Search - Regina Belle :: Stay With Me

A soaring and soulful sophomore effort

John Jones | Chicago IL | 07/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Her 1987 debut, "All By Myself," was just fine, a decent enough collection of songs that proved she was not just another soul singer. But the upgrade of material found on the followup gave her the chance to truly soar, and "Stay With Me" cemented the notion that Regina Belle is one of the more mature and sophisticated songstresses of our times."Baby Come to Me" was the album's breakout single, a lush and seductive affair whose jazz overtones were confirmed with a delicious muted trumpet solo. Belle's jazz chops came out full force, however, on the bluesy "What Goes Around," and her soaring performance on "Make it Like it Was" will undoubtedly inspire chills down the backs of any fan of earthy soul. "Good Lovin" even manages to marry art and commerce, juxtaposing an impressive vocal with an infectious hip-hop beat.A couple of compositions simply aren't worth her time, such as "When Will You Be Mine," an unnecessary upbeat exercise with a flimsy hook, and the mediocre ballad "It Doesn't Hurt Anymore," which gives Regina plenty of opportunity to belt but little chance to distinguish herself. All is forgiven, however, on the album's finest moment, "Save the Children/Someday We'll All Be Free." Pairing up social consciences of Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway (respectively) is a nice idea, and the songs blend well together. But it's Regina's gospel-tinged vocal that brings the house down, and if her pitch, phrasing, and inflection between the solo and finale don't knock you out, virtually nothing in R&B will. Chock-full of tasteful arrangements and skillful vocals, "Stay With Me" places Regina Belle in the company of Anita Baker...and it places R&B fans in the company of greatness."

Sensual and Soulful

Armando M. Mesa | Chandler, AZ | 08/18/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This c.d was recently purchased on a whim after hearing a snippet of Baby Come To Me on a commercial for a various artists R&B compilation c.d. Not the actual song itself but the style of this music brought back memories of the 80's when artists like Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson, Anita Baker, and other true R&B artists would produce "real" music for the heart and soul (mind as well). Words like soothing, seductive and sensual don't even begin to describe what this album is about. The only minor downfall is the numerous slow ballads which start to pile up consecutively towards the end of the track list. Otherwise, a collector of fine soul/R&B/contemporary-adult pop would be surely missing out on an underappreciated and gifted vocalist."

REGINA BELLE'S BEST ALBUM

Allen a.k.a Dirty Love | Toledo, Oh | 01/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Regina Belle's best album and a cd I still listen to today.I've had this album since early 1997 and still go through my cd library to listen to the whole cd.Almost all songs are good and you won't catch your self skipping through tracks to find a good song.My favorites are the radio hits "Baby come to me" and "Make it like it was".This adds up to her debut cd which I believe was released 2 years earlier.If you don't have it and are a fan of 1990s R&B then this is something you should definitely add to your music collection."