Released: May 1982
Well, this album concluded A Taste of Honey’s run of glory. Even the cover is just okay instead of glorious like the previous albums.
Actually, this album kind of stinks, so technically their previous LP Twice As Sweet ended the run of glory. Ladies of the Eighties just ends the entire run (good, bad, or otherwise) as it would be the last album released by the band.
After having the Mizell Brothers produce most of their first two albums and George Duke handle most of the duties on their previous LP, A Taste of Honey turned to former Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Al McKay to produce most of this album.
He didn’t do that great.
Proceedings open up with two fake-it-till-you-make-it funk workouts in “Sayonara” and “We’ve Got the Groove”. They’re not abominations (don’t worry we got two of those), but they’re just pure bleh.
“I’ll Try Something New” definitely stands out as the album’s best slow number, which is a problem because it is good, but it’s not that good. Indeed, it is a cover of an old song by the Miracles that also attempts mimicking the magic of “Sukiyaki”. Released as a single, it did well (#9 R&B, #41 pop), but far below the success of the song it was trying to re-create.
Also on the ballad front, “Never Go Wrong” taps into the nostalgic early 80s revival of finger-snappin’ ballads. Worse than “I’ll Try Something New”, but still above grade.
Well, at least we get two good funk numbers finally in “Lies” and “Diamond Real”. Neither is that good either, but they’re exhilarating for fans of burgeoning synth-funk. “Lies” in particular also has a fantastic rhythm riff from Hazel Payne, who unsurprisingly wrote the thing.
Okay now to the abominations.
“Midnight Snack” is truly awful. The first time A Taste of Honey recorded an outright crappy song. No amount of funky bass can salvage this hackneyed attempt at rappin’ about having “a midnight snack in the sack.”
“Leavin' Tomorrow” is equally terrible, but in its own special way. An attempt at country balladry. Complete with stupid horse hooves plodding.
Kill me.
ALBUM GRADE: D+
Song Scores
Sayonara: 4/10
We’ve Got the Groove: 4/10
I’ll Try Something New: 7/10
Lies: 7/10
Diamond Real: 7/10
Never Do You Wrong: 6/10
Midnight Snack: 2/10
Leavin’ Tomorrow: 2/10