Georgie Fame's second album for
Pye Records in less than a year is far more economical than its predecessor -- apart from a few strategically placed horn parts, it's a stripped-down
pop/rock effort with some
funk elements.
Fame sounds at time like he's stretching his vocal resources here as a
pop singer, holding notes a phenomenally long time on
"Lovely Day," reaching hard on
"L in L.A.," and generally romping around this material, embracing
Latin influences here, soft
pop there, and whatever else works, with some catchy upbeat
ballads (
"You") interspersed with more beat-driven pieces like
"I Don't Care Who I Dance With" and
"That's What Friends Are For." As with the previous album, the songwriting is mostly
Fame's, which makes these two albums unusual in his output up to this time. ~ Bruce Eder