LP Review: Solid
Released: 1976
LP Charts: #10 R&B, #173 pop
After spending the early 1970s as Miles Davis’s bass player, Michael Henderson began exploring some independence in 1975 by playing on, producing, and writing songs for R&B vocal quintet the Dramatics and jazz drummer Norman Connors. Henderson parlayed those opportunities into a solo career beginning with Solid.
It’s a debut album that more than lives up to its title!
Included are three songs Henderson had previously given to other artists, but now helms himself. “Treat Me Like A Man” and “Be My Girl” had been previously done in vibrant, orchestrated soul fashion by the Dramatics. I like their versions better, but Henderson’s aren’t inferior by much. Also, they’re done in a very sparse, jazzy way making recordings of both songs by both artists enjoyable in their own regard.
Same goes for Henderson taking on “Valentine Love”. He had actually performed vocals on this song for Norman Connors’s Saturday Night Special LP. However, it was a duet with Jean Carn. Once again, Henderson’s solo stab is sparser than his original handout. However, in this case I like his recording better than the giveaway version.
Now for some brand new original tunes!
“Make Me Feel Better” opens the album on a fantastic midtempo funk/soul groove reminiscent of the best Sly & the Family Stone tracks from the early 1970s. “You Haven’t Made It To The Top” has a synthesizer that gets a wee bit overactive, but it’s another fine funk song. Henderson also has time to include two instrumentals that focus on his great bass playing. “Time” is the more focused of the two, while “Solid” is more exploratory and psychedelic. It has some way out distortions prompting your mind to float into outer space or perhaps the deepest depths of the Mariana Trench.
Finally we gots two nice ballads. The Latin-influenced soul of “Let Love Enter” is pretty nice. “Stay With Me This Summer” is another sparse and spacey song that concludes the album. And I must say it is a great finale. Props to whomever sequenced this LP because it shifts seamlessly through its various moods. Never getting too hyped or mellow for too long.
ALBUM GRADE: B+
Nothing groundbreaking, nothing revelatory. Just a damn good album. And one of my favorites.
If you dig variations of funk, soul, and jazz from the ‘70s, then this might also become one of your faves. Hell, proof of its ability as an album is that none of the songs from it released as singles did all that well. Nonetheless, the album cracked the R&B top 10. Hard to do for a debut album with no hit singles.
Song Scores
Make Me Feel Better: 8/10
Time: 8/10
Let Love Enter: 7.5/10
Treat Me Like A Man: 7.5/10
Solid: 7/10
Be My Girl: 7.5/10
You Haven’t Made It to the Top: 7/10
Valentine Love: 8.5/10
Stay With Me This Summer: 8/10