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A well-deserved best of, that's for sure, yet the
nagging feeling remains that Beverley Knight may not
yet have been allowed to realise her full potential,
either by record buyers or her label. It's difficult
to pin a finger on this exactly, but the direction of
her most recent single offers a few clues.
Piece Of My Heart is, for sure, a cobweb-blasting
cover, and the Knight vocal chords are as raw and
emotive as ever. And yet it smacks of celebrity fame
academy, a feeling enhanced by Knight's recent cosying
up to Nicky Campbell for the BBC's recent shocker Just
The Two Of Us. Seems her PR has been working
overtime.
A listen to the earlier records confirms the old
clich� about the first ones being the best. They have
a club edge to them, a rhythmic verve and sharpness to
the production that gets smoothed off all too easily
for the radio friendly models we have now.
Made It Back is a cracker, borrowing from
Chic in both versions here, its urban mix
superior to the 'Good Times' single edit. Greatest Day
remains a blissfully happy piece of music. Flavour Of
The Old School, the breakthrough hit, has a sweet
innocence with close harmonies that found their way
onto many a 1990s street soul compilation.
Regardless of quality, Knight's voice carries every
song here, and that includes even an unnecessary live
cover of Angels. She's surely one of the few British
talents who can really belt out a song but not sound
forced and technically calculated - she could even get
her something out of a page of Auto Trader!
Which makes it all the more shameful about the
shift towards the middle of the road and the reliance
on covers. Shoulda Woulda Coulda points the way - a
good song, effortlessly delivered, but unmistakably
M25 rather than Twice as Nice. Keep This Fire Burning
is an uplifting blend of layered vocals and a
resourceful chorus, while Come As You Are hints at a
rockier direction. All impressive, but the club edge
has gone.
Still, let's not make it personal, for Knight is a
hugely talented, driven lady with one of the best
voices around, and while you may skip a song or two
here it won't be on her account. It's just to be hoped
this end of chapter one retrospective sees her taking
stock and swinging out of reality TV, back towards the
dancefloor.
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