SMOKEY ROBINSON/YES IT'S YOU LADY STML 12165 (-82) UK

To me Motown was and always will be one of greatest labels in history and Smokey Robinson one of their biggest stars. Through the years I've had so much joy from listening to the stuff he did with Miracles in the sixties, taking in the elaborate songwriting and his sensible vocals. Big part of the connection I have with those songs comes from that they're all man made, performed by real musicians in the studio, often in just a few takes, giving a reality check. From around the late seventies when more and more of soul and disco recordings were taken over by machines with a kind of signature reverb I almost stopped listening to those genres. On that road it took about two decades before I gave this album a chance, believing he like so many others had fallen in the synth trap. I needn't have worried. There is some electronic support and the ambience sounds far from sixties Motown studio work, but most of the backing still human, songs catchy and his voice filled with tons of emotion. It's soft and heartfelt with enough power to put you in a wistful mood...if that's what you need. Favorite tracks - "Merry-Go-Ride" and "Are You Still Here?". Premiere US on Tamla (6001 TL). First UK had label as shown here and thin fully laminated cover. (SXÖM*) (TÖMÖ*)