Dusty Springfield

Where Am I Going - Philips 1967

Tracks: 1. Bring Him Back / 2. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream / 3. I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face / 4. Take Me for a Little While / 5. Chained to a Memory / 6. Sunny / 7. Close to You / 8. Welcome Home / 9. Come Back to Me / 10. If You Go Away / 11. Broken Blossoms / 12. Where Am I Going? / 13. I've Got a Good Thing / 14. Don't Forget About Me / 15. Time After Time

Comments:

This album does not quite reach the levels of Springfields other 1960s albums. There are a handful of good songs - surely - but several arrangements may seem a somewhat dated and somewhat intrusive. Stylistically the album at times comes close to mainstream family jazz-pop.

The freshness from Dusty early records is only perceived in glimpses, and her later soul expression known from songs like "Piece of My Heart" and "Son of a Preacher Man " is only indicated on a few tracks.

A highlight is a fine version of Jacques Brel's "If You Go Away". Somewhat atypical, but nice is also the slightly folkish "Broken Blossoms" arranged by brother Tom Springfield. Bacharach's classic "Close to You" is here in a solid but not particularly memorable arrangement.

The title track "Where Am I Going" is a typical contemporary pop song, which in a little less intrusive arrangement could have been a fine finale - unfortunately, in this arrangement it comes out somewhat strained.

Springfield's vocals are as always a fabulous, but as a whole the album is not as seamless as her subsequent albums - especially "Dusty In Memphis" I think the album could be described as transitional piece of work.

Back to Band pages