The first track off Smokey And Friends, the Motown giant’s duets album was so indifferent, Cee Lo joining him on “The Way You Do (The Things You Do)” and for the most part I was right but the album did have moments. Smokey is in fine voice throughout but he gains nothing special from the duets, nobody spurs him to heights.
“The Way You Do The Things You Do” was the Temptations first hit and you can hear why: this is the immaculate Motown house band and a great singer and harmonies just at the exact moment they became great. How could this version be anything at all? It isn’t anything at all. It has no choice but to be product.
This is a pretty good line up and I am sure expecting Smokey to be too much of a pro not to bother file sharing the duets but to have gotten the actual performers into the studio. Legend (who owes so much to Robinson), Miguel and Aloe Blacc, it could be great. Elton and Tyler from the old school, and Mayer on guitar!
I am sick of writing about how great the new Old 97’s Most Messed Up is so I’ll tell you how great Lydia Loveless’ Somewhere Else is instead. Between the two, this is probably the greatest double of the year. It is like what we thought Kanye West and Kendrick Lemar were gonna do at MSG when kendrick forgot to show. This is so great it beats out Governors Ball for show of the week. Webster Hall on Tuesday June 3rd. It should be epic.
