Carla Thomas was more than deserving of her title "The Queen of Memphis Soul," but she was hardly oblivious to the sleeker, more pop-influenced sweet soul and uptown soul coming out of Detroit, Philadelphia and Chicago. One of her strongest albums,
The Queen Alone isn't the work of someone who took a Memphis-only approach, but of someone who was well aware of what
Gladys Knight,
Dionne Warwick,
Martha Reeves and others were up to. What's surprising is the fact that this album (reissued on CD in 1992) contains only two hits: the playful "Something Good (Is Going to Happen to You)," which made it to number 29 on Billboard's soul singles chart, and the idealistic, gospel-influenced ballad and number 11 R&B single "I'll Always Have Faith in You." Songs ranging from the sweet and vulnerable "I Want to Be Your Baby" to the remorseful "All I See Is You" and the pessimistic "Any Day Now" (a song co-written by
Burt Bacharach) weren't singles, but it wasn't for a lack of heartfelt singing. Drawing on both Southern and Northern soul,
Queen Alone is a pleasant reminder that they were equally attractive options. [This 2007 reissue edition includes five bonus tracks, "Me and My Clock," the impressive "Same Thing," "I Wonder About Love," "I Want to Know" and "Your Love Indeed," all of which were outtakes from the original sessions.] ~ Alex Henderson