I recently reviewed a classic Blue Magic album from 1981, the same year as this release, and the Philly sound was so prevalent. Well, so too here but Philly Supremo Thom Bell was adapting the sound for the 80s with a more loose, acoustic, less brassy flavour. This was a great year for Thom Bell. Work with Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Temptations were simply awesome, and this album rates as one of his best post Philly efforts. Released on Columbia / ARC, Thom Bell's distinctive style of production and arrangement, paired with Deniece Williams' unique and immediately recognisable vocals were a match made in heaven. The title song kicks off the set, a strong, strong cut with plenty of strings, synth bongos and a scratchy guitar rhythm to die for. Lovers of Sheree Brown's contemporary set would have felt quite at ease with this album. "Silly" is a dream of a song and pulls no punches in the sweet Philly ballad stakes. This song was maimed by one of André Harrell's Motown homegirls, as I am sure you will have forgotten, back in 1997. If you know that but DON'T know this then please check out the original and the best. There's no contest.On the uptempo front is the dramatic "Strangers", similar in feel to what the Stylistics were doing at TSOP at the time. I'm still, to this day, totally in love with "What Two Can Do". The brass is present here and goes right back to the days of the Spinners on Atlantic, but Thom adds some techy keyboard touches, as he did with the Four Tops a few years earlier. Beautiful is the only word that describes the floating ballad "You're All That Matters". Thom actually helps supply backing vocals, Bobby Eli on guitar and Don Renaldo on strings. Philly heaven. However, for my money the deal-maker is tucked away at the very end of the album. Nearly 30 years after I first fell in love with the song, it still sends my tummy into butterflies. Thom Bell is a MASTER and one can tell, simply with a cursery listen, that he is classically trained. This is a beautifully fully-orchestrated song and allows Deniece to really show us what she is, vocally, made of. My only wish is that Mr. Bell would come back to the studio and create some more magic like this. It's more than overdue.
