I'll Prove It to You
| I'll Prove It to You | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1988 | |||
| Label | Columbia[1] | |||
| Producer | Gregory Abbott | |||
| Gregory Abbott chronology | ||||
| ||||
I'll Prove It to You is the second album by the American musician Gregory Abbott.[2][3] It was released in 1988.[4]
The album peaked at No. 132 on the Billboard 200.[5] The title track peaked in the top 10 on the Hot Black Singles chart.[6]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by Abbott; he also played drums.[7] The title track is performed as a ballad; "Prisoner of Love" was done in a funk style.[8][9]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
| Los Angeles Times | [12] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [13] |
The Los Angeles Times called "Crazy for You" "a slow-drag '50s-sounding ballad that Jackie Wilson would've had a ball recording."[12] The Washington Post opined that "Abbott's at his best with slow, swaying ballads like 'Unfinished Business', but the overall effect is ignorable."[14] USA Today deemed Abbott "a minor talent marketed like a superstar, and his everyman voice does little more than highlight his mediocre original material."[8]
The Christian Science Monitor stated that Abbott "throws in a couple of '50s-style rhythm-and-blues numbers, where he lets loose his Smokey Robinson falsetto."[7] The Philadelphia Inquirer determined that Abbott's "material is weak and repetitive, but his singing is still strong and confident."[13]
AllMusic wrote that the album "finds the vocalist in the same vein as his previous effort; merging '80s music technology with '50s doowop/early-'60s soul-tinged sensibility."[10]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Back to Stay" | 3:55 |
| 2. | "Prisoner of Love" | 4:40 |
| 3. | "I'll Prove It to You" | 4:09 |
| 4. | "Runaway" | 3:21 |
| 5. | "Unfinished Business" | 3:47 |
| 6. | "Crazy Over You" | 4:27 |
| 7. | "Let Me Be Your Hero" | 4:00 |
| 8. | "Take Me Back" | 3:59 |
| 9. | "Two of a Kind" | 2:55 |
| 10. | "She's an Entertainer" | 3:25 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Jet's Top 20 Albums". Jet. Vol. 74, no. 16. Jul 18, 1988. p. 62.
- ^ "Gregory Abbott Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 2.
- ^ "The Number Ones: Gregory Abbott's 'Shake You Down'". Stereogum. January 27, 2021.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2010). Top Pop Albums (7th ed.). Record Research Inc. p. 15.
- ^ "The top 20 black singles in the pop music...". News. UPI. June 17, 1988.
- ^ a b Duncan, Amy (1 June 1988). "Rock/Pop/Jazz". Arts. The Christian Science Monitor.
- ^ a b Milward, John (16 June 1988). "Gregory Abbott: I'll Prove It to You". USA Today. p. 4D.
- ^ Wolff, Carlo (30 June 1988). "Gregory Abbott I'll Prove It to You". The Boston Globe. p. A8.
- ^ a b "Gregory Abbott I'll Prove It to You". AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 16.
- ^ a b Johnson, Connie (22 May 1988). "Shake Down Artist". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 61.
- ^ a b Tucker, Ken (5 June 1988). "Gregory Abbott I'll Prove It to You". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E10.
- ^ Brown, Joe (27 May 1988). "Between Soul Roles and a Rocky Place". The Washington Post. p. N25.