Let There Be Love! | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1991 | |||
Studio | Troutman Sound Labs | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Label | Elektra Records[1] | |||
Producer | Roger Troutman | |||
Shirley Murdock chronology | ||||
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Let There Be Love! is an album by the American R&B singer Shirley Murdock, released in 1991.[2][3]
The album's first track, "In Your Eyes", was a top 10 R&B hit.[4]
Production
The album was produced by Roger Troutman, with assistance from Murdock and Dale DeGroat.[5] Murdock cowrote a few songs, including "Let There Be Love" and "In Your Eyes".[6] Let There Be Love! was recorded at Troutman Sound Labs, in Dayton, Ohio.[7]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [8] |
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide | [9] |
Billboard called the album a "shimmering set of lush ballads and rousing dance/funk tunes."[5] The Washington Post considered "We Should Be Together" to be the album's best song, deeming it "a funky, scat-filled jazz tune complete with plunger-mute horn riffs."[10] The Boston Globe opined that Murdock "is one of those under-publicized and underrated singers, raised on gospel, whose power on more secular offerings is a bit too jolting for the average consumer."[11]
The Dayton Daily News thought the album to be "solidly written and produced," praising the "heavy house-music influence" of the title track.[12] USA Today described it as "an adult-oriented collection of lovely ballads and a few discreetly funky dance numbers that generally serve to emphasize her prowess with the slow songs."[13]
AllMusic wrote that "while Let There Be Love! isn't the soul extravaganza Murdock is quite capable of delivering, R&B/pop ballads and slow jams like 'The Last Hurrah', 'Say It, Mean It' and the Anita Baker-ish 'Anywhere' aren't anything to be embarrassed by either."[8] MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide thought that Murdock "leaves the soap opera topics behind this time and crafts a work that fully meshes the best aspects of her gospel and secular influences."[9]
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "In Your Eyes" | 3:58 |
2. | "Stay with Me Tonight" | 4:02 |
3. | "Let There Be Love" | 5:14 |
4. | "Say It, Mean It" | 3:43 |
5. | "The Last Hurrah" | 3:28 |
6. | "We Should Be Together" | 3:31 |
7. | "Anywhere" | 3:57 |
8. | "Everywhere" | 4:17 |
9. | "Heavenly" | 4:03 |
10. | "Save the Children" | 4:06 |
References
- ↑ "Sounding Off". Ebony. 46 (11): 24. Sep 1991.
- ↑ "Shirley Murdock Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ↑ Ollison, Rashod D. "Return to gospel". baltimoresun.com.
- ↑ "On the Charts". Austin American-Statesman. Onward. 15 Aug 1991. p. 21.
- 1 2 "Album Reviews -- Let There Be Love by Shirley Murdock". Billboard. 103 (26): 76. Jun 29, 1991.
- ↑ "Legendary Soul Singer Shirley Murdock Remakes '65 Classic 'People Get Ready'". The Washington Informer. April 7, 2021.
- ↑ Larsen, Dave (September 6, 1991). "SOUNDCHECK". Dayton Daily News. Go!. p. 8.
- 1 2 "Let There Be Love! - Shirley Murdock | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- 1 2 MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 414.
- ↑ Griffin, Gil (30 Aug 1991). "New Sources of Diva Inspiration". The Washington Post. p. N17.
- ↑ Smith, Patricia (18 Oct 1991). "Shirley Murdock: Full of surprises". The Boston Globe. ARTS & FILM. p. 31.
- ↑ Ali, Derek (July 19, 1991). "RECORDINGS ON REVIEW". Dayton Daily News. Go!. p. 17.
- ↑ Marymont, Mark (August 2, 1991). "REVIEWS". USA Today.