Regina Belle Albums (8)
What The Critics Say
Like a lot of R&B luminaries, Regina Belle cut her teeth on gospel. And like dozens of her contemporaries who set it aside when Grammys and gold records started trickling in, she rediscovered it at a point in her career when the pop charts seemed less scalable. But Love Forever Shines, the throaty singer's debut gospel album, proves it's never too late to return to the sound that gave you liftoff. "God Is Good," the first single from this hefty batch, will have doubters swaying in their seats, arms up-stretched, and believers belting in the aisles. Like Melvin Williams of The Williams Brothers, who guests here throughout, Belle busts out a spiritual certainty that benefits from maturity. She's an artist who's been there, seen that, and she's saved some of her boldest, most bewitching moments -- see "Almost Slipped," "Can't Nobody" and "Who Touched Me" -- for this record. Jazz, hip-hop, R&B and soul make appearances, but at the end of a long set of praising, cherishing and reaching for the vocal rafters this is a pure contemporary gospel project. Fans of the genre will wish she had abandoned her days of Peabo Bryson and Johnny Mathis duets for a walk down this path decades ago. ~ Tammy La Gorce, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Regina Belle is a superior R&B/soul singer with a strong voice, a subtle style (although she can go over the top when it fits the music), and a solid sense of swing and dynamics. What is particularly unusual about this set for the Concord pop subsidiary Peak is the repertoire. Over half of the songs are jazz standards, and it is a particular treat hearing Belle's soulful renditions of such songs as "Lazy Afternoon," "Corcovado," "Moanin'," and "The Man I Love." The music is not really jazz (although it hints at it), but the jazz tunes give Belle an opportunity to stretch both herself and the format a bit. George Duke is a major asset as both a producer and a keyboardist, Everette Harp takes a few tenor and alto solos, and the Perry Sisters contribute some powerful background vocals on half of the tracks. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This Is Regina follows in the traditional Regina Belle formula: lush, sophisticated quiet storm ballads, augmented by Belle's strong, warm, elegant, inviting vocals. The album steers clear of anything too adventurous, which is just fine, because Belle's fans have come to love her for her reliability as an old friend who returns every few years with a fresh set of new, yet familiar songs. The album begins with the pleasantly sexy "Oooh Boy," then leads into a several pretty ballads, notably the sweeping "From Now On," which recalls her American chart-topper "A Whole New World." Highlights include the funky, smooth, sexy "Don't Wanna Go Home Now," which could be safely classified as adult contemporary club music and recalls Koffee Brown's 2001 hit "After Party." "Johnny's Back" is an endearing, shuffling little tune about, well, Johnny coming home, and possesses a warm, adult innocence rare in popular music. The album also features a more modern-sounding tune, "La Da Di," which, for better or worse, brings to mind Destiny's Child and features a rap courtesy of MC Lyte. In short, save for a few left turns, this adequately titled album is pure Regina Belle and will undoubtedly please the sophisticated songstress' many fans. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Recording the theme for Disney's Aladdin didn't have the same effect on Regina Belle's career as Beauty and the Beast had for Celine Dion's. With the exception of a pair of Top 40 pop hits ("Make It Like It Was," "If I Could") Belle's success was confined to the realm of R&B. Change was in the air, however, for her fifth and strongest release, Believe in Me. Aside from switching to MCA from Columbia and co-writing four of the songs herself, Belle manages to utilize slick, hip production and update her sound without forgetting the most important element: strong hooks and well-written tunes. Eric "E-Smooth" Hicks provides the production backdrop for eight of the album's tracks, giving Belle the strongest rhythmic push her music has ever had. After several easy-listening songs in her career, it's refreshing to hear her loosen up on the radio-ready likes of "Don't Let Go," "Baby Love," and the title track. Her ballads are also more R&B-flavored than ever, and Belle gives some of the laziest, sexiest vocals of her career on "I Got It" and "Come See About Me." Belle even recognizes that great production doesn't always have to be cluttered, illustrated on "I Gotch U" (written and produced by her brother, Bernard Belle; talent clearly runs in the family) and "Teach Me How to Live," both of which seduce in a gorgeously minimal setting. Another refreshing element is song length; while a lot of R&B music tends to run on for five minutes or more, only the final cut, "Be in Love Again" (coincidentally, the album's blandest composition), clocks in at that length; the rest of the songs are in the four-minute range or shorter, resulting in a breezy effect that inspires repeat listenings. Even a couple of less interesting pop tunes ("Never Should Have Let You Go," "Be in Love Again") aren't enough to weigh this project down. Filled with memorable hooks and irresistible grooves, Believe in Me finds Regina Belle at the top of her game. ~ John Jones, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Gifted with a voice that illuminates with such vigor to convey life's most inspiring and harshest moments, Regina Belle presents an album that steadfastly utilizes her vocal attributes. The New Jersey native's first single was the sentimental number "If I Could," a timeless tune that reflects a parent's desire to make life as easy as possible for their offspring. It cracked the Billboard R&B Top Ten at number nine after 21 weeks on the charts. The follow-up single was "Dream in Color." Set to a gospel-seasoned rhythm track, Belle expresses the ambitions of the idealistic lyric with an uplifting delivery. It only managed to peak at number 63 after a mere nine weeks. There were no other releases, but every song here is worthy of chart attention. The majority of the songs are ballads and mid-tempo numbers. One would think that with the sultry singer's impressive history of chart activity, the record company would expend more time and effort on such a proven artist. As the title indicates, Belle extends much passion in each one of these songs. She's lacking nothing on any one of these performances and the material is appropriately suited to the songstress. The album begins with the ardent title track, "Passion," and concludes with the inspirational "One Love." From the jazzy blues to the soulful R&B and pop-oriented tunes, Belle's vocals are mesmerizing to the last note. ~ Craig Lytle, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A romantic interlude of smooth soul numbers. ~ Bil Carpenter, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Her debut album of soft soul and dance music. ~ Bil Carpenter, All Music Guide
