I find it astonishing that, despite the presence of career-defining tracks such as “So Much Love”, “Son of a Preacher Man” (how many times have you heard this destroyed at kareoke?), “Breakfast in Bed”, “Just One Smile”, and “Just a Little Lovin”, this was the album that effectively ended the career of Hampstead’s finest daughter.
There isn’t really much that I can add about Dusty Springfield that you couldn’t find with a quick google search - likelihood is that it’ll be much more concise, accurate and informative than my standard ramblings. But this is one of those rare records that betters any “best of” compilation. I listened to it for the first time on a recent trip to Edinburgh, aiming to use it as background music whilst I walked from Edinburgh to Leith. My mp3 player had other ideas however, and the album demanded my attention - to the point that the day became all about the album, rather than anything to do with the city I was visiting. The stand-out track for me is “I Can’t Make It Alone” which combines the heartbreak and longing of a ballad, with the raw energy and lush strings of a modern 4hero track.
