Genre: soul
Rating: 3 stars ***
Tiitle: Loving Arms
Company: MCA
Catalog: MCA-371
Year: 1973
Country/State: Texas
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: cut top right corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4966
Price: $10.00
With MCA Records swallowing up the Decca imprint, 1973's "Loving Arms" continued Dobie Gray's partnership with producer Mentor Williams. Powered by his distinctive gravelly voice and backed by an all star cast of Nashville studio pros, musically the album wasn't a major departure from his 1972 breakthrough "Drift Away" album. Like the former, tracks such as 'Good Old Song', 'You and Me' and 'Lovin' the Easy Way' offered up a catchy blend of soul and country genres. To be honest, in the hands of many other singers the results probably wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining. Moreover, even Gray ran into difficulty with the album's overabundance of ballads resulting in a 'sounds-the-same' feel throughout much of the collection. That made isolated up tempo numbers like 'Reachin' for the Feeling' (the only Gray-penned original), 'Mississippi Rolling Stone' and 'Love Is On the Line' the standout performances. Not his crowning glory, but a solid effort that's worth owning.
Elsewhere MCA tapped the album for three singles:
- 'Loving Arms' b/w ''Now That I'm without You' (MCA catalog number MCA 40100)
- 'Good Old Song' b/w 'Reachin for the Feeling' (MCA catalog number MCA-40153)
- 'Lovin' the Easy Way' b/w 'Rose' (MCA catalog number MCA-40188)
"Loving
Arms" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Good Old Song (Mentor Williams - Ron Davies) - 3:21
2.) You and Me (Troy Seals - Will Jennings) - 2:57
3.) I Never Had It So Good (Paul Williams - Roger Nichols) - 3:31
4.) Lovin' the Easy Way (Mentor Williams - Troy Seals - Will Jennings) - 2:53
5.) Loving
Arms (Tom Jans) - 2:53
(side
2)
1.) Reachin' for the Feeling (Dobie Gray - Chuck Higgins
Jr.) - 3:12
2.) There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In) (Troy Seals - Denny Rice) - 3:10
3.) Mississippi Rolling Stone (Troy Seals - Don Goodman) - 3:10
4.) Love Is On the Line (Troy Seals - Will Jennings - Don Goodman) - 2:41
5.) Rose (Mentor Williams - Paul Williams) - 3:40