From the Soul of Man is the second studio album by American singer Kenny Lattimore. It was released by Columbia Records on September 8, 1998 in the United States.

From the Soul of Man
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 8, 1998
GenreR&B
Length73:45
LabelColumbia
Producer
Kenny Lattimore chronology
Kenny Lattimore
(1996)
From the Soul of Man
(1998)
Weekend
(2001)
Singles from From the Soul of Man
  1. "Days Like This"
  2. "If I Lose My Woman"
  3. "Love Will Find a Way"
  4. "Just Can't Get Over You"

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic      link

Critics uniformly lauded this album as a great leap from his debut on the scene two years prior to this largely mature effort.[1] The album opens with the first single "Days Like This", an introspective midtempo R&B track with avant garde electronic inflections. "Days", along with 7 other tracks on the album were co-written by Lattimore. A highlight is Lattimore's faithful and yet individual cover of Donny Hathaway's "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", first heard on Hathaway's landmark Extension of a Man album. Lattimore also reimagines The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as a soulful ballad that closes with a hypnotically layered arrangement of background vocals. "Who knew that 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' could be so sexy?" remarks Michael Gallucci.[2]

...From the Soul of Man is heightened by the strength of Lattimore's impressive voice, which effortlessly transform from a deep, smoky alto into a bright falsetto--always sounding pure and sublime.[3]

— Vibe Magazine, 10/98, p.178

Chart performance

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In the United States, the album peaked at number 71 on the Billboard 200. On Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, it reached number 15.[4] The lead single "Days Like This" peaked at number 84 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. Re-released with soulful "Nuyorican soul" house mixes, produced by Masters at Work, the track climbed to number 26 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Second single "If I Lose My Woman" fared better on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, peaking at number 15.[5] It also topped the Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles in early 1999 within 3 weeks of its appearance on the chart.[6]

Sales of the album took off again in 2020 after The Last Dance showed Michael Jordan discussing with reporters an advance copy of what Lattimore later confirmed was From the Soul of Man.[7]

Track listing

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From the Soul of Man track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Days Like This"
  • Lattimore
  • Davis
5:17
2."Trial Separation"
  • Lattimore
  • Davis
  • Kipper Jones
  • Lattimore
  • Davis
  • Jones
4:45
3."If I Lose My Woman"
Simmons5:25
4."Make Believe"Eastmond4:46
5."Just Can't Get Over You"
  • Lattimore
  • Davis
  • Jones
  • Poyser
5:22
6."I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know"Al Kooper
6:30
7."Destiny"
  • Lattimore
  • Davis
  • Haggins
4:32
8."Tomorrow"
  • Lattimore
  • Harris
5:21
9."While My Guitar Gently Weeps"George Harrison
  • Lattimore
  • Davis
5:29
10."Heaven & Earth"
  • Lattimore
  • Herb Middleton
  • Lattimore
  • Davis
  • Lenny Lerum
5:48
11."All My Tomorrows"Diane Warren
  • Lattimore
  • Guy Roche
4:46
12."Interlude: Introspective Mood"Harris 0:20
13."Well Done"
  • Lattimore
  • Pat McClain
  • Lattimore
  • Davis
  • Townes
5:35
14."Love Will Find a Way" (featuring Heather Headley)
  • Lattimore
  • Lerum
4:30
Bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."For You"LerumEastmond4:00
16."If You Could See You (Through My Eyes)"Warren4:57

Notes

  • ^[a] denotes co-producer(s)

Charts

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Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[8] 71
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] 15

References

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  1. ^ Sylvia White. "Kenny Lattimore - From The Soul Of Man (Review)". InMusicWeTrust.com.
  2. ^ From The Soul Of Man (Review) at AllMusic
  3. ^ "Kenny Lattimore: From The Soul Of Man". Vibe Magazine. 10/98, p.178
  4. ^ Kenny Lattimore Chart History - Albums Billboard.com
  5. ^ Kenny Lattimore Chart History - Singles Billboard.com
  6. ^ Kenny Lattimore Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Airplay Charts - "If I Lose My Woman" Billboard.com
  7. ^ Martinez, Jose (September 12, 2020). "Kenny Lattimore Says His Music Sales Spiked After Michael Jordan Co-Sign in 'Last Dance'". Complex. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  8. ^ "Kenny Lattimore Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  9. ^ "Kenny Lattimore Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
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