The Way I Am

Billy Preston

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4
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The Way I Am Review

by Victor W. Valdivia

By 1981, Billy Preston's critical and commercial peak had long since passed, and his synthesizer-laden funk/soul/rock hybrid was out of vogue. On The Way I Am, Preston attempts to modernize his sound, all while keeping his classic style intact as much as possible. The result is an uncertain mishmash. "Good Life Boogie" is yet another instrumental in the same vein as his biggest hits "Outta Space" and "Space Race," but while it sounds lively and charming enough, it won't make anyone forget the earlier hits, nor will it keep anyone from feeling that Preston is so out of current ideas that he's reduced to cannibalizing older hits for money. Similarly, "Keep on Truckin'" is an energetic, well-performed song, but sounds recycled from earlier material. Unfortunately, Preston's attempts at updating his music, such as the slick production, background singers, and elaborate arrangements on "I Won't Mistreat Your Love" and "Hope," are utterly forgettable. Only the album's ballads "Lay Your Feeling on Me" and the string-laden title cut, find a happy medium between old and new Preston. The Way I Am is a moderately enjoyable listen, but fans should start with Preston's classic mid-'70s albums before picking this up.

Track Listing

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
1	Hope Bob Esty / Paul Jabara	Billy Preston	05:18	Spotify Amazon
2	Good Life Boogie Billy Preston	Billy Preston	04:17	Spotify Amazon
3	Keep On Truckin Leonard Caston / Anita Poree / Frank Wilson	Billy Preston	04:25	Spotify Amazon
4	A Change Is Gonna Come Sam Cooke	Billy Preston	03:57	Spotify Amazon
5	Lay Your Feelings on Me Helen Lewis / Kay Lewis	Billy Preston	04:20	Spotify Amazon
6	I Won't Mistreat Your Love Bruce Fisher / Billy Preston	Billy Preston	03:57	Spotify Amazon
7	Baby I'm Yours Van McCoy	Billy Preston	03:18	Spotify Amazon
8	Until Then Joe Greene / Jesse Kirkland / Billy Preston	Billy Preston	03:34	Spotify Amazon
9	The Way I Am David Paich	Billy Preston	04:55	Spotify Amazon

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The Way I Am Review

Track Listing

Billy Preston Discography Browser