The quality of Johnny Taylor's recordings hasn't suffered much since the major labels abandoned him for younger, fresher meat. "Back Street Love Affair" is southern soul magic, a gripping ballad depicting the multiple hearts-in-a-tangle theme; he updates "Lady Soul" popularized by
the Temptations, and the
the Staple Singers' smash "Respect Yourself," outdoing Pop Staples on vocals. The lyrics are downtrodden but "Poor Boy Blues" employs a lively beat for
Taylor to wail about his woes.
Real Love has an abundance of shufflers, including the title track "Changin' My Life With Love" and the best of the bunch "Huntin' Just Ain't No Fun." He tries for a '90s "Disco Lady" with "Sexy Dancer" but it lacks the dynamics of his '70s classic. ~ Andrew Hamilton