Customer Reviews

Silver Throat-Bill Cosby Sings

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

 

 

Bill Cosby's great success selling comedy albums persuaded Warner Brothers Records to allow him to record a musical album. For his singing debut, Silver Throat (not quite Golden Throats material, but close), Cosby rehearsed by singing live at the Whisky A Go-Go in L.A., and sixteen patrons demanded their money back. Warner's publicists claimed that they were upset that Cos didn't tell jokes, but it's more likely they were appalled by Cosby's flat, thin, painfully tuneless baritone. The first side of the album consists entirely of Jimmy Reed songs, sung straight. Believe me, Jimmy Reed did them better. Side two starts off with a cover of Stevie Wonder's hit "Uptight, Everything's Alright" played for laughs and retitled "Little Ole Man". This song became a #4 hit and helped the album to sell decently. The rest of the songs on side two are played for laughs, with the exception of the closer, another Stevie Wonder song that he sings straight (and badly) this time. Not a good album, although the hit single is good for a few chuckles.

Many of us know Bill Cosby best for dishing out infinite bowls of chocolate Jello pudding (during the 1980s), along with fatherly advice and whimsy (which was used with ample abandon on THE COSBY SHOW, from 1984-1992). Who knew that Dr. William Cosby was also a blues singer? Well, for the first time, we see a glimpse of his musical accomplishments on this great album, released for the first time on CD, in 2006. These songs were originally recorded in 1967, when we didn't even know who Dr. Heathcliff Huxtible (his character from COSBY SHOW fame) was!

Cosby keeps steady rhythm and expression on the blues hits featured on SILVER THROAT. Billy Cosby is one part country and one part blues, and it sounds smooth! I especially enjoyed "Bright Lights, Big City." It's got a little rockabilly thing going on, and I totally dig it. Also, I couldn't write this review and not at least MENTION "I Got a Woman," a song made popular by the late, great Ray Charles. What starts out as solid soul evolves into soft, understated guitar strums, with Bill adding his soft and understated vocals. Though, he doesn't wail, we still get a strong sense of his genuine joy on this, probably one of the most well-known tunes on the album. There really isn't a bad cut. Buy this today, if not for the fact that you like this kind of music, but for the sheer phenomenon that this is a BLUES recording by Bill Cosby. I mean, come on, now........it's infectious!

I only bought this CD for Little Ole Man, which my husband and I love. I listened to the other songs and didn't care for them.

Songs Include :

Bright Lights Big City
Big Boss Man
Hush Hush
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Tell Me You Love Me
Aw Shucks Hush Your Mouth
Little Ole Man
Mojo Workout
I Got A Woman
Don'cha Think
Place In The Sun