I have been enjoying the musical improvisations of Mr. Wayne Brady on cable’s “Who’s Line Is It Anyway.” And I must admit that I also tune in to see Wayne hosting “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” on Fox TV — yes it is my guilty pleasure and I am not giving it up! 
So when I was scanning radio stations one evening last month, during my commute home from work, I heard someone call into an Adult Contemporary radio station to request that Wayne’s Brady’s “Ordinary” be played. I liked what I heard and filed it away until I saw Mr. Brady on a “DFTL” episode the other day and went out to look for his CD.
As much as I love oldies, I have got to say that this CD is one of the two best new releases I have heard this year (the other being Raphael Saadiq’s “The Way I See It”) or maybe in the past FEW years. There is not a bad song on this set!
“A Long Time Coming” is very appropriately titledm because Brady should have had a record deal a long time ago based on this release. It contains up-tempo, mid-tempo and slow ballads and all are superb. The production is top notch and It had been in my car’s cd player ever since Saadiq came out (LOL).
I am very hesitant to post more than 2 or 3 songs from a CD so as not to violate any copyrights: my intent is just to give you, the reader, a sampling of what the CD is like. But I have been pondering which songs to post for the past two days because I want you to hear them ALL so that you will hear and know Brady’s talent.
Released last month, the Track List with song composers is as follows:
1. Ordinary (Jones, Jamie/Pennock, Jason/Walton, Welford B. II/Kugell, Jack/Nagourney, Sarah)
2. F.W.B. 9Daniels, Robert L./Jones, Jamie/Mitchell, D’Myreo/Kugell, Jack/Pennock, Jason/Brady, Wayne)
3. Can’t Buy Me Love (Lennon, John/McCartney, Paul). This cover is the best ever of any Beatle song IMHO. Wayne made it fresh, new and hip to the point that the original melody is almost unrecognizable — but it is now an awesome love ballad! Listen to this so you can hear it for yourself.
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4. Back in the Day (Jones, Jamie/Kugell, Jack/Brady, Wayne). I so love this tribute to the Eighties. The cowbell is priceless! Don’t you agree?
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5. Sweetest Berry (Harris, David Ryan/Jaz, Jamey)
6. A Change Is Gonna Come ( Cooke, Sam) This another cover that Wayne pulls off flawlessly. As with “CBML,” he made it is own and not a copy of Sam Cooke’s original. Senator Obama should jump on this for his campaign theme song quick!
7. I Ain’t Movin’ (Jones, Jamie/Mitchell, D’Myreo/Kugell, Jack/Pennock, Jason/Brady, Wayne ). I can’t decide if this song or track#4 is my favorite up-tempo tune. I have to “seat dance” when I hear both while driving my car. While dancing to this one I envision the “Shindig” or “Hullabaloo” dancers on top of their Go-Go boxes with their white Go-Go boots on, since the musicality for this songs reminds me of the Sixties.
8. Make Heaven Wait (Garcia, David/Jones, Jamie/Kember, Martin/Kugell, Jack/Pennock, Jason)
9. All Naturally (Jones, Jamie/Kugell, Jack/Pennock, Jason)
10. All I Do ( Paul, Clarence/Wonder, Stevie/Broadnax, Morris ). This song was first recorded by Tammi Terrell and many years later by co-writer Stevie Wonder. Generally I feel that Stevie songs should not be covered. But Wayne has done it and I think Stevie needs to check this out. All I can say is that Mr. Brady can apparently cover any song and make it his OWN in the true sense of the word.
11. Beautiful Ugly (Burton, M./Jones, Jamie/Neuble, Lamont/Kipner, Steve/Kugell, Jack/Pennock, Jason).
12. You and Me (Jones, Jamie/Pennock, Jason/Brady, Wayne)
Here is the record company’s promotional video for “ALTC” and I sure hope that they do much more than this to promote this CD for Brady. I see on Billboard’s web site that the peak position on The Billboard 200 is only #183 as of October 04, 2008. That is shameful! This music deserves to be heard far and wide.
Please pick up a copy for your own pleasure and to encourage Wayne Brady into making more great music for us in the near future.
You may read more about the making of this marvelous Cd and see additional video on “the making of” at the official site.
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Filed under:A Long Time Coming,Back in the Day,Can't Buy Me Love,Concord Records,Wayne Brady
