Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, known as much for his undeniable songwriting skills as he is for his smooth, wide-ranging vocals and multi-award winning music production, does the unexpected and releases an album mostly consisting of cover songs. Playlist, the artist’s 11th solo album, contains remakes of some of the 1970s best singer-songwriter tunes, as well as two originals.
In the late 1980s, Babyface stole the spotlight – and the hearts of many young women – with his tender vocals and boyish good looks, first with R’B group The Deele, and later with his successful solo career. His many solo hits contain such songs as "Whip Appeal," "When Can I See You" and "For the Cool In You." His name is also attached to such works as "Two Occasions" with The Deele, "Change the World" with Eric Clapton, Toni Braxton’s "Breathe Again" and Boyz II Men’s hits "I’ll Make Love To You" and "End of the Road."
On Playlist, Babyface tackles some of music’s classics in a way that is inarguably true to the original while remaining faithful to the sound that has kept his career at the top of the charts for so many years, a task that not many artists could accomplish.
"These songs came from memories, and these songs helped shape who I am – and they’re still shaping who I am," Babyface said about his new album in a release on his Web site. "They shaped my past, and now they’re shaping my future."
In the first single off the album, a cover of James Taylor’s "Fire and Rain," Babyface doesn’t change a thing, allowing the song to bask in the greatness it presented almost 40 years ago. His familiar vocals fit into the song as if it was there all along, comfortably introducing the record to any skeptics that may appear.
Another James Taylor song "Shower the People" and Dan Fogelberg’s "Longer" likewise remain in their original form.
While these songs directly connect the listener to the past, Babyface does his best work on this album when he introduces his own sound to the songs.
His cover of Bob Dylan’s "Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door" spices up the track with a heavy rhythm section while soulful vocals retain the disparity the original intended.
Heavy keyboards and crisp percussion give Eric Clapton’s "Wonderful Tonight" a bedroom-ready R’B feel without going overboard with overbearing vocal runs that many times accompany that sound.
Although the remakes are the focal point of the album, the two original songs written for the album should not be overlooked.
"Not Going Nowhere," written for his children to assure them that divorce will not cause him to be out of their lives, and "The Soldier Song," about a parent’s thoughts after sending a child off to war, are some of the most heartfelt lyrics that he has ever written.
Babyface, who recently performed on Country Music Television’s Crossroads with Trisha Yearwood, was self-described as the shy, quiet kid who nobody expected to become the star he is today. He has shown once more why he has so much staying power.
It does not matter whether he is singing, playing, writing, producing or even covering another artist; Babyface has firmly placed his name among the most successful people in the music industry. Playlist is certain to be another successful chapter to an already brilliant career.
