When the Curtis Mayfield-Aretha Franklin collaboration n the soundtrack to the mid-70s Sparkle it got better reviews than the terrible movie, but not by that much. It sounds a little weird now, right? If only for the title track plus "Something He can Feel" it deserves better than only OK. Two legends, both on form, and even if there is too much filler, what's not to love, right? Me? I'd give it a solid "B+" and whenever Aretha hits up some tracks off the album, her live show lights up.Certainly, it seserves to be remembered as more than the inspiration for the movie (actually, I don't really care about the movie) and new soundtrack featuring Cee Lo, Jordin Sparks and, er Carmen Ejogo (a Nigerian actress). Cee Lo is wearing out his welcome but Jordin and Carmen? They shouldn't allowed in the same elevator as Aretha, let alone sing the same songs.
Are you kidding?
This album is so bad I decided to take more than a paragraph to damn it to hell. Is everybody deaf? How could they allow this travesty? Why is Carmen singing "Jump" and "Hooked On A Feeling"? Why is Whitney delegated to a ghastly pop sing duet and a Spiritual when even at 47 years old she could self-evidently sing circles round these chumps?
Without a doubt, this is the worst important album of the year. It is a disgrace. Jordin stinks. OK, maybe she doesn't stink stink but she is really what she is: an American Idol contestant. Ejogo stinks. Everything here except for "Sparrow" is truly scarily bad and "Something He Can Feel" is a shameful perfunctory run through.
Poor Curtis, he deserves better than this shit.
Grade: D+