Lee Fields Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Despite popular belief to the contrary, soul music was alive and well through much of the 1980s and '90s, but while Southern specialist labels like Malaco and Ichiban were still giving traditional R&B shouters a place to be heard, most of their records were made on the cheap with synths and drum machines taking the place of live bands and imaginative productions and arrangements. Thankfully, a new generation of soul enthusiasts has gotten into the act, attempting to capture a more dynamic and sympathetic sound on-stage and in the studio, with Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings providing the new soul scene with a genuine breakout success. Lee Fields may never sell as many records as Jones, but his album My World is one of boldest and most imaginative to emerge from the new soul revival. Most of Fields' earlier albums have focused on his vocal resemblance to James Brown, but My World allows him to show off other aspects of his musical personality without blunting the raw and passionate edges of his vocal style. Rather than ape the J.B.'s, Fields and his backing band the Expressions conjure up a cooler, sophisticated sound that more closely resembles the Chicago and East Coast soul styles of the '60s while adding a percolating hip-hop rhythmic undertow on some tracks (particularly "Do You Love Me [Like You Say You Do]" and the title cut). While the arrangements are tight and elegant, complete with horns, strings, and vibes, Fields isn't afraid to get gritty on these tracks, and the finished product shows a broader range and a smoother delivery than his early-'90s sides for Ace; even though Fields is clearly more than just a James Brown acolyte, he can deliver a similar degree of heat and force. The instrumental selections "These Moments" and "Expressions Theme" give the band a well-deserved opportunity to show what they can do, but it's when the Expressions lock in with Fields on strong but pleading numbers like "The Only One Loving You" and a spectral version of "My World Is Empty Without You," or more socially conscious tunes like "Money I$ King" that My World hits its highest points and Lee Fields shows himself to be one of the most compelling soul singers at work today. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After the terrific retro-funk label Desco split into the Soul Fire and Dap-Tone camps, flagship artist Lee Fields recorded for both but issued his next full-length on the former, which preferred a distinctly lower-fidelity grit to its product. That recording approach informs Problems, Fields' second album of unadulterated James Brown worship aimed at the burgeoning deep-funk revival scene, though it isn't as scratchy-sounding as much of Soul Fire's output. Initially, Problems might be a bit of a letdown after the blazing funk firestorm that was Let's Get a Groove On. It's just as raw and organic, to be sure, but lacks a certain immediacy in comparison. The Soul Fire house band is a crackerjack unit, grooving with a trippier vibe than Fields' previous outing -- more guitar effects, electric piano, flute, and African-flavored percussion. While the music is terrific on its own terms, it sometimes seems a little laid-back and slow-paced for Fields' irresistible James Brown Disciple Number One act, and as a result Problems doesn't feel like the super-bad statement of purpose that its predecessor was. Plus, with just over half an hour's running time, it's disappointing that two of the ten tracks are band-only. But given time, Fields' infectious enthusiasm and the quality musicianship behind him are too winning to end up really dissatisfying. And there are plenty of great moments for Fields fans: Fields confessing his dirty past on "You Made a New Man Out of Me"; the humorous, age-old advice on women dispensed on "Rapping With Lee"; the funked-up ballad "Honey Dove"; the percolating mid-tempo grooves of "The Right Thing" and the philosophical title track. Even if Problems winds up a cut below Let's Get a Groove On, it shows that Fields is still a vital and dynamic funk force to be reckoned with. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Lee Fields spent most of the '90s on the Ace label, recording soul-blues albums whose funkiness was often dampened by cheap-sounding, partly synthesized backing tracks. Judging by his performance on his Desco Records debut full-length Let's Get a Groove On, Fields' move to the pioneering old-school funk-revival label freed him to do the kind of gritty, authentic funk album he'd been itching to record for quite some time. Laying out his principle of "rough...nasty...genuine" funk in a spoken intro, Fields positively smokes through the whole record, capturing all the fire of late-'60s James Brown (whom he strongly and unashamedly resembles, vocally) with the help of the Desco house band, the Soul Providers, who lay down a richly organic set of guitar-and-organ-dominated funk backings. Let's Get a Groove On is blatantly derivative of its influences, but the simple act of returning wholeheartedly to those influences -- in a musical climate which has assimilated and moved away from them -- could in itself be considered an innovation. Regardless, it's a stunning performance from Fields and the record that fulfills Desco's promise -- quite possibly one of 1999's best, and definitely one of its most overlooked. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
'It's Hard to Go Back After Loving You'
Release Date 6/2/1998
Tracks 10
Label Avanti
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Coming to Tear the Roof Down'
Release Date 8/29/1995
Tracks 12
Label ACE
See Album Tracklist and Review
