Levert,Eddie (Of The O'Jays) - DID I MAKE YOU GO OOH |-

Photographers: Denise Truscello; Ryan R. Williams .
I Still Have It was a cathartic first solo album from R&B great Eddie Levert, but it was somewhat anticlimactic. Poor sound often marred the singer's impassioned performances. That issue has been corrected on Levert's second solo release, Did I Make You Go Ooh. Unclouded, Levert and his supporting musicians and vocalists, most of whom have been working with the singer for decades, roll through a strong and varied set that has echoes of the past while sounding in the present. It's full of life, and Levert has retained more power than many a singer much younger than him. He couldn't be faulted for sticking to nothing but soul-steeped belters and relaxed grooves, but he ventures into hard rock and reggae with full force, and isn't above telling someone to "get a life" in "Shit Starter." Otherwise, Levert and company play it straight with sweetly finessed material rooted in gospel and Philly-flavored soul tradition. Oddly, the booklet credits the writers of only one song, "I Let Go," a breakup ballad written by Eddie with late son Gerald that recalls Lionel Richie's "Hello." Eddie presumably had a hand in the rest, including "Never Miss Your Water," which is not a Whispers cover. ~ Andy Kellman

• Released: 2016-08-19
• Genre: R&B
• Format: CD
• Format: CD
• Released: 2016-08-19