Consumer Guide Album

George Faith: To Be a Lover [Mango, 1977]
I know, you love (and miss) soul music so much you don't care if it's deprived of its cultural context--when you got what it takes you hold on to what you got, right? Well, I don't know. Faith is a soft-sung reggae stylist vaguely reminiscent of early Joe Simon or some small part of David Ruffin. He writes ordinary songs and executes a delightful segue from "In the Midnight Hour" to "Ya Ya." And he lets you know why he loves "Turn Back the Hands of Time" and "So Fine" by covering Paul Anka's "Diana" along with them. B-