LP Review: Destiny and CK
Destiny
Released: 1986
LP Charts: #25 R&B, #72 pop
Upon the release of Destiny, Chaka Khan was coming of her biggest single (“I Feel For You”) and her biggest album (I Feel For You). And over the previous decade she had been as certified a hit maker (as a solo artist and with Rufus) as one could be in R&B music.
Well, all good things come to an end.
Destiny continued some of the worst antics of I Feel For You the LP (particularly the cavalcade of producers), but without the charm of “I Feel For You” the single. It’s so much of a failed copy even the album covers are practically the same.
“Love of a Lifetime” exemplifies the best this album has to offer. It’s another bright pop song in the vein of “Eye to Eye” from the previous album. There’s lots of synths and an ‘80s sax. However, all of that instrumentation is sparse enough to allow Khan’s voice to operate relatively free and don’t overwhelm the listener’s ears. I chalk it up to an actual band performing on this song. There were real horn players and bassist to augment all the sheen-tastic elements.
In contrast, “Earth to Mickey” is essentially a one-man band operation with Reggie Griffin doing his best to imitate the Minneapolis Sound. Not a bad song, just very much limited.
We finally encounter trouble on “Watching the World”, which is LOUD. Even has Phil Collins stomping on his LOUD drums. Over the next few tracks, the album is awash in some horrible production and electronic clutter.
Finally, “It’s You” gets us out the rut. It’s a solid dance track where the electronics serve the groove and Chaka’s vocals.
And although it’s not good, I also appreciate “So Close” for being an actual rock song. Chaka can sing rock. More Chaka rock, please.
“Tight Fit” mercifully strips things down to a funk groove. And before we go… thank GOD “Coltrane Dreams” was issued in an edited form here, cuz the full length version is terrible. 1:40 was enough. The full five minutes is a crime against jazz.
ALBUM GRADE: D+
Yeah, this was a dud. It doesn’t hit the rock bottom lows of I Feel For You, but it comes close a couple times. Distressingly, it also doesn’t come close to the highs, so it comes out as a worse album to my ears.
Folks at the time agreed, I guess as this was the first solo Chaka Khan album to flop commercially.
Song Scores
Love of a Lifetime: 7/10
Earth to Mickey: 6/10
Watching the World: 4/10
The Other Side of the World: 3/10
My Destiny: 4/10
I Can’t Be Loved: 5/10
It’s You: 7/10
So Close: 5/10
Tight Fit: 6/10
Who’s It Gonna Be: 4/10
Coltrane Dreams: 3/10
CK
Released: 1988
LP Charts: #17 R&B, #125 pop
Well, if Destiny was hyperactive, CK is sedate. In theory, I appreciate the change of pace, but Khan’s turn for the meditative generally isn’t supported by the material. And of course, she once again has a truckload of producers instead of having one person or one team produce a unified vision.
Sure, there are guest stars from Miles Davis to George Benson to Prince to Stevie Wonder, but for the most part they don’t enhance the album. Wonder’s harmonica can’t save the stale cover of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)”. Prince’s two songs (“Eternity” and “Sticky Wicked”) on this album are generally warmed over retreads of his style. Davis’s trumpet on “Eternity” bears no fruit, but it is awesome on the album-closing “I’ll Be Around”.
“I’ll Be Around” was an acoustic jazz number as was “The End of A Love Affair”. They are easily the highlights of the album. Particularly, “The End of A Love Affair”. There we have a guest star, Benson, who does truly add to the situation with his guitar and scatting.
The one “modern” song that fared well was “It’s My Party” (#5 R&B). The light-funk track managed to thread the needle of having contemporary production that wasn’t overboard.
ALBUM GRADE: C
An improvement on Destiny, but that’s not a major accomplishment.
Song Scores
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours): 4/10
Soul Talkin’: 5.5/10
It’s My Party: 7/10
Eternity: 6/10
Sticky Wicked: 5/10
The End Of A Love Affair: 8/10
Baby Me: 6/10
Make It Last: 5/10
Where Are You Tonite: 5/10
I’ll Be Around: 7/10