Joan Armatrading - Classics, Vol. 21

Despite well-deserved critical respect and a fervent cult following, Joan Armatrading has never had more than a smattering of commercial success. However, she had amassed quite a catalog of worthy material by the time Classics, Vol. 21 was released in 1987. Armatrading is blessed with a warm, expressive voice and writes sophisticated, intelligent lyrics. Classics, Vol. 21 does a very good job of offering a sampling of her work and the album highlights her musical diversity. "Show Some Emotion" is reminiscent of Joni Mitchell and the gorgeous "The Weakness in Me" reveals why Tracy Chapman would be compared, musically and vocally, to Armatrading. Read More