Customer Reviews

Make a New Impression / Phase 2

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WILL MARGIE JOSEPH EVER GET THE RECOGNITION THAT SHE DESERVES. FOILED BY THE COLLAPSE OF STAX, INDUSTRY POLITICS AT ATLANTIC, AND THE SERI AL MISFORTUNES OF WMOT.HOUSTON CONNECTION AND ICHIBAN IT SEEMS UNLIKELY BUT MARGIE CERTAINLY MADE AN IMPRESSION WITH THIS STUNNING ALBUM DEBUT. FROM THE OPENING MONOLOGUE TO THE LAST NOTE OF TRACK 11 THIS IS A SOULFUL AND STYLISH SET FROM WHICH STARDOM OR SUPERSTARDOM SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED.THE BARKAYS FROM MEMPHIS THE REKNOWNED MUSCLE SHOALS RHYTHM SECTION AND STUDIOS AND PRODUCER/ARRANGER FRED BRIGGS AND DALE WARREN FROM DETROIT COMBINED TO PROVIDE THE GROOVES FOR MARGIE TO TELL HER STORIES. THE UNBIASED SLEEVENOTE WRITER ON THE ORIGINAL ISSUE [HUSBAND TO BE LARRY McKINLEY] LOOKED FORWARD TO THE MARGIE JOSEPH ERA.PERHAPS LIKE ME HE'S STILL WAITING. IN THE MEANTIME ENJOY THE DEBUT ON CD PARTICULARLY THE TOUR DE FORCE COVER OF THE SUPREMES'" STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE", THE WISTFUL "COME TOMORROW" AND THE MORE DIRECT "TEMPTATIONS ABOUT TO TAKE YOUR LOVE".

As was the case with several other truly great but inexplivably underrated and underexposed R&B/Soul divas (Angela Bofill, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carn, Brenda Russell, Patti Austin, etc.) Margie Joseph was a truly talented songstress who never got the recognition, respect and support she so deserved. For me, her nothing-short-of-amazing rendition of The Supremes' "My World is Empty Without You" is worth the entire CD's price alone--but there are many other classy and soulful gems to be enjoyed here also. Margie Joseph did not become a superstar but she made her mark on the R&B scene of the 1970s--something which the two LPs featured here prove perfectly.

Margie Joseph was on Volt in the early 1970s. This is important to these recordings. It was then Stax/Volt beefed and glossed up the stripped down soul they had specialized in.

Which does not detract a bit here. This is great soul and balladry, not the bare bones funk you think of when you think of this labal. Jospeh has a melodic and sweet voice, but she is not a belter. The orchestrations and heavier arrangements here serve to buffer her middile of the road singing.

As soul, this works. It is not essential, but you will never regret buying it.

Margie Joseph has one of the best R&B and soul voices ever!. If you want to enjoy a great time listening to music, don't miss this cd out!.

Margie Joseph will never get the recognition she truly deserves. But, she did give us these very fine tunes. So for that, we must be grateful