Lakeside were already a veteran group by 1987 and a certain future Temptation was part-and-parcel of this line up - Barrington Scott-Henderson! His sweet soulful vocals were not only perfect for this CD, but also for the legendary Temptations who benefited greatly from his more than able vocal abilities. I loved the Solar sound of the 1980s and Patrik has also given a passionate and heartfelt account of his feelings for the label which I totally share. Co-producer on this CD is a certain Craig Cooper, and in retrospect we can hear his style very present on this album, and on "Bullesye" in particular. The group are known for their uptempo party funk, and to be honest they lost that by now. The brasher, mechanical dance sounds they tried to pass on this album, for me, simply don't work. They even try their hand at rapping, and it's at this point I press the skip button. Again, the ballads have the upper hand.I mention "Bullseye", and this is a beautiful track befitting the pedigree and stature of the Solar label. You can hear the real promise of what Craig T. Cooper had to offer a few years later. On this song all that is missing is a classy vocal from Debra Cooper! His other production of worth is "To Be Your Lover". I can almost hear "I'll Help You Get There" as this starts up. How he can record gems like this then serve up twaddle like "Power" I have no idea! His uptempo "Relationships" owes more to Jesse Johnson than anything else and as I like that Minneapolis 'crash, bang., wallop' sound I am quite keen on it - even though it sounds rather passe today, and in comparison with the other gems it can't hold a candle. My final choice is spellbinding and perfect Solar material. "Just A Touch Away" could easily have been recorded a few years earlier in the '83 - '85 period. A breathy midtempo cut gives Barrington a real meaty track to cut his chops on. I cannot believe that this is still readily available on CD, and while you're at it check out their 1990 CD, "Party Patrol" for the gorgeous "Think About Love".
Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe
The Vibe Scribe
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