Johnnie Taylor – Good Love!

GOOD LOVE! finds the veteran R&B singer updating his style while maintaining the rich, soulful quality that has served him throughout his 35-year solo career. Taylor is in a somewhat schizophrenic mood on this release. Many cuts take a modern approach, with the instrumental focus on synthesizers and drum machines. Elsewhere, Taylor is accompanied by the storied Muscle Shoals rhythm section, dishing up some fine, horn-punctuated soul as gritty and powerful as anything in his stellar back catalog. Long-time fans will be glad to hear that the more techno-minded cuts do not detract from the intensity of Taylor's voice. Rather, they cast it in sharp relief, emphasizing its character, like a deep shade of blue viewed against a translucent backdrop. There are more surprises along the way, including a guest vocal by Taylor's daughter Tasha and a subtle, hypnotic cover of Leon Russell's "This Masquerade." The new twists and the old reliable virtues of Taylor's talent make for an album that establishes a hero of yesteryear as a man of the moment.

Track Listing:
1. Good Love - 4:06   2. Last Two Dollars - 5:19   3. Sending You A Kiss - 4:27   4. Walk Away With Me - 4:52   5. Too Many Memories - 6:00   6. Ain't That Lovin' You (For More Reasons Than One) - 3:10   7. Too Late To Try To Do Right - 5:47   8. Whole Lotta Lovin' - 4:01   9. You Got Me In The Mood For Love - 4:31   10. Slide On - 4:46   11. Body Rock - 3:07   12. This Masquerade - 5:31   13. Bonus Track - Good Love Remix (Jeep Mix) - 3:36

Personnel:
Johnnie Taylor (vocals) , Tasha Taylor (vocals) , Jimmy Johnson , Will McFarlane (guitar) , Gary Armstrong / Dennis Soule / Jim Horn / Vinnie Ciesielski / Charles Rose / Harvey Thompson (horns); Clayton Ivey / Butch Bonner (keyboards) , Roger Hawkins (drums) , Quanda Brooks / Jewel Bass / Thomisene Anderson (background vocals)