It's Real

James Ingram | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000008GTY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,422 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. It's Real

2. I Wanna Come Back

3. Call on Me

4. So Fine

5. Love Come Down

6. Baby Be Mine

7. (You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Man

8. Love One Day at a Time

9. I Don't Have the Heart

10. Someday We'll All Be Free

11. When Was the Last Time the Music Made You Cry

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's real, real... real, REAL... REAL GOOD, July 16, 2005

By 

Nathan "Cawntry-fried Calypso Beach Bum" (Charlotte, N.C. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Real (Audio CD)

Okay, check it out; Buddy boy had RANGE more than anything. This man's voice was/is incredible and this album was the ish back in the day! I usedta have it on cassette, but I came across the CD in the store the other day and decided my collection was really incomplete without it (course I say that 'bout everything I come across; will any music fan's collection ever be complete?). I agree with the reviewers who commented that he was definitely entrenched in that New Jack Swing sound at this time, but let's lose the trendy sub-labels for a quick second while you're with me, Mr. Non-conformist an' all, an' say that this is jus' some good R&B music; its priceless, they don't make 'em like this anymore. Nothin' overtly-offensive, jus' good lovin' music. The Levert-penned 'I Wanna Come Back' is classic, but the one that brings back the memories for me is 'So Fine' ("Girl ya so fiiiiyyyene, hardta believe it, so fiiiyyyene, I'm feelin' it constantly on my miiyyyynd"). Boy, that hook alone reminds me of them days. He flexes it fa'real on 'Baby Be Mine' though; I'm talkin' incredible vocals. Had I been older at the time, this woulda been the soundtrack for some serious mackin'. The "real soft" side is definitely the superior side for me, and for one reason: 'I Don't Have the Heart'. This one'a them joints that I have to listen to alone to avoid embarrassment and blows to my manhood cause'a how it moves me. It may seem syrupy to some (an' were one'a these young cats nowadays singin' it might be), but the power is in James' vocals; he pours it on, an' that obligatory '80s-soundin' guitar section at the end only enhances it to me. Album closes perfectly too; a moving rendition of 'Someday We'll All Be Free', (even thrown' in that line at the end 'bout South Africa makin' it even more timely) an' 'When was the Last Time Music Made You Cry'; this joint is straight BUTTA an' almost hypnotic, my only complaint is that it ends too soon. I would've liked to have heard him really bring that one crashing down. But, hey, what do I know? This is one'a them great forgotten albums that get lost in the shuffle because'a the sheer size of a category of music like R&B. Do some revisiting. I encourage you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent album from James!, October 22, 2004

By 

Preston (nc) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Real (Audio CD)

I think that James Ingram made a superb album in It's Real. It took 17 months after it's release until James had his only No. 1 pop hit, "I Don't Have The Heart." I still hear that song a lot today. The rest of the album is very good. James can sure be getting onto that new jack swing sound on It's Real and I Wanna Come Back. I love his version of Aretha Franklin's song with a male take of Natural Woman called "Natural Man." He was good on the songs he did with Gerald Levert and some other producers. This ranks right up there with his best albums!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Baby Be Mine, October 18, 2004

By 

Chandra J. Hooks "Grnwnv" (Montgomery, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It's Real (Audio CD)

This is one of the best albums that James Ingram has ever done, in my book. Moreover, one of the best songs on the entire album has to be, "Baby Be Mine." I had the instrumental version of this song and it is even better without the lyrics. I plan to play it for my wedding instead of the traditional wedding march, if I can find it on CD. If anyone knows where I can get it online, please let me know (the instrumental version only). It was on side B of the cassette single for "I Don't Have the Heart." I realize that was in the dinosaur age, but that's how old the song is. I highly recommend this album for pure listening pleasure.