melody that Gladys, with what has been called her 'minamilist style', invests with weighty conviction.

As I've said before, when a singer is saddled with a producer that knows the talent, he/she can make something wonderful. That is the case of Gladys Knight's "Men", an album that features five tracks produced by Attila Zane Giles ("Men," "Good Woman," "Mr. Love," "Waiting on You," and "If You Only Know"), two by D.C. ("Meet Me in the Middle" and "Give Me a Chance"), two by Michael J. Powell ("Superwoman" and "Where Would I Be"), one each by Howie Rice ("This is Love") and Barry Mann ("In this Life").

With four distinctive talents helming the various songs, it might seem a bit crowded. However, each of the craftsmen respect and know how to fit songs around such a legendary voice as Ms. Knight. Backed by some of the best musicians around (David Peaston, Gerald Albright, Greg Phillinganes, Vesta, Dionne Warwick, Patti Labelle, Nathan East, and brother Bubba), Knight is definitely comfortable with each of the varied tunes that run from New Jack Swing to romantic ballads to the inspirational.

A lesser artist would be overshadowed by the production, but Knight has been around too long to be intimidated by anyone.

Her five-decade longevity proves that even a fourteen-year-old album can still punch as big a kick as it did when it was released in 1991.

Gladys Knight is one of the most controversial artists to me.
She probably has one of the best voices in R'n'B.
She could easily be a winner, and yet...yet the A&R staff must be not working properly for her.
Why in the world she does not get good songs and good production?
This album boasts as a # 1, the opening track (MEN) blows you away, her rendition of Karyn White's SUPERWOMAN (wonderfully sang as a trio along with Patti LaBelle and Dionne Warwick) is moving to the point and she also steps in the hip hop arena with the Salt'n'Pepa back ups on MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE.
And you can't complain about the soulful side too.
WAITING ON YOU and IN THIS LIFE are good ballads.
Yet this album misses a real hit or some solid production.
But you can forgive her (almost) everything with a voice like that!

gladys knight's first offering as a solo artist has proven itself to be everything expected an more. it is undeniable that gladys knight & the pips produced some excellent work as a group, but that's exactly what they were. the democratic nature of their association resulted in the production of some incredible music, but none of it rings as personal as the material on _good woman_. there's not a single song on this album, into which ms. knight does not pour every ounce of her experience with three failed relationships and that kind of honesty in performance is hard to find. of particular note is a remake of karyn white's "superwoman", involving patti labelle and dionne warwick. this song, which resulted from the knight-produced special _sister in the name of love_ which showcased the talent of african american female vocalists is a moment in music-making history. "if you only knew" and "mr. love" are beautiful in their perfection and "meet me in the middle"-on which salt-n-pepa make a guest appearance-shows that knight is as up-to-date as her sister in the name of love, patti labelle.

By the time Gladys Knight recorded this album in 1991, she really had nothing left to prove. She worked several different producers on this CD and she flawlessly covers everything from Gospel-influenced Soul to adult-contemporary ballads to New Jack Swing with the results being surprisingly good for such a diverse set. Ms. Knight's producers obviously knew they were dealing with one of R&B's greatest voices and as such allowed her to be the real star of the show. While I would not go as far as daring to compare this CD with Gladys' classic Motown and Buddah LPs, I will say it's one of her best efforts from the 1990s. Enjoy!

Thank you so much. I really bought this CD for only one track and that with Patti,dionne,SUPERWOMAN, it's so awesome.thank you so much

When I was a child, I didn't pay much attention to the vocals of an artist; I was more interested in the quality of the song. But, ironically, there were two voices that I appreciated and fell in love with as soon as I heard them at about age 3. Mavis Staples and Gladys Knight are those voices. Their soul oozes out of them when they sing. They can sing anything, from the fastest tempoed song to the slowest ballad, and their voices never change. These two women epitomize singing talent. "Good Woman" is a decent album, but, sadly, there are no truly memorable moments found here. Some songs stay with you a bit longer than others, but you will not find anything that compares to "Midnight Train to Georgia", "Love Overboard" and "Neither One of Us" on this LP.

Gladys Knight called upon Patti LaBelle and Dionne Warwick to lend their talents for a rendition of Karyn White's hit, "Superwoman." I adore Knight, LaBelle and Warwick, I really do, but even they can't capture the magic that Karyn White brought on "Superwoman." These ladies offer a jazz rendition of the song and it's good, especially when they go all out vocally at the end, but White's version is in a league of its own. "Meet in the Middle" contains a Salt-N-Pepa sample which works. This song sounds dated, but Knight delivers some impressive vocals, but when doesn't she? "In This Life" is a ballad with some nice lyrics and decent production. "If You Only Knew" and "Mr. Love" are too ballads. They both contain good production and lyrics, and Knight does only what she can do with those vocals.

Though Knight is a legend in the music industry, this album is by no means legendary. The best thing about this album is her voice, but, to make a good album, more is required. In short, Knight's best work was with those fellers known as the Pips.

Mikeisha's Top 5

1. "Waiting on You"
2. "Good Woman"
3. "Superwoman"
4. "Men"
5. "In this Life"

Although this was not one of her most popular albums, i thought it was done well and i really like the album! It has women impowering songs and good love songs.