Quiet Fire

Quiet Fire
Studio album by Roberta Flack
Released November 1971
Recorded Atlantic Recording Studios, Regent Studios, The Hit Factory; New York City
Genre Soul, gospel[1]
Length 41:37
Label Atlantic
Producer Joel Dorn
Roberta Flack chronology

Chapter Two
(1970)		 Quiet Fire
(1971)		 Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
(1972)
Singles from Quiet Fire
  1. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow / Go Up Moses"
    Released: December 7, 1971

Quiet Fire is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Roberta Flack, released in November 1971 by Atlantic Records.[1] It was recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios, Regent Studios, and The Hit Factory in New York City.[2] The album peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape, and its single "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" charted at number 76 on the Hot 100.[3]

Critical reception

In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "C" grade,[4] indicating "a record of clear professionalism or barely discernible inspiration, but not both."[5] He commented that Flack occasionally "sounds kind, intelligent, and very likable, but she often exhibits the gratuitous gentility you'd expect of anyone who said 'between you and I.'"[4]

In a retrospective review, The Rolling Stone Album Guide (1992) gave Quiet Fire two out of five stars and criticized that it "barely sparks at all".[6] By contrast, Allmusic's Stephen Cook gave it four-and-a-half out of five stars and cited it as "one of Flack's best". He felt that its "varied mix all comes off sounding seamless" and stated, "Forgoing the full-throttled delivery of, say, Aretha Franklin, Flack translates the pathos of gospel expression into measured intensity and sighing, elongated phrases."[1]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Go up Moses"  Flack, Jesse Jackson, Joel DornJoel Dorn 5:20
2. "Bridge over Troubled Water"  Paul SimonJoel Dorn 7:13
3. "Sunday and Sister Jones"  Gene McDanielsJoel Dorn 4:48
4. "See You Then"  Jimmy WebbJoel Dorn 3:40
5. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"  Carole King, Gerry GoffinJoel Dorn 3:59
6. "To Love Somebody"  Barry Gibb, Robin GibbJoel Dorn 6:41
7. "Let Them Talk"  Sonny ThompsonJoel Dorn 3:50
8. "Sweet Bitter Love"  Van McCoyJoel Dorn 6:06

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Chart (1972) Peak
position[3]
U.S. Billboard Jazz LPs 5
U.S. Billboard Soul LPs 4
U.S. Billboard Top LPs & Tape 18

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cook, Stephen. "Quiet Fire - Roberta Flack". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Roberta Flack - Quiet Fire CD Album". CD Universe. Muze. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Quiet Fire - Roberta Flack : Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Christgau, Robert (January 20, 1972). "Consumer Guide (23)". The Village Voice (New York). Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1980). "The Grades". Robert Christgau. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  6. ↑ Anthony DeCurtis, James Henke, Holly George-Warren (October 27, 1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. p. 248. ISBN 0679737294.