Published on Dec 24, 1997
“God, Face, how’s your baby?”
“He’s fine.” He wasn’t rude, sarcastic or curt; just, uh, great,
he’s fine, I guess.
Ultimately, I walked away from my Le Face (trust me; it’s the
masculine form) meeting with two impressions: he’s pretty shy, and
LORDY he looks at least fifteen years younger than his age (he’s
that teenage boy playing guitar in the background in the “Change
The World” video).
This man’s unassuming nature is left in the closet of his
dressing room before stepping out on this New York stage. From the
first track “Change The World” he transforms the bland-ass Eric
Clapton rendition into something much more soulful and, let’s face
it, more
fun. “Talk To Me” gets you hooked with its exciting
arrangement (compared to the LP version); I don’t quite get the
hype about Clapton’s guitar but I can sure get Sheila E.’s
percussion, who is the underlying life of this album.
Shanice’s rushed delivery of “Breathe Again” doesn’t prove
anything. The acoustic backing isn’t right for the funk of this
song but it’s just what “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” needs. For those of
you who don’t care much for Whitney Houston (and I know we’re out
here), you’ll be relieved to know that this is nothing like her
edited-for-radio arrangement. It’s done as a
Live-At-the-House-of-Blues type duet; I can already hear Houston
bitchin’!
Boyz II Men is another group that never caught my interest for
their wimpy vocalizing (Mariah Carey’s
midrange eclipsed them) but they had all the luck with
getting songs. “I’ll Make Love To You and End Of The Road (Medley)”
is even more over-the-top than their original versions but it fits
into the cohesion of the album and gives a good starting platform
for the slow songs.
“The Day” … this was never meant to be a studio song! Never
had there been a more heartfelt singing on
MTV Unplugged since the backing vocalists from “Tears In
Heaven”. Even this is topped by the Stevie Wonder duet and finale
“How Come, How Long” which reaches even higher than it does in the
LP. Stevie Wonder makes for an amazing harmonica but his underrated
singing stands no contest in this track. If you were momentarily
shocked by Shanice’s sudden flagolet at the end you’re in for
something even more upsetting (but it’s nice to be upset).
This album is his best personal work yet. The album isn’t sleek,
exquisitely structured or perfected with a sampler on hand; even
without that the Face can make good music. Live albums by the Top
40 of today are not easy to come by; grab this one. Next to Celine
Dion’s
Live a Paris, it’s the best live album I’ve heard all
year.