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Breakwater Cat/Never Gonna Be Another One

Mid-June, 2013

Two early 80s groovers from Thelma Houston – back to back on a single CD! Breakwater Cat is an excellent set – one that has Thelma really reinventing herself after the disco years – stepping back into deeper soul vocals, while still working with full arrangements that push things forward nicely! There's a great mix of gentle groove and fuller strings on most trcks – with arrangements by Greg Mathieson, James Gadson, Webster Lewis, and Matthew McCauley – who handled most of side one. Houston's vocals are as soaring and powerful as ever – and side one's batch of Jimmy Webb tracks give her a mature showcase for richer emotions, a feather in the cap for both Thelma and Jimmy. Side two features cuts by a wider range of talents – which fleshes things out nicely – and titles include "Breakwater Cat", "Long Lasting Love", "Gone", "Understand Your Man", "Lost & Found", "Something We May Never Know", and "Down The Backstairs Of My Life". Never Gonna Be Another One is a great 80s groove from Thelma Houston – a set with arrangements that are leaner and meaner than before, still topped with those amazing soul diva vocals! Arrangements on the set are handled by George Tobin & Mike Piccirillo – who really give the album a nice sort of focus – groovers that shake off some of the disco styles of earlier years, balanced with a few ballads that help Houston slide nicely into some crossover territory too! Titles include "If You Feel It", "Never Give You Up", "Don't Make Me Over", "Hollywood", "Too Many Teardrops", "Never Gonna Be Another One", and "96 Tears".  © 1996-2013, Dusty Groove, Inc.