Released: May 1984
I don’t think I’ve ever come across a good album that was titled Now. I think Bobby Hutcherson is the lone exception. Maybe.
Anyways, this album… yuck. Even on her lesser albums, Rushen’s music usually sounded fun or creative. This thing is soulless in its spirit. Probably because the massive amount of musicians from previous albums is wildly reduced.
Hooray for the 80s, amirite?
The Good Stuff
We’ll get to the mediocre and bad stuff, in a second, but this is a Patrice Rushen so this album still has some charm.
“Feels So Real (Won't Let Go)” is a lesser version of “Forget Me Nots”. It’s got a great bass line (thanks again Freddie Washington). It’s got an incredibly catchy hook. There’s a light chicken scratch rhythm guitar. But none of it is as good as before. It did manage to reach #3 R&B (which was somehow higher than “Forget Me Nots”) and #10 on the disco charts.
The trouble is that there is no burst of jazzy creativity. No bass solo. No sax solo. No guitar solo. No keyboard solo. Not asking for like a two-minute excursion. They can’t even bother to deliver a little 20-second aside.
*grumbles*
The other single was “Get Off (You Fascinate Me)”, a funky bass driven jam that reached #26 R&B. The song gets a little too repetitive at points, but Paulinho da Costa comes to the rescue with his conga skills giving some illusion of spontanaiety.
Mediocrity
“Gotta Find It” is extremely slight, but at least it’s pleasant. “Heartache Heartbreak” is even slighter and less pleasant, but a saxophone solo brings across the finish line.
“Perfect Love” is about as good as you can expect a spectacularly 80s Patrice Rushen song to sound. Also it’s the eighth song on the album and I think it’s the first to have Rushen’s keyboard skills standout. What the fuck is that about?
“To Each His Own” is saved by the minimalism it exhibits.
There’s a good song in “High In Me” that is muffled by bad 80s-ness. If only it were made two or three years earlier…
The Unbearably 80s Stuff
Dear God it does not get more annoyingly 80s than “Gone With the Night”. Cheap programmed drums and all. I was wrong, “Superstar” is even worse and even more annoyingly 80s. Also I was wrong, “Superstar” is the fourth song on the album and does have a great keyboard solo. The song still sucks. That’s how bad it is.
“My Love's Not Going Anywhere” and neither is thissong. The programmed drums on this song aren’t cheap, but they sure are BIG. EIGHTIES BIG.
ALBUM GRADE: D+
The mildly good and mediocre songs would carry this bad boy to a C, but this thing’s got too many turds. Also it’s too long at 49 minutes. What a terrible way for Rushen to follow up her two best albums.
Song Scores
Feels So Real (Won't Let Go): 7/10
Gone With the Night: 3/10
Gotta Find It: 5/10
Superstar: 0/10
Heartache Heartbreak: 5/10
Get Off (You Fascinate Me): 7/10
My Love's Not Going Anywhere: 2/10
Perfect Love: 6/10
High In Me: 4/10
To Each His Own: 6/10