Love's the Place to Be
| Love's the Place to Be | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Soul, jazz, R&B | |||
| Label | Mercury Records | |||
| Will Downing chronology | ||||
| ||||
Love's the Place to Be is a studio album by the American soul musician Will Downing, released in 1993.[1][2] It was his first album for Mercury Records.[3][4]
The album peaked at No. 166 on the Billboard 200.[5] "There's No Living Without You" peaked at No. 67 on the UK Singles Chart.[6]
Production[]
Among the album's many producers were Barry Eastmond and Ronnie Foster.[3]
Stevie Wonder contributed harmonica to "That's All".[3] Rachelle Ferrell duets with Downing on "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This".[7]
Critical reception[]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| The Charlotte Observer | [9] |
| Daily Breeze | [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [1] |
| MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide |  [11] |
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called the album "the kind of romantic, elegant material that fans of the highly touted Luther Vandross wish he would return to."[12] The Charlotte Observer deemed it "a masterpiece," writing that "the three-song suite 'Do You Still Love Me'/'Hey Girl'/'Break Up to Make Up' is one of the best things to hit CD in a long time."[9]
The Dallas Morning News thought that "Downing has matured into a stunning stylist, caressing such classics as Nat 'King' Cole's 'That's All' [and] the Stylistics' 'Break Up to Make Up' ... with a reverence that still leaves room for redefining."[13] The Daily Breeze wrote that "most of the 11 tracks spin at the same speed and intensity, thus there is no chance for the highs and lows."[10]
AllMusic wrote that "these songs were all some of Downing's best work ... showcasing his vocal prowess."[8]
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "There's No Living Without You" | 4:15 |
| 2. | "Sailing on a Dream" | 6:09 |
| 3. | "One Moment" | 4:43 |
| 4. | "Nothing Has Ever Felt Like This" | 6:21 |
| 5. | "Love's the Place to Be" | 5:00 |
| 6. | "Lovers Paradise" | 4:42 |
| 7. | "Everything to Me" | 4:20 |
| 8. | "Do You Still Love Me" | 4:55 |
| 9. | "Hey Girl" | 5:25 |
| 10. | "Break Up to Make Up" | 5:07 |
| 11. | "That's All" | 5:37 |
Selected personnel[]
- Will Downing - vocals
- Gerald Albright - saxophone
- Rachelle Ferrell - vocals
- Anthony Jackson - bass
- Harvey Mason - drums
- Marion Meadows - saxophone
- Buddy Wilson - drums
- Stevie Wonder - harmonica
References[]
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Volume 3: MUZE. pp. 104–105.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ Hudson, Alexia (8 Oct 1993). "Music Reviews: Love's The Place To Be - Will Downing". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 7E.
- ^ a b c Smith, Danyel (Aug 14, 1993). "Downing Plays to Listener Loyalty". Billboard. 105 (33): 18.
- ^ McNally, Owen (28 Oct 1993). "HOT AUTUMN NIGHT". Hartford Courant. Calendar. p. 6.
- ^ "Will Downing". Billboard.
- ^ "WILL DOWNING | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
- ^ "FIVE TOURING PERFORMERS JOINING FORCES FOR JAZZ EXPLOSION". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. November 13, 1994. p. 1E.
- ^ a b "Love's the Place to Be - Will Downing | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ a b "R&B". The Charlotte Observer. February 11, 1994. p. 5F.
- ^ a b Tranfa, Anthony D. (November 19, 1993). "WILL DOWNING, 'Love's the Place To Be'". Daily Breeze. p. K15.
- ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 183.
- ^ Murray, Sonia (April 15, 1994). "PREVIEW - Will Downing". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P3.
- ^ "Will Downing". The Dallas Morning News. November 11, 1993. p. 5C.
- 1993 albums
- Mercury Records albums