Brenton Wood This Love Is For Real CD

Digitally remastered by Evren Goknar, Marty Wekser (Capitol Mastering).

On his first collection of all-new recordings in a decade, Brenton Wood presented mostly new songs, along with remakes of "Boogum Boogum Boogum/The Oogum Boogum Song" and "Baby You Got It." It's always a bad sign on comebacks by soul veterans when you see keyboard programmers credited on most of the songs. True to suspicions, this is mellow soul updated with contemporary arrangements, with synthesizers and ultra-sweet backup vocals. Whether intentionally or not, the impression is that of songs calculated to pick up adult contemporary radio airplay. The best that can be said is that Wood's voice is good, and still expert at hitting the high silky notes. But the material is dull, and the production worse. ~ Richie Unterberger

Includes liner notes by Toi Moore.

Personnel: Brenton Wood (piano, background vocals); Josh Sklar, Arthur Adams (electric guitar); Ed Wynn, Pat Burnett (saxophone); Gerald Albright (alto saxophone); Richard Cason (keyboards, programming).

Audio Mixer: Bill Dashiell.

Photographer: Brenton Wood.

Personnel includes: Brenton Wood (vocals, keyboards); Josh Sklar, Arthur Adams (electric guitar); Melvin Coles, David T. Walker (guitar); Ray Pizzi, Gerald Albright (alto saxophone); Pat Burnett, Ed Wynn (saxophone); Hense Powell (keyboards, synthesizer, programming, sequencing); Rich Carson (keyboards, programming); Natisse Jones, Bernadette Jones, Regina People, Angie Whitney, Rhonda Bennin, The Waters (background vocals).

Compilation producers: Cary E. Mansfield, Brenton Wood.