R.B. Greaves - R.B. Greaves 1969

By far the best release of his short career, that claim doesn't say much for Greaves, because this record is as sporadic as they come. Containing the self-penned sing-along hit "Take a Letter Maria," at points Greaves shows signs of developing into a successful pop songwriter. Yet, just as the salsa-flavored horns on "...Maria" leave you smiling, Greaves' reading of Sam Cooke's "Cupid" and the Bacharach-David classic "Always Something There to Remind Me" leave the listener frustrated. It seems his voice is never as smooth as a pop singer, never as gritty as an R&B singer, and the middle ground he treads is devoid of any true feeling. Even the fact that the album was produced by Ahmet Ertegun and recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound cannot make up for the lack of emotional conviction in Greaves' voice. AMG.

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