Search - Stephanie Mills :: If I Were Your Woman

STEPHANIE MILLS FEELS GOOD & SOUNDS GOOD . . . ALL OVER!

07/15/1998

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Stephanie Mills, "the little gal with the big voice" has been a pro since she first took the stage as a child as Dorothy in "The Wiz". Most of her early albums were recorded with the (then) team of James Mtume & Reggie Lucas, and they outfitted Ms Mills with glittering, rich product to wrap her considerable voice around. Though when Mtume and Lucas parted ways, Mills likely found herself in a similar place as Dionne Warwick after the break-up of David-Bacharach, a major talent looking for some serious songs to sing!The following records were noteworthy, to say the least, but not as consistent as what we had grown to expect from the artist. Jumping from "this" label to "that" didn't help either, and though the she always rose to the occasion with the material given her, Stephanie Mills was in need of a big hit."IF I Were Your Woman" is a nice album - a feel-good record with some highly emotive singing, Mills'! ! strong-point. But as reliable as her committed vocal delivery has been, this album only comes close to sky-rocketing Mills to the celebrity stratosphere of where she so much deserves to be."(You're Puttin' A) Rush On Me" and "Running For Your Love" deliver healthy portions of uptempo funk to get the party started, and tender moments like "Jesse" and the minor hit "Secret Lady" set the mood for love, which Mills still does better than several other "so-called divas" of today. However, it is on the seductive "Touch Me Now" where the emotions all come together . . . surely one of the better vocals from a lady with a career full of above-average renderings!"If I Were Your Woman" is a fine re-make of the Gladys Knight & the Pips chestnut and "I Feel Good All Over" expresses in a phrase the overall feel to the album, and too sums up Mills' earthy singing style. This album reminds us how ! ! underrated Stephanie Mills as a substantial pop music force! of latter day."

A LADY WITH A SONG

MAURICE MILLIGAN | HOUSTON, TEXAS | 06/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If romantic love songs is what you like and you don't have this cd-you don't know what you're missing. First of all, Stephanie Mills has one of the most amazing voices in music history-often underated but never duplicated- she growls,she can run the music scale effortlessly with deep rich vocals as showcased on the churchy but romantic "I feel good all over" a definite pleaser to the ear. Stephanie does an amazing job on the remake title track "If I were your woman" very soulful. "Puttin a rush on me" features blazing big beats with rhythmatic and hypnotic vocals over a sizzling production. "Jesse" is a smooth melodic track that will have you singing along with slick production and background by Robert Brookins. Powerhouse performances are showcased on "Secret Lady" and "Touch me now"...Awesome Cd...in other words..Get it Now!"

The Diminutive Diva

El Lagarto | Sandown, NH | 04/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stephanie Mills is a singer's singer. I had the pleasure of seeing her in person when she was promoting this album. At the time I knew little about her other than the raves she got appearing in The Wiz on Broadway. I was unprepared. The first thing I noticed was that she is absolutely adorable. Even with hair piled high enough to rival Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, it's unlikely that she breaks the five-foot barrier. But as soon as she started singing, she roared, she owned the room.



Mills is a triple-threat, she has a glorious natural voice, she is a highly trained singer, and she invests her delivery with passion, soul, and originality. So many bad singers, especially rock singers, reach up for notes like desperate mountain climbers inching their way along ice caps. Mills hits her notes with authority, she spanks them. Her high notes remain nailed to the wall long after she's left the building. Not only does she have a splendid range, she growls, purrs, coaxes, and teases, there's a whole vocabulary of coy and alluring expression in her delivery.



Mills is good enough to compensate for this CD's limitations which include lapses in song-writing quality and occasionally ham-fisted production. Secret Lady is a gem, as are Jesse, Touch Me Now, I Feel Good All Over, and the remake of If I Were Your Woman. The remaining three, Rush On Me, Running For Your Love, and Can't Change My Ways are good, but the writing is uneven and the production is self-conscious, foreshadowing the "producer-as-instrument" trend of years to come. Still in all, these are minor complaints; this CD is definitely worth owning. With Aretha busy at the buffet table, Mills could well be at the very head of the class."