Every Shade of Love

Last updated

Every Shade of Love
Every Shade of Love.jpg
Studio album by
Jesse Johnson
Released1988
StudioJungle Love
Genre Funk, funk rock
Label A&M
Producer Jesse Johnson
Jesse Johnson chronology
Shockadelica
(1986)		Every Shade of Love
(1988)		Bare My Naked Soul
(1996)

Every Shade of Love is the third album by the American musician Jesse Johnson, released in 1988. [1] [2] The first single was "Love Struck". [3] Johnson supported the album with a North American tour that included shows with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. [4] Every Shade of Love peaked at No. 79 on the Billboard 200. [5]

Contents

Production

Recorded at Johnson's Minneapolis studio, Jungle Love, Every Shade of Love was written and produced by Johnson. [6] [7] He recorded much of the album in one-takes, after deciding that his first two albums lacked emotion. [8] While aiming to keep the songs suitable for the dance floor, Johnson focused more on his guitar playing; he was influenced primarily by Jimi Hendrix. [1] [9] Johnson considered the album to be a song cycle about the phases of love. [8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All Music Guide to Soul Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Kansas City Star Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]

The Star Tribune opined, "Musically, it's a funk-rock masterwork... Johnson comes up short in the lyrics department, however. His words about love show little depth and imagination." [3] The Los Angeles Times called the album "a solid set of punchy dance grooves, distinguished by Johnson's castles-made-of-sand, Hendrix-derived fretwork... All of which only reinforces the suspicion that anything Prince can do, everyone else will do a year later." [12] The New York Times said that Johnson "writes armor-plated funk in the style of Prince but without Prince's irony or sense of humor—the groove rules, and it's the message... This is nonstop dance music, with the aura of the last-set-Saturday-night; each instrument pegs a passing upbeat, and his instrumental sections seem to levitate." [15]

The Philadelphia Inquirer labeled the guitar solo on "So Misunderstood" "a model of the funk form." [14] The Evening Advertiser stated that Johnson "applies shards of frazzled electric guitar over crisp, jumping rhythms". [16] The Independent praised the "fierce skeletal feeling" and "the impression that [the] music is being hammered together by androids on the spot". [17] The Buffalo News called Johnson "one of the premier funk artists of the decade"; the paper later listed his album among the best of 1988. [18] [19] The Gloucestershire Echo deemed Every Shade of Love "warm, musicianly dance music par excellence." [20]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Love Struck" 
2."So Misunderstood" 
3."I'm the One" 
4."Color Shock" 
5."Every Shade of Love" 
6."Everybody Wants Somebody to Love" 
7."I'm Just Wanting You" 
8."Stop-Look-Listen" 

References

  1. 1 2 Nelson, Havelock (August 20, 1988). "Jesse Johnson Gives More Guitar". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 34. p. 21.
  2. ↑ Hiltbrand, David (June 20, 1988). "Song". People. Vol. 29, no. 24. p. 25.
  3. 1 2 Bream, Jon (April 8, 1988). "Johnson's solo has good grooves". Star Tribune. p. 3E.
  4. ↑ Gleason, Holly (April 18, 1988). "Jesse Johnson Turns Out to Be Prince of Performer in Anaheim". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 8.
  5. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2001). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums, 1955-2001. Record Research. p. 433.
  6. ↑ "Jesse will be home on June 3". The Sunday Dispatch. Moline. May 22, 1988. p. G2.
  7. ↑ Lee, John (April 23, 1988). "Another star from the royal stable". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. p. 13.
  8. 1 2 Albert, George (April 22, 1988). "Phases of love fill Johnson's latest LP". The Sentinel. Carlisle. Cash Box. p. D5.
  9. ↑ "Q-C's Prince disciple plays at Col June 3". Go!. Quad-City Times. May 26, 1988. p. 8.
  10. ↑ All Music Guide to Soul. Backbeat Books. 2003. p. 370.
  11. ↑ McTavish, Brian (May 13, 1988). "Jesse Johnson's 'Every Shade' includes touch of Prince purple". The Kansas City Star. p. 20D.
  12. 1 2 Waller, Don (April 24, 1988). "Jesse: Punchy Grooves". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 66.
  13. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 685.
  14. 1 2 Tucker, Ken (April 7, 1988). "Pop". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 6E.
  15. ↑ Watrous, Peter (May 13, 1988). "Funk Album of the Week". The New York Times. p. C22.
  16. ↑ "Heard". Weekender. Evening Advertiser. April 30, 1988. p. 9.
  17. ↑ Hill, Dave (May 6, 1988). "Jesse Johnson Every Shade of Love". The Independent. p. 13.
  18. ↑ Allen, Carl (May 20, 1988). "Soul". Gusto. The Buffalo News. p. 37.
  19. ↑ Allen, Carl (December 30, 1988). "Year's Best: Soul". Gusto. The Buffalo News. p. 30.
  20. ↑ Bryan, Kevin (June 4, 1988). "Pop". Gloucestershire Echo. p. 9.
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