Thelma Houston-A Woman's Touch

Thelma Houston may have been a diva in the '70s but the title still applies several decades later. She has a smoldering soulful album out now titled A Woman's Touch. The CD features tracks originally recorded by male singers including Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye and Sting, to mention a few.

The songs are from a woman's vantage point but even the male listener can reinterpret it all from their side and find enjoyment and appreciation for what Houston accomplishes on this outing. From any viewpoint, this is good music and it comes from the tip of Houston's toes, through her heart, and into your ears. Ultimately, it saturates your soul as well.

Similar to the beginning of the Lion King, the album opens with a familiar call to the wild, and then Thelma gives the world her own wake up call on "Wake up Everybody." This opening track has enormous impact and the message comes through as if it was especially for you. I like the way she leads into some of the songs by talking, and then jumps right into her soulful singing. The subjects are all very familiar; "Love and Happiness" (or lack thereof), "Never Too Much," "Distant Lover" - they are all subjects we can relate to on some level. Perhaps "Medley: Dance (Disco Heat)/You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" will bring longtime fans of Houston's legacy some smiles and give new fans some idea of why she was on a roll back when disco was all the rage, and how the music still has relevancy today.

This is a triumphant return for Thelma Houston and it makes a statement for women all over the world. Through music, a voice can and will be heard loud and clear, and in this case, I think it will be a very effective way to get the word out about the artist and what its like to look at things through the eyes of a woman with conviction.

© MuzikReviews.com

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck-August 13, 2007

01. Wake Up Everybody
02. Never Too Much
03. Brand New Day
04. Ain't That Peculiar
05. By the Time I Get To Phoenix
06. Distant Lover
07. Love And Happiness
08. Medley: Dance (Disco Heat)/You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)
09. That's the Way Of the World
10. Please Send Me Someone To Love