Reviewed by Tony Cummings

One of the wonderful things about record collecting is that you can stumble across a record many years after it was made and be utterly blown away by it so that it becomes a constant musical companion for months and maybe even years ahead. I only ever got to hear 'Lovin' You' late last year, 2024, though it was released in 2018. 'Lovin' You' is a mixture of both mainstream and gospel songs and demonstrates conclusively that Eddie remains one of the greatest singers ever to step up to a vocal mic. The Philadelphian's vocal technique, able to effortlessly glide from a pleasing smooth tenor to a soaring soprano hitting notes that many female sopranos couldn't reach, is jaw dropping while Eddie's interpretive ability to draw every ounce of meaning from a song's lyrics makes him a singer any songwriter would love to have performing their songs. Of the mainstream covers material here, the "Love Story" film theme and Minnie Ripperton's "Lovin' You" are top rate as are his re-recordings of old successes like "Hey There Lonely Girl" and the Northern Soul stomper "Stay Mine For Heaven's Sake". Of Eddie's gospel compositions, "Eternal Love" reminds us of the greatest love of all while the seven minutes plus funk groove shows that even in a cheaply created home studio recording like this album, it's possible to come up with something as good as big budget offerings. The final proof of this is Eddie's sublime reading of "How Great Thou Art" which is, to my ears, the greatest ever reading of Carl Boberg's uplifting anthem. If you're a soul music buff or simply someone who enjoys exceptional vocal talent, 'Lovin' You' is an album that proves yet again that the Lord has all the best music.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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