leela james / albums

235,336 plays
68 SHARES
65 FAVS
31 fans

- Let's Do It Again
- - 40,028 plays
  - 20 favs
  - 19 shares
Leela James
Released 2009

Baby I'm Scared Of You
05:31
5,185 plays

Clean Up Woman
04:24
4,540 plays

It's A Man's Man's Man's World
05:06
4,498 plays

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songs

- 1
- Clean Up Woman
- 04:24
- 4,540 plays

- 2
- Miss You
- 05:25
- 3,690 plays

- 3
- It's A Man's Man's Man's World
- 05:06
- 4,498 plays

- 4
- Baby I'm Scared Of You
- 05:31
- 5,185 plays

- 5
- You Know How To Love Me
- 04:04
- 2,991 plays

- 6
- I Want To Know What Love Is
- 07:13
- 3,259 plays

- 7
- Nobody Know's You When You're Down And Out
- 03:52
- 2,451 plays

- 8
- I Try
- 04:54
- 3,103 plays

- 9
- I'd Rather Be With You
- 05:23
- 3,360 plays

- 10
- Simply Beautiful
- 05:10
- 3,435 plays

- 11
- Let's Do It Again
- 05:01
- 3,516 plays

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album review

For adult contemporary R&B fans, it was disheartening that a vocalist as talented as Leela James went almost four years before releasing a follow-up to her flawed but promising debut. Coming into her second album with the knowledge that it is part of the Shanachie label's extensive series of all-covers sets, predominantly the province of artists twice James' age who are on album number ten or 20 instead of two, gauging the level of expectations is tricky. On one hand, it is frustrating that James' second album, after all this time, contains no original songs; on the other, it should be a loose, no-fuss affair, less measured than A Change Is Gonna Come and more like James' well-regarded live show. The latter, thankfully, is very much true. James' selections are mostly inspired, containing some natural (if obvious) material -- like the album's bookends, Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman" and the Staple Singers' "Let's Do It Again" -- and some others that are bound to raise some eyebrows, just from seeing the titles. Womack & Womack's gently swinging "Baby I'm Scared of You" is a highlight, despite the absence of a sparring partner, which lends it a tone that is more serious than the Womacks' typically playful original. Phyllis Hyman's "You Know How to Love Me," perhaps the boldest inclusion (written and recorded when Mtume/Lucas and Hyman were at the peak of their powers), gets a faithful look, proving that James should do free-spirited and uptempo material more often. "I'd Rather Be with You" (Bootsy's Rubber Band) could use more sleaze and Bobby Womack's "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" lacks some necessary unease, and it would have been a nice twist for James to tackle something from the last 25 years, but overall, Let's Do It Again is one of Shanachie's best all-covers discs. May James find a support system that allows her to record albums of new material every other year (or so) from here on out. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide