Customer Reviews

Love Forever Shines

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

 

 

Regina Belle can easily be accepted in the few that bring a genuine new sound.
For her acclaimed album "Lazy Afternoon" - which went platinum and is still on the playlist of most of Jazz radio stations all over the world - many critics compared her to Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson...
However, once you get her albums, you will see that the comparisons are lucrative, but farfetched... Like a double negative. Sure, she has similarities to these trendsetting stars, but most of the claims are just not true. Easily compared but utterly rare.
Her albums explains how her craft is different from what many presume. Ms. Belle the whole package: the look, the sound, the talent, and the consistency.
She's been called everything from the Quen of Soul/Jazz to the new Billie Holiday and earned nearly every accolade possible in her two decade plus career and her soaring, soul-stirring, sultry, elegant vocal style more than justifies her status as one of music's legendary divas.
At 45, Regina is still busier than ever and she shows no sign of slowing down.
Now she's dished up a spectacular gospel album - her first in nearly twenty years - titled "Love Forever Shines".
Known for her musical subtlety, soulful phrasing or vocal restraint, Belle's current gospel offering is a surprisingly subdued and understated collection. Don't get me wrong, as is her wont, Miss Belle does her fair share of wailing and soul shouting on Love Forever Shines - she just uses such techniques to sparing effect.
Opening with a soulful groove called "God Is Good", Regina kicks things off with her usual pyrotechnic style, offering a mid-tempo quiet storm gem souped up with her signature whoops and clucks. The track has been on the top 10 gospel chart for several weeks and now it's # 5. and is making some noise on the Urban /AC Chart as well.
Her adoring fans will be grateful to still hear Belle's stylish brand of old school soul imprinted on both the title track and on the humble "Who Touched Me".
However, she quickly shifts gears and slips into a mellower mode for the next several tracks, which include the jazzy "I'll Never Leave You", and the absolutely gorgeous, lushly arranged ballads "Good To Be Loved" and "I Call On Jesus", splendid duets with Melvin Williams and her long time friend Shirley Murdock : this is the kind of emotional, soulful offerings that Ms. Belle does so well - perhaps better than any other living R&B/Jazz diva. With the the recitative "Come Into This Place" , a simple adult contemporary friendly ballad that is again artfully and surprisingly beautifully under sung by Regina, she takes listeners to church - old school style !
Looking at Regina' s "Love Forever Shines" as whole, the album is as much a testament to Ms.Belle's staying power as it is to her ability to adapt to musical trends.
Regina Belle is the definition of an artist. She's got everything going for her, the effortless chemistry with her music, her elegance and style, the multitudes of honey-tipped talent and then there's that voice which just slides over your body like warm water, cleansing your soul with each and every well placed lyric.
It's hard to pigeon hole this star, classify her talent : she elegantly glides in and out of Jazz influenced R&B cuts and Soul/Pop/Gospel with a touch of Soulful Contemporary class that her album becomes defined with only one word...music.

Like a Fire
Lay It Down

The album debuts at # 3 on Billboard Top Gospel Albums, at # 5 at Billboard Top Christian/Gospel Albums, at # 14 on The Top Independent Albums, at # 119 on The Billboard 200 and at # 15 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. (Issue Date: 2008-05-31).
The first single "God Is Good" scores # 2 on RadioandRecords and Mediabase Gospel Airplay Chart, and # 34 on the Mediabase Urban/AC chart. (Issue Date: 7/08/2008 - updated)

All I can say is this is a PHENOMENAL first gospel CD! I have been playing it all day and telling everyone I know to get it. Of the 14 songs there are only 3 that are so so, and even they are good. The 3 are "My Destiny", "Coming Out of This", and " God Said." All of the other ones are hits. My favs are: Can't Nobody, Who Touched Me(my fav of all tracks), God is Good, Almost Slipped, Good to be Loved, Come Into This Place,I Call On Jesus,and I'll Never Leave You Alone! This deserves a Grammy! It is contemporary,traditonal,inspirational, and a litle jazzy!!!! I love it!!! You did it again, girl! This is one of THE best gospel CDs I've heard in a while. "God is Good" reminds me of Sunday's in church with my late grandfather who was an AMEZion Presiding Elder here in NC back in the day. I can't wait for your 2nd, 3rd and 4th gospel CDs! God bless you First Lady Regina Belle-Battle, Pastor Battle, and your entire family.

I have been waiting for this a long time. Welcome my sister! We knew you'd be here, in the Gospel world because we heard it in everything that you've ever recorded! "Victory" is my Anthem. I play that everyday. Then there's "I'll never leave you alone", and "Come into this place", and all I can say is, this cd is a work of art. "My destiny" gets me going in the morning, and what can I say about "God is good", except that it will be a classic for a long time to come. Thank you again Ms. Belle for making music that continues to stand the test of time and help us to live better!

I just can't say enough about this CD. It has comtemporary, down home, and hip hop gospel all combined into one and performed with elegance. Once I put this CD into my player my whole praise experience went into "overdrive".

This CD is loaded with Good songs. I really loved "God is Good", and listening to Melvin William's voice throughout the CD was just awesome.

This has to be one of the best first time projects I have ever heard. Therefore cudos to Regina for a job well done.

I love this cd. Love forever Shines is better than I hhad hope for. I had bought it for one song and now there is a few songs I truly like. thank you Amazon for your service. You are the best

I have enjoyed listening to this CD. Although there are a few songs I dislike, the majority are good. I purchased a used CD and I am glad I did. I do not feel this CD is good enough to have paid full price.

I have been a Regina Belle fan for a long time, and this CD only furthers it. It's vintage Regina with a little more gospel added in, and that's not entirely new as she's sprinkled some of that in before (witness the very thought-provoking "What If?" from her CD "This Is Regina" a few years back). This CD reminds me a lot of "Everlasting Love" by Cece Winans a while back, as it was a soulful, mainly secular CD but still wasn't absent some gospel touches that added to it. As much as I liked that CD, I like this one even more.

If you love African American inspired gospel music, or even if you don't- this CD will knock your socks off, raise your spirits, and bring tears to your eyes. Words from the heart and divine, absolutely divine music.

It's a great CD. Glad I bought it. I actually have it at work and listen to it every day.

Regina Belle has put together a wonderful collection of song that will make you feel good and shout at the same time. Sure to be a faviorite is "God is Good". It has an old type sound with new feelings.

Wonderful...