Singer of Songs -- Teller of Tales

Having gotten the weirdness of Southern Tracks & Fantasies out of his system, Paul Davis settled into a soft rock groove for 1977's Singer of Songs - Teller of Tales. Some of these songs and tales are old ones for Davis, who chose to revive "Hallelujah Thank You Jesus," "You're Not Just a Rose," and "Editorial" for this record, giving each a mellower treatment, which is kind of the point of this: it's smooth and soft, the opposite of the wild, wooly Southern Tracks. With the notable exception of the guitar-heavy blues boogie "Bad Dream," everything here is built on smooth keyboards and unobtrusive guitars, the country and soul roots blending into a warm soft rock best heard on the hit singles "I Go Crazy" and "Sweet Life," two classics of the genre. The rest of the record doesn't flow quite as easy and assured as this pair, yet it's still appealing thanks to the warm, enveloping sound and Davis' laid-back touch. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine