1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lives up to the hype..., October 24, 2010
I first heard Marie Queenie Lyons on a soul compilation disc called "King Funk", and really liked her voice and style. She reminds me a lot of early Mavis Staples, a lot of grit and character to her voice, and a lot of soulful heart. I bought a copy of "Soul Fever", (her only official album released) after playing the songs "See And Don't See","Your Thing Ain't No Good Without My Thing", and "Fever" from the "King Funk" compilation disc endlessly, and wanting to hear more of her music. I have found with a lot of obscure funk and soul music that it ends up obscure for a reason. Some bands and singers simply were not as exceptional as those that ended up becoming household names, and I have some rather lackluster soul albums in my collection that were touted as "overlooked classics" and in reality contain one or two great songs and a lot of filler. I can assure you, this is not one of those albums. "Soul Fever" really does live up to the hype. Even more impressive to me is that some of the songs that were new to me replaced the ones on "King Funk" as my favorites. Lyons nailed "Your Key Don't Fit No More" and "Snake In The Grass", and her vocals throughout are thrilling. Her conviction and the rasp of her voice on tracks like "You Used Me" are amazing. I am shocked upon hearing this CD that this music did not go further than it did in terms of gaining attention, despite being released at a time which the liner notes describe as a music scene which was brimming with R&B talent. Unlike other recent releases of albums by obscure singers like Bettye Swann, those that released this CD were either unable to locate Ms. Lyons or did not try; her current whereabouts are unknown and she remains a mystery. (I guess the shadowy picture of her on the front cover is truly appropriate.) All I can say is that I hope she is alive and well and receiving royalties for this release, as she really could sing the hell out of a song and has given me hours of enjoyment listening to her voice. My advice would be to get a copy while you still can, this is one purchase that any fan of R&B and soul music will not regret.
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