Rocktrospectiva: The Good And Shinning "Other Voices" Turns 35

 

Released on 4 June 1990 "Other Voices" was  the fourth studio album by English singer Paul Young, the album peaked at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart, the album spawned four singles ""Softly Whispering I Love You", ""Oh Girl", "Heaven Can Wait" & "Calling You. 

 

Other Voices featuring a set of lush, soulful covers such as the Top Ten hit "Oh Girl" and several harder-rocking numbers, including a cover of Free's "A Little Bit of Love."  It was a great bleed of rock and soul with stellar cast of supporting players and singers. 

 

The artist was totally engaged here and selected a great selection of covers and new material, featuring the standouts such as "Heaven Can Wait," "Softly Whispering," & "Stop on By". After his 1986 release people really don't expected to hear from Paul Young again. The final few years of the 1980's found music seemingly changing by leaps and bounds. Yet he could still get away with maintaining a specific sound if your talent was strong enough. Paul's was lucky in the sense he still had a lot of support by people who weren't of the opinion that soul music was old and corny. So by the time this album came out early in the 90's he at least had a strong, loyal and built in cult audience who'd crave to hear what is likely one of the finest albums he ever made.

 

Certain tracks like "Heaven Can't Wait","Right About Now","Our Time Has Come" and "Together" are sassy rock/soul rave ups with some clean yet heavy bassy sounds and a dance friendly funkiness about them. All are wonderfully written and performed. He impressed when released "Oh Girl" not too far far from the original. "Softly Whispering To Me" and "It's What She Didn't Say" which were two more strong slower grooves, not ballads per se but with a punchy bottom to them and some muscular instrumentation. 

 

Chaka Khan stops by for a duet vocal on a version of Rufus's "Stop On By", done here in a sophisticated, electric piano textured retro 70's jazz-funk style production. Paul ended the album with "Calling You" from the film Bagdad Cafe. Though very recognizable to the original Young takes the melody, vocally bends the notes and sings them with a much more haunted melancholy than the desperate and yearning tone of the original. 

 

Overall this was a wonderful album and one of the most well rounded and soul oriented release Paul Young made since his debute No Parlez'. The albums sounded is still rooted in 80's production elements. Maybe because good half of it was recorded at the end of 1989. So while the album had a 1970's soul/funk orientation about it that made sense. 

 

The album followed the pattern of Young's first three albums combining cover versions with original songs. However, with the songwriting partnership of Young and keyboard player Ian Kewley breaking up, this album returned to the dominance of cover versions seen on Young's debut No Parlez. Nevertheless, there were three original songs composed by Young with new keyboard player Martin Page. 

 

Other Voices Track List:  

 

1. Heaven Can Wait

2. A Little Bit Of Love

3. Softly Whispering I Love You

4. Together

5. Stop On By

6. Our Time Has Come

7. Oh Girl

8. Right About Now

9. It's What She Didn't Say

10. Calling You

11. Dolcemente Mormoro Ti Amo