LP Review: Enchantment
Released: 1976
This eponymous debut album from Enchantment is a spectacularly really good album. The vocals are tight and the backing band is in fine form even if the production is sometimes a bit muddy. I think that muddiness in the end adds a charm to the LP since it gives the sound an edge and isn’t pristine.
Things kick off with “Hold On”, a funky R&B workout. The vocals aren’t the spotlight here, but instead the house band which gets nearly half of the 6:28 song to jam. Don’t get me wrong, the vocals are definitely good, but this is definitely intended to be a smoky dance floor filler.
Then the group’s first hit, “Gloria”, ensues. The lamenting ballad reached #5 R&B and #25 pop. The music is good, but isn’t anything too special for the era. The lead vocals of EJ Johnson are what lifts the song up. If you woulda had a run-of-the-mill (or even good) singer take these vocals the song wouldn’t work. Johnson’s distinctive, pleading wail makes the whole thing work.
After that brief excursion to balladry, the group delves back into funk on “Dance to the Music”. Despite the title, I wouldn’t call this a dance song. It’s a very slow groove that seems better played after hours in a bar.
Now “Sexy Lady”, there’s a bona fide dance track. The band once more is the focus on this quick three-minute disco-funk trip. The guitar in particular is ear-catching. No solos or anything, just infectious licks. And a shaking ass tambourine too.
Finally we stumble upon a kinda weak song in “Come On and Ride”. Whereas “Gloria” had a tremendous vocal performance to lift it up, “Come On and Ride” is perfunctory mid-70s R&B/funk instrumentation with perfunctory vocals. Definition of album filler.
The quiet “My Rose” sets up a great finish to this LP with its start-and-stop flow. The jittery music and arrangement works just fine with the song’s lyrical content about a couple “trying to figure each other out”. Every one and every thing is slightly on edge, but seeking a delicate resolution.
The group’s second hit single, “Sunshine” (#3 R&B, #45 pop), then crops up. Once again the vocal performance takes this mid-tempo ballad up a notch higher than it deserves to be. Although it is a better song than “Gloria”, so it didn’t need a truly heroic vocalist to give it credibility.
And the album finishes on “Thank You Girl For Loving Me”, which I find the best song here. It’s a jamming encapsulation of everything you’ve just heard. A mellow, slightly danceable track with good harmonies and a splendid lead vocal. And all done in just under four minutes. No overstaying or understaying a welcome here. Hits all the right spots in just the right amount of time.
ALBUM GRADE: B
Given its two hit singles, Enchantment as an album rose to #11 R&B but stumbled on the Billboard 200 (#104). Good musical variety as the LP doesn’t stay stuck in any one particular groove or pocket for too long.All in all, a spectacularly really good album with solid sales for the quintet.
Song Scores
Hold On: 7.5/10
Gloria: 7.5/10
Dance to the Music: 7/10
Sexy Lady: 7.5/10
Come On and Ride: 5/10
My Rose: 7.5/10
Sunshine: 8/10
Thank You Girl For Loving Me: 8/10