| Soul to Soul (Neos Productions, 2001) Bitty McLean is a veteran lovers rock singer from Great Britain who may best be remembered internationally for his early '90s hit remakes of the soul tunes "Dedicated to the One I Love" and "It Keeps Rainin' (Tears from My Eyes)." Soul to Soul, recorded on a Hawaiian label (Hawaii seems to value good lovers rock; see Typical Hawaiians for instance), finds him in a similar mode. Although he's been around for a while (he sang with UB40 for a bit), McLean's voice is as youthful as ever, sounding at times like the lost member of New Edition, circa 1984. As with his two biggest hits, much of this album is comprised of remakes. Five of the 10 tracks are covers, some -- in particular, the lovely rendition of The Ronettes' "You Baby" -- working better than others -- like Jermaine Jackson's "Do What You Do," which ends up being a straightforward (and thus pointless) R&B rehash. Several tunes, in fact, are not reggae at all, including the final three cuts, which end the album on a flat pop/rock/R&B note. Still, McLean knows lovers rock like the back of his hand, and fans of that sound should eat up the lush production and heartfelt vocals of "You Baby," "For You I Won't Cry" (which borrows Black Uhuru's "Sponji Reggae" guitar riff), Freddie McGregor's "Can't Get You Out of My Head," and even a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Waters." |
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