LP Review: In the Night
Released: 1981
LP Charts: #14 R&B, #104 pop
After In Love totally failed to even come close to the success of Cheryl Lynn, old pal Ray Parker, Jr. drops in to produce In the Night. If you’re familiar with and enjoy Parker’s sound with his band Raydio, you’re in for a treat. This is very much a Raydio album with Lynn’s robust vocals thrown on top.
The crown jewel of this LP is the opening “Shake It Up Tonight” (#5 R&B, #5 disco, #70 pop) which largely traffics in post-disco grooves before getting super funky around the three-minute mark with the Raydio band getting all the way down. Feel that bass and rhythm guitar kicking some ass.
Legit floor mover from its grand sweeping opening to aforementioned breakdown to its cool-down outro.
“Show You How” is a quiet storm ballad where Parker drops some of his guitar tricks honed with the Love Unlimited Orchestra. “Hurry Home” is another quiet storm groove with some killer synth bass. It actually sounds like late ‘80s R&B minus the cluttery programmed percussion.
Unsurprisingly, being a Raydio production, there are some songs that sound like retreads. Even if they are enjoyable. That’ll be “In the Night” to a T: an enjoyable retread. Also a retread, but less enjoyable, is “If You'll Be True To Me”. It’s still on the positive side of things.
After “I’m On Fire” and “With Love on Our Side”, the album gets out of its mini-slumber with “What's On Your Mind”. It’s not that much better than the other songs, but the difference is the injection of horns. The other tracks were very heavy on the rhythm section, so it’s nice to have the festive horns make an imprint.
And then we get a funk-rocker with “Baby”, which is an EXTREMELY Raydio song.
ALBUM GRADE: C+
This album rebounded Lynn’s commercial fortunes, but artistically it’s not that much better or worse than her preceding two albums. Another solid C+ because there’s a couple good tracks and a lot of fine stuff.
Song Scores
Shake It Up Tonight: 8.5/10
Show You How: 7/10
In the Night: 6.5/10
Hurry Home: 7/10
I’m On Fire: 6/10
With Love on Our Side: 6/10
If You'll Be True To Me: 6/10
What's On Your Mind: 7/10
Baby: 6.5/10