Lalah Hathaway

Lalah Hathaway

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 29, 1992)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B00000DR6C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,791 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lalah Hathaway, September 6, 2000

By A Customer

I feel in love with this cd the moment I heard it. She is one of the best unknown talents around. I'm a radio DJ and whenever I play "Heaven Knows" people call in and ask if she's a new singer. I tell them "nope, she's been around for awhile" Favorite cuts: Stay Home Tonight, I'm Coming Back, Baby, Don't Cry and of course Heaven Knows. I heard she recently sign with a record company, if so I can't wait for her new album. If you don't own this one, you're truly missing a royal treat!!!!!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lalah Hathaway Shines, March 16, 2000

By A Customer

Vocalist Lalah Hathaway shines on her 1990 debut CD.Standout cuts include the Jazz ladden "Somethin'", the funk filled first single "Heaven Knows", the Angela Winbush produced "Baby Dont Cry".Lalah's vocals really come alive on the sassy "You Got It Going On". "Smile", reminds one of the early Rufus and Chaka Khan days (this track was produced by former Rufus member Andre Fisher). Lalah successfully attempts a remake of Vesta Williams' "I'm Coming Back".It unfortunate that Lalah has never received her props with this CD and her 1994 "A Moment" CD. Sadly, another case of a talented singer being overlooked in a world of skinny, half dressed video models who have no singing talent whatsoever.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A shining debut from a promising young vocalist, December 13, 1998

By	John Jones "Musician" (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It never hurts to have music in your genes, and as the daughter of late soul singer Donny Hathaway, Lalah's got plenty. But don't expect another mediocre young hopeful riding her family's coattails. Lalah Hathaway possesses a rich and distinctive voice brimming with warmth. And the ten songs on this noteworthy debut show it in all its glory.

Lalah is at her best with midtempo, jazz-tinged material. "It's Something," "Smile," and "Stay Home Tonight" are all sunny soul numbers with lush chords, easygoing beats and various members of the jazz outfit Yellowjackets thrown in for good measure. On numbers like these and her hit single, "Heaven Knows," the warmth and richness of Lalah's voice is undeniable. She can also belt out an R&B ballad with the best of them, and does so with glorious results on the Angela Winbush-penned and produced "Baby Don't Cry," a single that should have soared to higher reaches on the charts; this song features one of Lalah's best vocals to date.

When she decides to sound more modern on a handful of hip-hop inspired material, the results are almost as good. Chuckii Booker's complex chords suit her well on "Sentimental," but material like "Obvious" and "U Godit Gowin On" doesn't play to her strengths as well. Still, even when handed a mediocre tune Lalah manages to sing the hell out of it. And when a song is worthy of her talents, like the longing ballad "I'm Coming Back," it's clear that she's one of the most talented vocalists of her generation.

Since this landmark debut Lalah has gone on to release a wonderful sophomore effort ("A Moment") and appear on countless jazz albums (Grover Washington Jr., Art Porter, Gerald Albright, and Marcus Miller are among the artists to call on her talents for their own albums). When only singing one song on someone else's project, though, she makes you long for more of that voice...which is just one reason "Lalah Hathaway" is a must-have.