Customer Reviews

Naked and True

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

 

 

In a market that is swamped with 'cover cd's' this is one of those that stand out! Randy Crawford delivers on this set! This is one of my favorite cd's by her!

She picked songs that haven't been overdone or haven't been remade at all and made them her own, the only misstep is 'Purple Rain' it's not bad but there wasn't anything Randy could bring to this song...

Another great thing about this cd is the fact that REAL musicians are used!! which makes this cd even more enjoyable! Well done Randy!!

You gotta love Randy Crawford. She is a most unique and soulful vocalist. I think her version of "Give Me the Night (chill night mix)" is alone worth the price of the CD. That tune has been featured on smooth jazz radio. I even heard it recently in a cafe in St. Bart's. Her cover of "Forget Me Nots" is also fun to listen to. But, the real standout gem is her version of J.J. Cale's "Cajun Moon." This is a great song to begin with but, with Randy at the helm, it is simply irresistable.

Randy Crawford's voice is a unique gem - not flashy or overwhelmingly forceful like so many of her R&B contemporaries. She plays her vocal instrument knowingly . . .softly, displaying a simple yet elegant soulful purity. Like Luther Vandross, such is Crawford's gift, she could have forged a career singing nothing but covers of songs previously made famous. Crawford's intimate way with a song was brought to the fore most recently when she covered Bob Dylan's "Knocking On Heaven's Door" for the soundtrack to one of the "Leather Weapon" films. In this collection, the spiritual stirring in her rendition of "Cajun Moon" transforms the listener to a mystical place somewhere down south. Elsewhere, when she embraces Stevie Wonder's "Joy Inside My Tears" one has to remind oneself that this is an album of remakes, for singer and song are so perfectly matched on this tune, it were as though Wonder crafted the ballad with Ms Crawford! ! on the "tip of his mind".

The least effective re-make is on "What A Difference A Day Made" where not much new is happening and the big question is: Why did she bother?

It is very nice to hear Crawford's beautiful take on Prince's "Purple Rain" and her joyful strut on Change's "The Glow of Love" and Rod Temperton's "Give Me The Night", which works surprisingly well with the new arrangement applied here. Aretha Franklin's "All The King's Horses" and particularly Simply Red's "Holding Back the Years" are lovingly stroked with just the right amount of TLC to effectively bring their seperate stories across.

"Naked & True" works equally well as a love letter to long time fans and as an introduction to new admirers of Randy Crawford.

Randy Crawford is a seasoned veteran and shows great promise through every recording she lends her voice to. With a mix of smooth jazz and soulful r&b vocals, Randy brings new life to modern classics. Naked and True is a superb collection of cover songs.

"Give Me the Night" is the standout track and received multi-format success at AC, jazz and r&b radio outlets. Randy Crawford transforms this George Benson classic into a song all her own. Also included on the CD is a remix of this song.

My favorite track on Naked and True is "Cajun Moon." Randy turns this J.J. Cale song into a smooth lament. Her vocals are mesmerizing and filled with emotion. She inspires fans to enjoy the journey that each track brings.

Also included are splendid reworkings of Prince's "Purple Rain," Joyce Sim's "Come into My Life," Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots," and Simply Red's "Holding Back the Years."

If you are looking for the perfect CD to set the mood for a romantic evening, look no futher. Naked and True is the CD for you.

I have been a fan of randy crawford since i was 14 yrs ago and maybe by the time this post i will be 31.

This was an amazing cd,I had to get use the sound......but once you do.....you're captured!

Thank you randi randee randy

Heard this cut, "Give me the night" on my way to work on the car radio. I immediately went to several stores trying to find it. I think its a great song, could possibly become a classic, if exposed enough. Purple rain, was not one of my favorites though.

I am one of those shadowy people who feels a shiver in the spine whenever Randy Crawford opens her mouth; even if she were ordering a cheeseburger or scolding her kids, I would probably want it in my CD collection. Having said this, I have my doubts about this album. There is too much pedestrian material here, and where the first track, 'Cajun Moon', is something special, there is little else of note in this collection of covers and rehashes. I longed for one of the songs to stretch her abilities and amazing sound, but of the rest, only 'Joy inside my tears' hold the interest. Please buy her 'Best of....' CD instead, though. Hers is truly the voice of the century - shame about the choice of material.