This is a rather deceptive release. First of all, nothing included here is the original version, and while these re-recordings aren't patently bad, they lack the intangible freshness and presence of the originals. Secondly, while it is tempting to imagine the ever soulful
Jerry Butler
singing
Impressions
songs that were recorded long after he left the group, and the title of this CD suggests he does that here, the truth is he doesn't contribute to these renditions of
"Keep on Pushing,"
"It's All Right,"
and
"Talking About My Baby,"
and to further muddy things, neither does
Curtis Mayfield
. That doesn't mean this album sounds bad, because it doesn't (
Butler
, in particular, could sing last week's grocery list and make it work), but it is a bit like looking at a nice, clear photograph of a rose when a garden of real roses is growing right outside your window. ~ Steve Leggett