Destination Moon
01 - Destination Moon - Very jazzy and and very 50's influenced. Very reminiscent of "I've Got Rythym." Not very much I can say about this, but it was decent. Have no original or past version to compare it to. Rating: 3/5
02 - What A Difference A Day Made - Okay, I'm now guessing that this is a period piece (the album as a whole). Not my cup of tea, but it's very reminiscent of "Alfie" (Dionne Warwick), which, oddly enough, is my cup of tea. Rating: 3/5
03 - Misery - I love this new rawness and slight rasp to her voice; it gives it that edge it was missing. She sings this beautifully and the instrumentation is lovely. I'm really enjoying this side of Deborah; very vulnerable yet more heartfelt than I've ever heard her. Rating: 3.5/5
04 - Baby, You've Got What It Takes - She brings a very Kim Burrell-styled vocal to this song in every way and I'm loving it! Again, it's not my type of music but I can appreciate it vocally. It's a solid vocal and I'm not at all displeased. She's interpreting the lyric. Rating: 3/5
05 - This Bitter Earth - Heartbreaking. She delivers this with such passion and fire. Wow, especially considering Dinah Washington's take on this song. While it's not Dinah's, it definitely is no slouch. I didn't know Deborah had all of this in her. Rating: 4/5
06 - Squeeze Me - I love this old Fats Waller tune! I loved it even more when I saw Armelia McQueen perform it in "Ain't Misbehavin'." By changing the melodic structure of the song, it lost it's innocent and sex kitten vibe. The vocal she delivers is far too powerful and surprisingly contrived. Rating: 2/5
07 - New Blowtop Blues - She didn't take her time with this lyric. The heartbreak and despair that's normally exhibited in "I've got bad news baby, and you're the first to know" is completely missing. There was no grit or soul there to deliver the lyric. She does sing it brilliantly, but that's not enough for this song, especially considering the lyrical content. Rating: 3.5/5 (Adjusted Rating: 2.5/5)
08 - Blue Skies - She delievers a powerfully passionate vocal here beginning. She seems to loose her footing when the song changes tempo. She does much better with these period pieces when they're slow. In the uptempos, she looses the message of the lyric. The second half the song was supposed to be bright and chipper, but instead it's kind of flat. The first half, however, is brilliant. Rating: 3/5
09 - I Don't Hurt Anymore - The song was a tad too slow and I constantly compared it to Mandisa Hundley's performance of the song. Mandisa's version was far superior and it sounds as if Deborah's voice was about to go out on her during this song. Still, she doesn't sing it badly, just not as brilliantly as Mandisa. Rating: 3/5
10 - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - Just brilliant. Rating: 4.75/5
11 - September In The Rain - She sings this beautifully. Another strong track. Rating: 4/5
12 - Look To The Rainbow - She brought tears to my eyes with this one. Wow. Rating: 5/5
Overall Album Review:
Okay, I would recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of Burt Bacarach type melodies (i.e., the type of music that young Dionne Warwick was known for). She sings most tracks as if she lived the lyric. She sometimes looses her footings on the uptempo tracks, but she more than suffices with her interpretation of the lyrics in the slow tracks. This is a brilliant album, but it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. This is not the Deborah of "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" with the over-instrumentation and the bombastic vocals. This is a much more subdued Deborah wrapping her voice around lyric, giving every lyric a life of it's own. It's a great album, but I say to the fans of Deborah, download it to see if you like this type of music. I can't stress enough, however, how absolutely wonderful this album is!
Overall Album Rating: 3.75/5
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