Rated

Early contender for the most underrated album this year is the cracker of a joint from Bobby Womack called Bravest Man In The Universe. I never knew much about Bobby Womack until I listed to this LP. He's pretty much the journey-man of Motown having been through all sorts of crazy things like heroin addiction, adulterous affairs and other fucked up probably self-induced shit. And boy can you hear it in his voice. He sings like he's sung for a few dinners in his time. The album was produced in part by Damon Albarn and he's given it the minimalist trip-hop treatment meaning that Bobby's rugged old voice really takes centre stage.     DD