Barry White – An Evening With Barry White
Eagle Records (10/30/07)
Soul
If it’s possible to be considered a world-renowned talent, yet still underrated, the late Barry White would fit the description.
Did you know that he released or contributed to 106 gold and 41 platinum albums, 20 gold and ten platinum singles and accumulated worldwide sales of more than 100 million?
Towards the end of his career, White was something of an “entertainer emeritus”—relying on the goodwill he’d accumulated from a lifetime of extraordinary work to sell a his greater focus on live performances, rather than the release of any new material. In 1999, he embarked on what would be the final concert tour of his career.
An Evening With Barry White captures nearly a dozen songs during a stop in Anaheim, Calif. And, with the backing of the Love Unlimited Orchestra, it’s easy to hear how Barry White earned his iconic status.
All the classics are here and it appears that the original concert’s integrity was maintained as the audience reactions build in volume and crash like waves ashore as White runs through their personal favorites. That’s certainly not to suggest that White mails it in, though.
“Just the Way You Are” clocks in at over 11 intense minutes and White holds it together throughout. Sure, it’s his orchestra that carries the load later in the album, but White knows when to dial it back up, as he does on signature songs “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” and “You’re the First, The Last, My Everything”.
The only real negatives here are the audio, which doesn’t seem to capture the crowd’s emotion as well as it should, and White’s own limitations, as fatigue sets in at times. With a voice as familiar as White’s, it’s easy to tell when he’s not always at the top of his game. Still, this is a wonderful tribute to one of the greatest voices to ever record and a fine addition for Barry White fans—both old and new.
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