Released: 1999
After the huge comeback of The Icon Is Love (B), Barry White took a five year break before releasing Staying Power. The album isn’t bad by any means, but it is somewhat of a disappointment. The letdown isn’t simply that it isn’t as good as The Icon Is Love, but that it didn’t find White more thoroughly embracing neo-soul, which had grown in popularity in the intervening years.
Instead this thing is heavily processed and poorly mixed. And it veers too heavily into the realm of late 90s urban contemporary. Essentially White goes too much for Kem and not enough for Maxwell.
The Good Stuff
“Staying Power” proves that doing some urban contemporary music wasn’t a bad idea. This song is pleasant and chill with the bass even sounding like its of the upright jazzy variety. “Don’t Play Games” finds White diving further into the smooth R&B/jazz. It’s about as good as “Staying Power” but overstays its welcome at 7:23.
Clearly the best song here is “Which Way Is Up”. It has the smooth coolness found on the previous two songs, but adds a funky rhythm guitar plus a touch of wah wah funky guitar. Also, “Which Way Is Up” is appropriately timed (5:42) making sure you don’t get too much or too little of what it has to offer.
And what it’s offering is some life lessons as White sings about the travails of just being.
Finally, White has a superstar duet with Chaka Khan on “The Longer We Make Love”. I really love the music on this song. Strong strings, rich piano, active rhythm guitar. Reminiscent of White’s stylings for The Message Is Love (B-). I wish White had embraced this kind of soulful sound on more of the album.
MEH ZONE
There’s a few songs on this album that aren’t bad (“Sometimes”) but fall into the MEH ZONE. I don’t hate the songs, I don’t love them. I don’t even like them. It’s just like, whatever. I guess y’all are here.
The Bizarre Stuff
There are two covers of funk classics: “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again)” and “Low Rider”. You can skip them unless you just want the novelty factor like his ill-fated cover of “Louie, Louie” from the early 1980s.
The Send Off
The final song on the album is “Slow Your Roll”. Since it’s an instrumental that features some Latin percussion, I like to imagine it as White’s final, if unofficial, Love Unlimited Orchestra recording.
ALBUM GRADE: C-
This album wasn’t winning over any new fans. And it does an adequate job of pleasing old ones. Historically, I guess the important thing is that Barry White didn’t go out with a dreadful album.
Thanks for all the music, Barry.
Song Scores
Staying Power: 7/10
Don’t Play Games: 7/10
The Longer We Make Love: 7/10
I Get Off On You: 4/10
Which Way Is Up: 7.5/10
Get Up: 4/10
Sometimes: 5/10
Low Rider: 4/10
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again): 3/10
Slow Your Roll: 6/10