|
|
 |
Although a respectable effort, Keep Me in Mind is a bit of an oddity in the context of Miriam Makeba's career. While she's justifiably most known for the records she did with a strong connection to South African music, much of the arrangements, and certainly some of the material, of this 1970 LP indicated that there were hopes of getting her to cross over to the soul and pop audience. The production often had a solid soul feel, and certainly the covers of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Down on the Corner," and the Beatles' "In My Life" were -- though classic songs all -- not exactly in sync with the kind of repertoire she'd featured throughout most of her discography to that point. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, they're among the weakest selections here, though "In My Life" isn't bad, somewhat recalling Nina Simone's frequent forays into rock/pop/soul hits during the same era. Better by some measure are her outings into fairly gutsy pop-soul on "Brand New Day," the dramatic "Measure the Valleys," and her own composition "Lumumba," though these do sound like tracks that could have been the work of most any above-average Aretha Franklin-influenced soul singer, rather than efforts bearing Makeba's distinctive imprint. Far more of her South African roots come through on her non-English-language originals "Kulala," "Ibande," and "Tululu," and while these aren't devoid of contemporary soul influences, they're the most interesting tracks on the LP. It adds up to a record that has its merits and puts Makeba into a more Americanized pop-soul setting than much of her work, but isn't one to turn to as an example of her achievements as an African music innovator. ~ Richie Unterberger
Recorded in New York, New York and London, England. Originally released on Reprise (6381).
1st Time On CD;1970
Personnel: Miriam Makeba (vocals).
Recording information: London, England; New York, NY.
Arranger: George Butcher.
Personnel includes: Miriam Makeba (vocals); George Butcher (arranger).
Miriam Makeba - Keep Me In Mind Songs
Keep Me In Mind Review
GuidelinesRemember to focus your comments on Miriam Makeba - Keep Me In Mind CD. Check our review guidelines for specific details regarding customer review policy. To submit your review, please fill out the above form and click "Submit Review." A staff member will then verify your review meets our guidelines. Upon approval, your review will be published within a few days. Please do not use this form to comment on web site errors or for order related questions. If you have concerns of this nature, please contact customer service by filling out this form.
Purchase Keep Me In Mind CD
To buy, Click on price to add to cart
|
|
|
|
|
Share this Product