Opening track, the smooth and sexy, "If You Need Someone", features lovely background vocal support courtesy of another group of extremely talented lead and background singers in their own right, and they are James "D Train" Williams, Cindy Mizelle, and Paulette McWilliams. This beautiful song features a Far Eastern-esqe intro of a Japanese flute and Koto stylings, followed by the strong presence of a smoothed out Bass Synth, light drum programming, and nifty guitar pluckings. Audrey's lead vocal performance is nothing short of spectacular as she coos and wails in sheer exuberance. "Try A Little Harder", is a mid tempo song performed with a live bass guitar, electric piano, sweeping synthesizers, with programmed drums and percussion. Audrey sings lyrics of wanting to hang in there with her lover after a break up. Though these types of lyrics are sung before in many other songs, NO ONE sings them quite convincingly as Audrey. It's just a song that can be played on late night Quiet Storm programs at Urban Adult Contemporary radio. (UAC Radio Programmers out there reading this, TAKE NOTE !)
Album title track, "I'm Yours Tonight" (Refer to the YouTube Video Above), features the smooth soprano sax work of the great Najee and the low register backing vocals courtesy of her husband, the talented Will Downing. This song is definitely a hand swayer in the traditional R&B sense. The clear presence of the finger snaps, the wonderful sounding fretless bass guitar, the sweet sounding keyboards, the on point background vocal work, and of course, Audrey's soulful and delectable vocal acrobatics make this a standout track on the album. Since it's 1991 with the New Jack Swing sound was in full effect, Audrey keeps pace with the times and conjures a track that have you dancing in your Cross Colors gear with the grooving, "All About You". James "D Train" Williams offers background vocal support to a funky rhythm guitar thrown down, perky percussion, mulled bass synth track. Audrey, once again, shine through with her doubled layered background vocal fills, along with her clear cut lead vocal.
As the lights are dimmed and mood set for love, you'll hear this song playing in the background, the fantastic and what could have easily been pegged for a single, "Let's Take It Back". The illustrious piano work, the cool snare hits, sitar phrasings, and bass notes and are performed with perfection. Throw in a sax solo played along Audrey's lead and background performed parts, and you have a song that will played and cherished 100 years from now, a great song indeed ! ..... Uh oh ! Don't put away the Cross Colors gear and hollowed door knocker earrings as yet, we're take down New Jack Swing Way with "As Time Goes By". Paulette McWilliams and Cindy Mizelle supplies ample and brilliantly executed background vocal duties to Audrey's take charge, and at times, sweet, lead vocal.
"All By Myself", she takes the 1975 Eric Carmen standard, and make it totally her own with her broken heart filled vocal performance. It's very soulful, earnest, and sung with the conviction of someone no longing wanting to be by themselves. The rhythm section provides great support as to not get in the way of Audrey's plea, it all works here. "It's You" is another excellent track that's very easy to sing along in the chorus, and you'll do so willingly with the utmost soulfulness you can muster. Yet once again, Audrey delivers another strong and solid vocal performance. The rhythm guitar, the bass synth, the crisp snare with the kick drum, and synth horns underlines the overall feel good nature of this particular song.
On the Peabo Bryson classic, "Can You Stop The Rain", Audrey, yet again, make this TOTALLY her own. She sings this song with the same fire and desire as Peabo, .... if not more. The arrangement is very much the same as the original in that it'll remind one of the first time they heard Peabo's version .... and hopefully, it was in a romantic setting. This would be Audrey's last solo recording as she continued her studio session work. Though long out of print, you can still buy the physical CD on Amazon.com at various prices. If you should decide to pick one up at Amazon, and see a hefty price tag attached to it, buy it, it's certainly worth every dollar. This is a marvelous CD that deserves to be reissued, and I hope someone at Sony's Legacy reissue division is reading this to give this project it's just due.
Musically Yours,
Ran Man
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