Minnie Riperton - Come To My Garden (Coloured Vinyl)

1LP Vinyl - NOTLP254 (Green Translucent Vinyl)

Minnie Riperton's solo debut is in many respects her finest hour -- devoid of the overly syrupy production that hampers her later work, Come to My Garden instead couches her miraculous voice in the elegant arrangements of the great Charles Stepney, striking a perfect balance between romantic melodrama and sensual nuance. Call Stepney's singular approach "chamber soul"--the nimble melodies and insistent grooves swell with orchestral flourishes, while the jazz-inspired rhythms (courtesy of Ramsey Lewis' group) at times evoke Van Morrison's masterpiece Astral Weeks. Stepney creates the ideal backdrop for Riperton's soaring vocals, which reveal a subtlety and restraint absent from the glass-shattering bombast of her subsequent performances -- the opening "Les Fleurs" (covered decades later by 4Hero) crystallizes the entire record, embracing both intimacy and majesty to haunting effect.

Condition:

Media: Mint (M)

Sleeve: Mint (M)

Track List: 

A1. Les Fleur 3:16
A2. Completeness 3:33
A3. Come To My Garden 3:19
A4. Memory Band 4:07
A5. Rainy Day In Centerville 5:27
B1. Close Your Eyes And Remember 3:40
B2. Oh, By The Way 3:01
B3. Expecting 3:53
B4. Only When I'm Dreaming 3:25
B5. Whenever, Wherever 3:37