First Take – ROBERTA FLACK****

Compared To What/Angelitos Negros/Our Ages Or Our Hearts/I Told Jesus/Hey That’s No Way To Say Goodbye/The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face/Tryin’ Times/Ballad Of The Sad Young Men

First Take was the debut album from American soul singer and pianist Roberta Flack. Includes the Grammy winning single The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, a US No. 1 and UK No. 14, hit single. (US:1 UK:47)

“Her voice is nothing short of magical. It can be soft and gentle and powerful. On this album, she shows both ends of her spectrum.”

“First Take is Roberta Flack's best album. Listening to it, you can see why she created a real stir in her early days. Intelligence, artistry, a jazz and folk sensibility, deeply held passion, and spirituality are just a few words to describe what that amazing brand new voice was bringing to the table.”

“Roberta Flack puts drive and force behind every track. It's full of fine performances. She delivers in style and is an elite vocal artist.”

“A 1969 classic, perhaps Roberta's best album. The tempo doesn't change much throughout, but there are enough variations in song formats, to keep the album interesting, as well as beautiful. She sounds close to angry on a couple of tracks - Compared To What and Trying Times are social observations still relevant today. Angelitos Negros is sung in Spanish. A beautiful version of Leonard Cohen's No Way To Say Goodbye, plus one of the most beautiful songs ever recorded, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face make this album timeless.”

“The atmosphere is intimate, like Ms. Flack is performing just for me. The sound is minimalist but stately and assured. Though there are bass, drums and other instruments accompanying her, Roberta's piano and unique voice are at the forefront of the mix. First Take is quite simply an essential LP for any music lover to have. From the political to the personal songs, it's the real deal.”

“Her piano playing is fantastic and the vocals are strong. My problem is more with the music, which sometimes sounds very dated. First Take includes some covers, but they are too laid back to catch fire, and way too long. The album's saving grace is its middle section. Very romantic, but the rest I find to be a bit overwrought.”