Life's What You Make It

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 00:43:17
Personnel: Wendy Moten (vocals); Donnie Lyle, Dominic Miller (acoustic guitar); Grant Mohrman (sitar); Randy Jacobs (electric guitar, guitar); Curtis Mathewson (guitar, programming); Mitch Stokes, Anita Cochran (guitar); Marcy K. Chanteaux (cello, strings); Laurie Pyatt, Peter Spurbeck, Gaylon Patterson, Kathleen Powell, William H. Hollman, Adam Stepniewski, Linda F. Snedden-Smith (strings); Walter White (trumpet); Luis Resto (piano, keyboards, programming); Imogen Heap (piano, keyboard programming); Al Turner, Ray Burton, David Santos (bass); Buster Marbury (drums, percussion); Ron Otis, Steve Potts, Bobby Myers, Chip Moreland, Mario Resto (drums); Larry Fratangelo (percussion). The Hefty Horns: Mark Kieme (saxophone); Walter White (trumpet); Michael Pashenee, Ed Gooch (trombone). The Ridgeway Sisters: Gloria Ridgeway, Esther Ridgeway, Gracie Ridgeway (background vocals). Producers: Wendy Moten, Dick Williams (track 1); Dick Williams (tracks 2-3, 5-7, 10); Wendy Moten (tracks 4, 8); Wendy Moten, Curtis Mathewson (track 9). Engineers: Grant Mohrman (tracks 1, 3-8); Grant Mohrman, Malcolm Springer (track 2); Curtis Mathewson, Grant Mohrman (track 9); Steve Capp, Grant Mohrman (track 10). Principally recorded at Pearl Sound Studio, Canton, Michigan; Studio A, Dearborn, Michigan and House Of Blues Studio, Memphis, Tennessee. Personnel: Wendy Moten (vocals, background vocals); Randy Jacobs (guitar, electric guitar); Curtis Mathewson (guitar, programming); Mitchell Stokes, Anita Cochran (guitar); Dominic Miller, Donnie Lyle (acoustic guitar); Grant Mohrman (sitar); Peter Spurbeck, Adam Stepniewski, Kathlyn Powell, William H. Hollman (strings); Walter White (trumpet); Luis Resto (piano, keyboards, programming, keyboard programming); Imogen Heap (piano, keyboard programming); Ray Burton (bass guitar); Buster Maybury (drums, percussion); Mario Resto, Steve Potts , Ron Otis (drums); Lawrence Fratangelo (percussion); The Ridgeway Sisters (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Curtis Mathewson; Grant Mohrman; Dick Williams . Recording information: House Of Blues Studio, Memphis, TN; Loft, Nashv; Pearl Sound Studios, Canton, MI; Pilot recording studio, New York, NY. In the early- to mid-'90s, Wendy Moten mined the same urban/adult contemporary waters that Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston (two frequent comparisons) had been mining -- although she didn't do it with as much commercial success. Commercially, her self-titled debut album of 1992, and her second album, Life's What You Make It (a 1996 release), were decent sellers, although they weren't mega-blockbusters -- certainly not by Carey or Houston's standards. Like those singers -- and for that matter, post-'70s Patti LaBelle -- Moten caters to those who like their R&B laced with a big dose of pop. She also makes a few rock moves here and there, especially on the ominous "Another Nothing Song" -- and while that approach won't win over R&B purists, the Memphis native is good at what she does and can be expressive when she puts her mind to it. Covers are a high priority on this album; the title track is a vibrant cover of Talk Talk's '80s hit, and Moten also turns her attention to the Rascals' "People Got to Be Free," and the Police's "When the World Is Running Down." Thankfully, she is smart enough to do something different with these songs instead of trying to provide carbon copies of the original versions. "People Got to Be Free," for example, becomes a slow ballad in Moten's hands, which is quite a contrast to the exuberance of the Rascals' 1968 version. This CD isn't as strong as it could have been; although most of Moten's performances are memorable, there are a few weak tracks as well. Nonetheless, Life's What You Make It is a generally respectable, if slightly uneven, sophomore outing for the Memphis singer. ~ Alex Henderson
録音 : ステレオ (Studio)