As one with any knowledge of Donny Hathaway (1945 - 1979) would expect, this is one of those "all killer no filler" compilations. The disc would be worth seeking out if all that were on it were the duets with Roberta Flack, but we're also treated to other Hathaway classics such as The Ghetto and Giving Up plus some non-singles that took on lives of their own as deep album cuts, including Someday We'll All Be Free and To Be Young, Gifted And Black.
 |
| CashBox, June 2, 1990, p. 10 |
So it's not just me that gets frustrated by poor/lazy packaging decisions. My other complaint about this disc deals with the song sequencing - if you're not going to do chronological order, why start the compilation with three consecutive slow/midtempo songs? I will readily admit, however, that putting the Christmas tune at the end was smart: you can quit the disc early if you're not ready for holiday tunes.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart upon original release in 1990 but continues to chart on occasion around Christmas, peaking at #108 in 2023.
Tracks, including Billboard chart peaks:
| Title | Year |
R&B
|
Pop
|
| A Song For You | 1971 | ||
| I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know | 1972 | 20 | 60 |
| You Were Meant For Me | 1978 | 17 | |
| Back Together Again (with Roberta Flack) | 1980 | 8 | 56 |
| Where Is The Love (with Roberta Flack) | 1972 | 1 | 5 |
| For All We Know (with Roberta Flack) | 1972 | ||
| Someday We'll All Be Free | 1973 | ||
| Giving Up | 1972 | 21 | 81 |
| The Closer I Get To You (with Roberta Flack) | 1978 | 1 | 2 |
| You Are My Heaven (with Roberta Flack) | 1980 | 8 | 47 |
| What's Goin' On | 1972 | ||
| The Ghetto | 1970 | 23 | 87 |
| To Be Young, Gifted And Black | 1970 | ||
| You've Got A Friend (with Roberta Flack) | 1971 | 8 | 29 |
| This Christmas | 1970 | 34 |
Have mercy! How good is Where Is The Love??? One of the best soft rock tunes of the '70s plus it won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. And I'll admit to welling up today at hearing Someday We'll All Be Free.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Just regret that I didn't pick this up in 1990.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Extension of a Man (1973)
No comments:
Post a Comment