Released: October 1981
Oh no, urban contemporary music begins to take over Barry White’s sound.
Don’t fret, the results aren’t all terrible on this demonstrably laid back album, which sometimes verges on going comatose cuz it gets so chill.
On the title track, White engages in some bluesy balladry. There’s even an organ that pipes in here and there. Plus a delectable coda that’s just a bass and piano jammin’ like they’re in an after hours jazz club that’s finally closing for the night.
Thereafter “Relax to the Max” ensues. It’s really not much of a song, just a mood piece. No harm, no foul.
“Let Me In And Let's Begin With Love” injects the first bit of upbeat energy to the album, but even it’s still a laid back groove. Even though it’s six minutes long it manages to not overstay its welcome or have an annoying chorus, thus it’s a fine song.
Finally on the album’s fourth song we get an honest to goodness dance song from Barry White. “Your Love, Your Love” isn’t even a dance song of the classic disco White variety. It’s a song where you slightly shimmy your shoulders and step with a drink in hand. Not bad at all. Just pointing that out.
Also, there are horns. Glad they joined the party. Still largely absent though are the strings. I mean they’ve been there, but completely relegated to the background. So much for White’s signature symphonic sound.
“Tell Me Who Do You Love” closes out Side One. If “Relax to the Max” wasn’t much of a song, this isn’t a song at all to me. It’s music, but is really an interlude. Much like before, no harm, no foul.
Side Two gives us the only hint of (post-)disco from White on this album with “Rio De Janeiro”. Given the title, it’s unsurprisingly filled with percussion galore.
Shit, we got another interlude with “You're My High”. It’s the best one, too. White makes good use of a synthesizer to build a warmth to the two-minute piece.
Okay, the chill mood finally goes too far on “Oooo...Ahhh”. It’s not bad, but I’m starting to check my watch because we’re now well into the album and we didn’t need another song that lazes for four minutes.
Thankfully, White counters with “I Won't Settle For Less Than The Best (For You Baby)”. It has a very faux reggae beat topped with a sexy sax. In the end, not too shabby of a song.
Can’t say the same for the most unexpected song yet recorded by Barry White: a cover of “Louie, Louie”. The best thing I can say about it? It has great camp value.
Too bad it’s terrible and 7:25 long. It’s worth listening to once for the sheer hilarity, but never bother listening to it again.
ALBUM GRADE: C
At 10 tracks and 44 minutes, this was in some ways the most ambitious album recorded by White. However, the number of songs belies an actual lack of ambition. White practically ditched the strings on this album and replaced them with grooves, grooves, grooves.
I’ve written before how he scaled back the use of strings in the late 1970s, but they were still an important part of his music. Well, here White shoved the cellos and violins to the back of the room.
Replacing them with more bass guitar and saxophone worked to some degree and this is a decent album for Barry White fans and lovers of Quiet Storm music.
Also, by this point, you know to expect that Barry White wasn’t having any commercial success. But if he had kept up this quality of music, at least he could have claimed some measure of artistic success.
That wouldn’t be the case on the next couple albums. It’s about to get reeeeeally bad for us and Barry White.
Song Scores
Beware: 7.5/10
Relax to the Max: 6/10
Let Me In And Let's Begin With Love: 7/10
Your Love, Your Love: 7/10
Tell Me Who Do You Love: 5/10
Rio De Janeiro: 7/10
You're My High: 7/10
Oooo...Ahhh: 5/10
I Won't Settle For Less Than The Best (For You Baby): 7/10
Louie, Louie: 2/10