Personal Reflections

Album review

Especially when compared to his explosion onto the adult contemporary and quiet storm radio scene in the '80s, the '90s weren't too kind to Freddie Jackson. A longtime soft rock radio staple, his instantly recognizable anthems began to show their wrinkles and cracks with their dated productions, and were slowly replaced with more current and polished productions. Thankfully, with Personal Reflections Jackson reminds everyone why he was such a potent force in the great quiet storm invasion of the '80s, and why his name belongs up there with some of the style's most well-known artists. This comeback album starts off in fine form with a fantastic and by the numbers cover of Paul Davis' anthem "I Go Crazy" and works its way through some of soft rock's most cherished ballads. Jackson never strays too far from the course, thankfully doesn't attempt to demonstrate vocal acrobatics whenever there's a free space of music, and somehow manages to make one of AM pop's most treasured songs (Captain & Tennille's "Do That to Me One More Time") sound like it was custom written for him, all within a reasonable and unbloated running time of 40 minutes. It's a solid statement that's filler-free, and one of his best works in over a decade. Personal Reflections should help to reestablish Freddie Jackson as one of contemporary soul music's most beloved quiet storm crooners.

© Rob Theakston /TiVo