Ben E. King Albums (11)
What The Critics Say
Ben E. King is best known for his rhythm & blues recordings, so Shades of Blue is a return to his roots. He is accompanied by a band led by trumpeter Tim Ouimette that includes a single guest appearance apiece by tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman and vibraphonist Milt Jackson. The orchestra is very much in the Count Basie groove, King adds a lot of soul to the lyrics without improvising much, and the music swings in a pleasing fashion. Among the selections that King interprets are "Just for a Thrill," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Stairway to the Stars," and "Baby Won't You Please Come Home." Nothing too surprising occurs, but the results are easy to enjoy. This is a happy set of mostly familiar material. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
'What's Important to Me'
Release Date 3/23/1992
Tracks 9
Label Ichiban
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What The Critics Say
The Atlanta-based Ichiban Records has been a refuge for soul veterans ranging from Curtis Mayfield to Clarence Carter and William Bell. In 1992, the company released this decent but not magnificent effort by Ben E. King. While the ex-Drifter's voice isn't what it was in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, he shows that he can still be charming on a likable cover of the Impressions' "It's Alright" and relaxed, congenial R&B/pop originals like "You've Got All of Me," "So Important to Me" and "She's Gone Again." Those expecting to hear something as outstanding as "Stand By Me" or "Supernatural Thing" will be disappointed -- King is definitely past his prime. But What's Important to Me is far from a bad listen, and the soulster's more hardcore, devoted fans will want this album. More casual listeners, however, would be much better off with Rhino's two-CD King anthology of 1993. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'Let Me Live in Your Life'
Release Date 1/1/1978
Tracks 10
Label Atlantic
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What The Critics Say
In 1975, Ben E. King was attempting to blend in with the smooth soul and disco trends of the mid-'70s. Thanks to the smash hit "Supernatural Thing, Part I," he was surprisingly successful at making himself sound contemporary. While the material is uneven, the sound of the record is appealing, meaning that it was a respectable comeback. ~ Thom Owens, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The original notes to the Seven Letters album indicate that it is the most diverse album of material that Ben E. King had ever recorded, and they're right. The range of material here, cut over a period of more than two years, included some impassioned soul music -- "River of Tears," "I'm Standing By," "It's All Over," "In the Middle of the Night," and the title track -- as well as some very personal pop ("Jamaica") and novelty ("Si Senor") tunes, and towering performances throughout. The requisite string-laden orchestral backings are present, courtesy of producers Leiber & Stoller, Jerry Wexler, Ahmet Ertegun, and the various arrangers, but there are also some nicely stripped down, more basic soul numbers. Interestingly, "Jamaica" was written by King in the wake of his 1961 tour of the island (soon to be island-nation), an event that helped spark a boom in local ska and reggae performers who were inspired by the presence of American soul stars like King on tour -- the song practically chronicles the spawning of the seed that led to the ska and reggae booms (which Atlantic would grab a piece of, not only by signing Byron Lee and securing a distribution agreement with him for the Cayman Islands, but also through Eric Clapton's efforts on Bob Marley's behalf less than a decade later). The album has not a single weak spot, and boasts some strong contributions by several outside songwriters including Carole King and Gerry Goffin, whose gorgeous "Down Home" provided the vehicle for King's best singing on the entire record. Not that it did much for him at the time of its release -- it had no weak spots, but also no major hits (even "I'm Standing By" was a failed follow-up to "Stand By Me," and this was the last of four Ben E. King albums issued by Atlantic in the United States. Like two of its predecessors, it disappeared without reaching any but King's hardcore audience, thus making it a choice collector's item. It lacked the hook of a massive hit single like a "Stand By Me" or a "Spanish Harlem" for a wider audience to grab onto. [Listeners are also advised to see Anthology Four: Seven Letters.] ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ben E. King's third album is a little short in running time but very high in quality, in terms of the dozen songs here. The title track was the selling point, but couldn't help but be seduced by the exquisite production of "Ecstasy" and "On the Horizon," the latter making about as fine use of harps and an ethereal chorus as one imagines possible -- and when the strings come in, violins and cellos alternately, the sheer beauty of the track just overflows. "Show Me the Way to Your Heart" isn't too far behind, and then "Stand by Me" shores up the opening of the second side -- not that anything here needed shoring up, but it's good that they got the single onto a long-player so it didn't go to waste. Even the lesser material, like "Here Comes the Night" and "First Taste of Love" (the latter a Jerry Leiber/Phil Spector song that bears an uncanny resemblance to Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On"), is interesting to hear for the lively production. This album, like its predecessors, dates from a period in which producers and engineers were figuring out what one could do with soul and R&B in terms of engineering, and the sound separation and textures are nothing if not vibrant and alluring in their own right, separate from the music. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A close look at this album reveals just how ambitious Atlantic Records could be in the early 1960s, in generating LPs. Technically speaking, Ben E. King's debut long-player is a concept album -- or, at least, a thematic album. Put together in the wake of his first solo hit, "Spanish Harlem," a Latin flavor and beat run all the way through this 12-song platter, which, at times, is really more of a pop record than a soul record. The dense, busy string section that characterized most of King's work of this era is present, and a lot of his singing may recall more the work of Sammy Davis, Jr. than that of any R&B artist one might think of from this period. And apart from the Jerry Leiber/Phil Spector co-authored title hit, most of what is here dates from a decade or more (sometimes several) earlier -- "Frenesi," "Besame Mucho," and "Perfidia" were standards during the big-band era, and most of the rest is of similar or even older vintage. All of which doesn't mean that it is bad -- King's version of "Besame Mucho" is a very successful reinterpretation in a Latin soul vein, and "Perfidia" never sounded better than it does in his hands, even if it and a lot of the rest is a long way from what most of us define as "soul." And for better or worse, the production is first-rate within the context of King's established sound, with a phenomenal string section and a percussion section to die for. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
