Two Words, One Answer.
Stacy Lattisaw
 The Very Best of Stacy Lattisaw $11.98 THE VERY BEST OF STACY LATTISAW cd is testament to the miraculous talent of Stacy Lattisaw's voice. Although it starts off with songs Lattisaw recorded when she was 12 and 13 years old--and she does sound young--you get a sense of the power brewing in her voice, particularly on songs "When You're Young and in Love" and "Dynamite!" Just listening to her singing "Let Me Be Your Angel" and "My Love" with the pure innocent tone of a child, yet with the longing and sadness of an adult, and you know that Lattisaw is no ordinary teen singer. By the time you get to "Miracles" (track 9) on this cd, Lattisaw's voice is almost fully developed, and I say that with all sincerity. Even though "Miracles" is my favorite song, and you will get chills hearing her vocal prowess on this love ballad, Stacy was still only 15/16 when she recorded that song. And if her voice stopped maturing at that point, she still would have been one hell of a singer. It wasn't until 1986's "Nail It To The Wall" (track 13), a sexually suggestive funky dance song, which indicated that Lattisaw was no longer a teenage girl...but a full grown woman. Powerful like always and with dynamic range, the once teenaged voice had developed into a musical instrument; velvet, rich, and mature not unlike (Barbra)Streisand's, (Patti)LaBelle's, and (Teena)Marie's. Lattisaw had finally arrived. Rounding out this collection are the last two tracks "Every Drop Of Your Love" and "Let Me Take You Down." The former being a steamy slow-burn groove and further indication that Lattisaw was far from puppy love and into adult heat. The last track, "Let Me Take You Down" is another soaring quiet-storm love ballad, not unlike "Miracles." An amazing song that book ends this collection nicely. Strong, dynamic, clear, and full of conviction, Lattisaw's voice rings throughout "Let Me Take You Down" as it starts off lush and melodic, then rises, crashes, and turns almost fanatical as she testifies about the joy of finding her one true love. You have to catch your breath after hearing it. Sadly, Stacy Lattisaw never wanted the spotlight and decided to call it quits as a professional singer. A small booklet with liner notes and Lattisaw's biography comes with this cd and explains her rise and eventual decision to leave show biz. It also provides single, album, and chart information. What a talent!  What You Need $11.98 "That's The Reason Why I Love You" (track 10) will be played at my wedding This song alone makes this long out-of-print cd worth ordering  Let Me Be Your Angel $12.97 I was about 14 when this album came out and I remember wanting to be a music star like her. I am not comparing Stacy to Britney in the vain of the way she carries herself. Unfortunately, Britney is not doing very well in that department. Rather, what I mean is when I was young, she was to me what Britney was to her young following back in 1999. As far as the music goes, Lattisaw's music was fun dance pop and R&B much like Britney's was on her first three cds. Lattisaw's music would take on more edge later on in her Motown years (Nail it to the Wall). Dynamite was Lattisaw's first hit, an uptempo and funk-R&B dance number. Had it been around today, it would surely have been remixed despite it's already being dancable. Clocking in just past six minutes, this song had all the makings for a party jam. My favorite song, however is the title song "Let Me Be You Angel" which still makes it on the old-school sets. Trully an enduring love ballad for all time. I don't want to sound like all the other bozos out there decrying "music of today". Music of today has great things to offer, but unfortunately with all the sexual and violent themes, I do wish more music like this was making it on the charts. Unfortunately, while it is out there (Mandy Moore, Debroah Gibson, Stacie Orrico) it is not making the charts and radio like it used to. |
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