Music Review: Colton Ford: Tug of War

BY VINCENT LAMBERT

As anyone who has seen the 2004 documentary Naked Fame knows, former porn star Colton Ford has been pursuing a singing career for many years. And as anyone who has seen one of his many movies—including Porn Struck 2 and Bringing Out Brother—knows, he is one sexy daddy. Since his retirement from the porn industry in ’03, Ford has been working on his music full-time, and the fruits of his labor can now be heard on his first full-length CD, Tug of War. The album, which he co-wrote with producer Quentin Harris, places him in a dance-oriented R&B setting that fits the hairy hunk like a glove. From the opening beats of “Ready,” Ford sounds like an older, wiser—and slightly dirtier—version of Justin Timberlake. He settles into a sexy groove with “You Ain’t Gonna Change” and croons seductively over the percolating rhythms of “Gotta Do.” Ford shows off his smooth falsetto on the first single, “The Way You Love Me,” while Monique Bingham brings her sassy vocal style to a duet of “Bluntly Speaking.” On the darker side, “That’s Me” finds Ford treading in autobiographical waters as he proclaims “I am multifaceted” and “You get what you see.” Listeners will get the feeling that he’s been waiting a long time to sing those lines and to prove them true.

At the midway point, Tug of War takes a turn toward more soulful ballads (“You Get What You Get” and the title cut), with Ford offering stronger vocals that display a more distinctive side of his voice than some of the dance tracks, where at times his vocals get lost in the mix. The album bogs down a bit toward the end with two uninteresting and overly long tracks (“It’ll Be Alright” and “Wait for Me”) but ends on a high note with “Your Love Is Everything,” which Ford penned with Grammy winner Denise Rich. Harris serves up a solid production, and dance floor devotees won’t be disappointed. Pop music fans will also be taken in by the catchy hooks. And for those who have followed Ford’s journey from the blue screen to blue-eyed soul, the sexy packaging (with tastefully naked photographs by Joe Oppedisano) will keep them happy too. There’s something for everyone here, but then Colton Ford has always been a crowd pleaser. (Outsider Music)