Released: July 1979
Another great album cover. And this time the fellas get included.
Anyways, this LP didn’t do anywhere near the damage of their debut, which went platinum and barreled its way into the top 10 of the pop album charts. However, it’s almost as good as the Mizell Brothers return as producers.
The lead single here was “Do It Good” which dragged its way to #13 R&B and #79 pop. A real shame, cuz the track verges on some punk-funk. If they had dared to throw in a thrashing guitar solo it would be.
Guitarist Hazel Payne makes the most of her one solo vocal lead on “The Rainbow’s End”. Neither she nor lead singer and bassist Janice Marie-Johnson are powerful singers, but they both have a silkiness and Payne’s shines through greatly on the peppy rainbow tune that’s full of fluttering flute.
Even peppier is “Dance” which is good mindless disco.
The jazzy funky soul is on full effect with “I Love You”. The first minute is just strollin’ buildup layering guitar, bass, strings, and flute on top of each other. Once fully established, the song floats on air for the rest of its runtime.
The ladies of the band wrote most of the music, but keyboardist Perry Kibble contributes “Race”, which is mostly an excuse for a funky workout for its five minute run.
The album sadly comes to an average conclusion after so much excitement during the first five songs. The final three tunes have two average ballads and one over-active disco jam (the oddly spelled “Take the Boogae or Leave It”). I really wish artists didn’t end their albums with underwhelming ballads. “Your Love” is the culprit here.
ALBUM GRADE: B
Again, not as strong as their debut, but only “Your Love” gets stuck in neutral. Everything else has its moments and much more often than not those moments are highly enjoyable. The main failing is that none of the songs reached the heights of “Boogie Oogie Oogie”.
No matter, get your boogie and/or soulful contemplation on.
Song Scores
Do It Good: 8/10
The Rainbow’s End: 8/10
Dance: 7.5/10
I Love You: 7.5/10
Race: 7.5/10
Let’s Begin: 6/10
Take the Boogae or Leave It: 7/10
Your Love: 5/10