Someday We'll All Be Free

Featuring outtakes from Bobby Womack’s previous two releases, this 1985 release is an integral part of the singer’s '80s “Quiet Storm” comeback. After all those years, Womack’s singing and writing skills were undiminished, as proven on “I’m So Proud” and “Searching for My Love,” both of which embrace early-'80s production techniques. Womack knew how to turn this sound to his advantage, especially on ballads. The minimalist, almost mechanical settings of “I Wish I Had Someone to Go Home To,” “Gifted One," and “In over My Heart” emphasize the songs' loneliness. They also imply time's passage in a poignant way. Where Womack’s '60s recordings were horn-filled celebrations, these taut, pensive songs seem to take place long after the party's over. Womack’s rendition of “Someday We’ll All Be Free”—a beautiful tribute to Donny Hathaway, another of his many fallen peers—is a powerful mix of deep blues and perseverance. Womack sings as a man unsure of his own freedom and future, but this tension makes for a great performance.