 | |
List Price: $13.98 | | Label: A&M
Salesrank: 10748
Released: October 4, 1994 |
| Our Price: $4.45 |
| Used Price: $0.22 |
|
| Media: Audio CD |
|
The Icon Is Love Track Listing:
1. Practice What You Preach
2. There It Is
3. I Only Want to Be with You
4. Time Is Right
5. Baby's Home
6. Come On
7. Love Is the Icon
8. Sexy Undercover
9. Don't You Want to Know
10. Whatever We Had, We Had
Editorial Review:
Critics may contend that Barry White passed his hit-making peak in the late '70s, but the man with the righteously real, deep-down-in-the-vocal-basement tones shocked all the nonbelievers in 1994. Thanks to "Practice What You Preach," the major hit single from this collection, White proved that he was far from being down with the count. Written and produced by White with Gerald Levert and his musical partner Tony Nicholas, the song not only found favor with White's existing audience, it had enough contemporary appeal to win the pop and soul legend some new fans, giving White's recording career a much-needed jolt. White also used the services of other current musical hit makers for the project: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis cowrote "I Only Want to Be with You" and "Come On," a pair of strong tunes for the album. However, White is at his bedroom best on "Baby's Home" and "Whatever We Had, We Had," most definitely a throwback to his earlier work as a '70s chartbuster. --David Nathan
The Icon Is Love Reviews:
the icon is love 
2009-04-08 - product was exactly what i was looking for and was shipped promptly and arrived in good condition.
The Icon Is, Was, and Forever Will Be Barry White 
2007-04-25 - Anyone who personally knows me knows what Barry White will always mean to me. There was not one song on "The Icon Is Love" that didn't move me. Every single song on this album including his fast hits went beyond doing justice. "Sexy Undercover" will make any two romantics grind with each other on the dance floor, not in an explicit way, but in a sexy love-encouraging way. "Baby's Home" and "There It Is"...no explanation needed. To anyone who hates Barry White, it's your prerogative, your fault, and your loss! I said it, yes I did.
The best one of his '90s albums
2005-10-28 - Out of the few '90s albums that Barry White recorded, his The Icon Is Love from 1994 is his best. It recaptures the best of his '70s bedroom ballads with modern '90s sounds that fit with his voice. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Gerald Levert and Edwin Nicholas, Chuckii Booker (who is related to Barry) provided some dynamite numbers on here. Even Barry and his longtime producer produced some songs here too, with the Barry stamp all on them. When Gerald Levert recalls his music to his future grandchildren, he'll definitely tell them about the time he produced the Maestro's Practice What You Preach. The Jam/Lewis numbers are superb, especially the trendy sounds of Come Over, Sexy Undercover and others. Sexy has shades of Janet Jackson-like dance grooves on it. One of my favorite songs is the gorgeous Baby's Home. And this 8:17 ballad even got nominated for a Grammy Award! Proof that the other songs off the album get more respect than the hit single! Another surprise is There it Is and its rollicking groove. I liked the slow closing song, Whatever We Had, We Had, too. Most of the album consists of ballads and lengthy 7-, 8-, and 10-minute songs but the handlers were smart enough to know that this is Barry's album, not theirs. This album's songs still hold up 11 years later, far more than his '80s albums and the next album he made alive, the more contemporary sounding Staying Power. It's best to be played going on a road cutting through the mountains. I did so with hearing this album on an interstate through the mountains of West Virginia in spring 1995. Barry made an album that rivals his best '70s efforts and continues his theme of love songs and his dominance in the bedroom. This is still a classic R&B album in the best sense.
Barry White will always be the icon
2004-04-18 - Only now am I able to once again listen to Barry White and celebrate his musical genius; in the months following his death, I could only mourn his passing. It is still hard to believe that the icon, and Barry White truly was the icon, is no longer with us, but he will live forever through his music. The Icon Is Love was released in 1994, and it offered incontrovertible proof that the man was still at the top of his game. These songs are generally a little slower in tempo than White's string of earlier hits, but there can be no doubt that this is vintage Barry White material. Austin Powers only wishes he had half of the mojo that Barry White possessed.
Practice What You Preach opens this album in grand style. This track begins with a sultry rap spoken to the accompaniment of a sensuous bass line, after which Barry launches right into lyrics of great energy and appeal. The chorus is fantastic, so catchy you will carry this tune around in your head for days at a time. Practice What You Preach spent 30 weeks on the Billboard R&B charts, three of them at number one, and helped reenergize White's career. Two other singles from this album, Come On and There It Is also made the charts. Come On oozes with sensual power, as White pleads with his partner to come on and play; satisfaction is guaranteed in this up-tempo track. There It Is, however, is much less entrancing; this is actually my least favorite song on the album. Two other tracks merit special mention: Baby's Home and Whatever We Had, We Had. These are vintage White classics that belong right alongside so many of his earlier standout recordings. Oozing with that unquantifiable magic White's voice conveys, the singer gives the words and music all the time and attention they deserve. Baby's Home runs over eight minutes, while What We Had, We Had runs for over ten and a half minutes - neither song is too long. The latter has to do with breaking up and remaining friends, while Baby's Home expresses all of the magic of a love still burning with passion.
Sexy Undercover picks up the tempo a little bit, as Barry tells his lady that he's shy on the outside but full of surprises behind closed doors; he's got the mojo working hard in this dance-worthy track. I Only Want To Be With You, in which Barry sings that love is so much more than a physical thing, lays down a smooth, toe-tapping groove with just a touch of good old-fashioned funk; I wish this song had been released as a single because I think it would have been a huge hit. Don't You Want to Know is slow and sensual, really a beautiful little song. Love Is the Icon and The Time Is Right are great tracks, as well.
With a nice mixture of up-tempo tracks and mesmerizing ballads, this 1994 album returned Barry White to the spotlight and, in so doing, gave the world ten more Barry White classics to enjoy forevermore. Barry White may have mellowed a little bit by 1994, but the magic was still there for all to hear and enjoy. He was and always will be the icon.
The ICON is White...Barry White!
2003-07-14 - Considered White's 90's "comeback", although the singer had continuously recorded and released albums since his 70's peak, "The Icon is Love" introduced a new generation to the baritone crooner.
White stalwart Jack Perry was joined in producing duties with the likes of Jam & Lewis ("I Only Want to Be With You", "Come On"), Chuckii Booker ("The Time is Right", "Sexy Undercover"), and Gerald Levert ("Practice What You Preach", "There It Is"), and the resulting collaborations provide White with a well-balanced offering featuring a little old with the new.
The last cut, "Whatever We Had, We Had" is a reflection on the end of his marriage to Glodean. White knew how to begin AND end a relationship.
With his recent passing, one can be grateful that his unique musical style will live on.
Cut listing and times:
1. Practice What You Preach 5:59
2. There it is 7:03
3. I Only Want to Be with You 5:01
4. The Time is Right 5:46
5. Baby's Home 8:17
6. Come On 5:50
7. Love is the Icon 4:38
8. Sexy Undercover 4:51
9. Don't You Want to Know? 6:51
10. Whatever We Had, We Had 10:41
