Brian Goodell

Item: Simple Love
Author: Bert Gangl

Simple Love

(1994)

Reviewed by Bert Gangl

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Label Essential Record GroupThe LighthouseSeptember 1994

adult contemporary r&b soul

Whatever else you decide to say about Brian Goodell's debut release Simple Love, you have to say that it's diverse.

To begin with, the album covers significant territory musically. The opening song, "House of Love," starts the album in a semi-aggressive dance groove with a Chicago-like horn section. "Simple Love," on the other hand, has more of a jazz feel, complete with a very smooth classical guitar solo. And where "Happy Feelin's" is a fairly faithful replica of the vintage Earth, Wind and Fire sound, the anthem "Look into Their Eyes" sounds more like the majority of the songs played on today's adult contemporary radio.

Goodell is as eclectic vocally as his songs are musically. He sounds like Michael W. Smith on the title track and like a breathy Jon Gibson on "Then There Was You," a clever tune with verses built around a single two-note keyboard riff. He's also a dead ringer for Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire on "Happy Feelin's" and "When Love is in Your Corner," a song encouraging us to have a bolder reliance on God.

Yet, unlike the music and the vocals, the album's lyrical content is fairly uniform. Most songs contain direct references to the spiritual. "House of Love" asks us to welcome others into our fellowship, and "Simple Love" encourages a more innocent faith. "Take Me There," from the Imperials' album Big God, begs the Lord for a closer relationship with him.

To be sure, Simple Love is a fine album with something for every musical taste and at least one song a candidate for mainstream exposure. Even so, the sheer number of musical styles on the album, while impressive, tends to spoil its continuity. Goodell would probably benefit by choosing a single type of music and sticking with it. Rest assured though, that whatever style he does choose, he'll probably do it quite well.