LP Review: Starchild
Released: 1984
LP Charts: #9 R&B, #31 Pop
Welcome to Starchild, where Teena Marie finally goes full on 1980s.
However, the lead song and lead single, “Lovergirl” hearkens back to 1979. Specifically, Prince. “Lovergirl” is an awesome song because it shamelessly rips off “I Want To Be Your Lover”, Prince’s first huge R&B and pop hit. Well, Marie’s move was wise commercially. “Lovergirl” stormed to #9 R&B and #4 pop. Not content to merely take the lyrical and choral structure from late 70s Prince, Marie also slapped on the mid-80s Minneapolis Sound on this bad boy. Industrial drums, scratching rhythm guitar licks, zooming keyboard sounds, and a sterling guitar solo.
Now having said all that, Marie adds her own touches. Specifically, the singing-rap at the end that leaves you breathless. It’s a good breathing exercise really.
“Help Youngblood Get to the Freaky Party” escapes mediocrity thanks to another good guitar solo, but it’s by-the-numbers mid-80s funk with lots of perfunctory slap bass.
“Out On A Limb” shoulda been a really good song, but instead is merely good because it drags on too long (6:37). Either should have chopped off 60 or 90 seconds; or added an instrumental solo of some kind to give our ears something to enjoy. Marie emotes well on the ballad, but after awhile she begins to just make the same point. We get it.
“Allibi” has that quintessential new wave bop. I can totally see you and your friends rocking shoulders at the club as this blares. There is also another guitar solo. I’m detecting a theme.
Hey, more guitar on “Jammin’”. The song lives up to its title with a nice mix of funk and new wave, although it gets to be a little repetitive for my tastes. This song also has lots of slap bass, but it is in sync with the groove unlike “Youngblood”.
“Starchild” is boring. Moving on. Shit, “We've Got to Stop (Meeting Like This)” is boring too, despite (because of?) being a duet with longtime collaborator Ronnie McNeir. Moving on.
Hey, “My Dear Mr. Gaye” awakens the slumber we’ve been in by paying homage to the recently murdered Marvin Gaye. Considering the great “Revolution” she made a couple years earlier honoring John Lennon, if you were a murdered musical legend, you want Teena Marie eulogizing you.
What makes “My Dear Mr. Gaye” so good is that it weaves in the full Marvin Gaye vibe. The backing vocals sound like an arrangement Gaye would have conjured up. Anyways, the slow moving ballad suddenly picks up steam at the three-minute mark as Daniel LeMelle’s unmistakable saxophone comes in and makes things steamy. Just like Marvin woulda wanted it.
Yes, sir. It’s time to get it on.
But it’s also time to go. Last song on the album, but what a way to go out.
(I’m ignoring “Light”, which is a harmless minute-long coda).
ALBUM GRADE: C+
A couple really high high points, but also some lows we haven’t seen from Marie since her debut Wild and Peaceful in 1979. In the end, an uneven album that managed to be her second and final gold disc.
Song Scores
Lovergirl: 8.5/10
Help Youngblood Get to the Freaky Party: 5/10
Out On A Limb: 7/10
Allibi: 7.5/10
Jammin’: 6.5/10
Starchild: 4/10
We've Got to Stop (Meeting Like This): 4/10
My Dear Mr. Gaye: 8/10