Phyllis Hyman - Living All Alone / Prime Of My Life (Bonus Track) (CD)

All Music Guide

The third and final phase of Hyman's tragically short career kicks off in high gear. Her new label, the might Philadelphia International, gave her a new lease on her recording career and a fresh palette of sounds to help slowly reinvent herself from her tenure under Clive Davis' Arista stewardship. The first half of this twoforone compilation, Living All Alone, is a distinctly resonant archive piece featuring instantly identifiable mid 80s rb elements: crisp, polished production, overly chorused vocals and heavy synth programming. But Hyman's delivery transcends many of these elements to make some timeless material, especially the poignant "Old Friend" which would later become a song many would instantly identify Hyman with. The second half, 1991's Prime Of My Life makes the dramatic shift and shows just how dramatically the rb landscape changed in a few short years. Here, Hyman's vocal delivery is just as strong and the production is just as contemporary, but the material is waning at... points. The whole affair seems a bit cryptic though, as Hyman's personal life was just beginning its tumultuous descent that would ultimately claim her life. - Rob Theakston, All Music Guide Read more Less