Essential record for soul fans. Co-produced by Jerry Ragavoy and arranged by Leon Pendarvis, Lou Courtney released I'm In Need Of Love in 1974. Courtney, a Detroit artist who wrote and produced for Barbara Lewis in the '60s, is superbly expressive, and the lush, strings-and-horns-filled instrumentation is the perfect backdrop for his vocals. Certified rare groove tracks like "I Don't need Nobody Else" and "What Do You Want Me To Do" are the obvious standouts on the album, but really, there is not a filler on the record. Check the uptempo "I Will, If You Will" or "Somebody New Is Lovin' On You," or the sweet soul-drenched title track that closes out LP. This is a repress of Soul Brother Records, which came out almost 20 years ago.

• music label: Soul Brother Records 1974 / 2018

reviewed by pocari papi 08/18