Elkie Brooks
Live and Learn
A&M Records (Holland) 1979
AMLH 68509 (LP)
sleeve : EX-(SRW, some wear on side and corner, wrinkle on one corner)
media : EX+/EX+(some slightly noise)
The fifth album by British female singer Elkie Brooks, released in 1979. A mainstream pop singer with strong soul and R&B influences—the kind of style that artists such as Lisa Stansfield would later embrace—Brooks was working at a time when disco was sweeping the world, and this album includes some superbly soulful dance tracks. A4 is especially recommended: an outstanding track in the classic US dance tradition, driven by a light, flowing groove that gradually heats up with emotional brass and string arrangements. A1 is another highlight, combining a reggae-tinged beat with a cool bluesy chord progression, while A5 is a mellow ballad colored by the warm tremolo of Fender Rhodes. Above all, Brooks’ husky, deeply soulful vocals are fantastic throughout.
A1: Viva La Money
A4: The Rising Cost of Love