The Best of the Dramatics - STAX
Artist: The Dramatics
Community Score: 9.25

In the 1960s, Stax Records was best known for raw southern soul that rejected the type of sleekness and pop sensibilities favored by the northern soulsters at Motown. But by the early '70s, Memphis soul was losing its popularity, and Stax's A&R department started to emphasize northern and so-called "uptown" soul in order to stay competitive. One... Read More

Spark of Love
Artist: Lenny Williams
Community Score: 10.00

Originally released on ABC Records in 1978, this compilation succeeded Choosing You, which spawned Lenny Williams' biggest solo hit, "Shoo Doo Fu Fu Ooh!" (included here). The tunes run the gamut from disco, ballads, and the sociopolitical whoop em' up "Changes." "I Still Reach Out" has a stalking beat, and Lenny's in-your-face vocals, accented... Read More

Chaka
Artist: Chaka Khan
The Best of Millie Jackson
Artist: Millie Jackson
Miss Randy Crawford
Artist: Randy Crawford

Randy Crawford's charming debut was produced by Bob Montgomery (Bobby Goldsboro, Billy Sherrill) with some tracks having a slight country-ish/Southern soul feel to them. Its a perfect showcase for Crawford's interpretive skill.The singer makes the Don Henley/Glenn Frey song "Desperado" and the Mack Gordon/Harry Warren standard "At Last," her... Read More

Barry White's Greatest Hits
Artist: Barry White

Before a definitive multi-disc box set was issued in the 1990s, there were two single-album volumes of Barry White hits released by Casablanca in the 1970s. The first was the best, with sweeping versions of such disco classics as "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" and "You're the First, the Last, My Everything." White's productions and... Read More

In the Mood
Artist: The Whispers
Community Score: 5.00

Marvelous ballads and great contemporary dance hits. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide Read More

A Quiet Storm
Artist: Smokey Robinson

The genius of William "Smokey" Robinson is immeasurable. As many of his prior songs had shaped R&B and pop music, this album would have a similar effect. The title track became the namesake for a music format. The album itself had three singles hit the charts. Arranged in an intermittent rhythm, "Baby That's Backatcha" ran up the Billboard R&B... Read More

Life Is a Song Worth Singing
Artist: Teddy Pendergrass

This was the album that convinced anyone who had doubts about the wisdom of Pendergrass leaving Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes that he had made a good decision. Although he only got one R&B hit from the album, there were enough strong ballads and uptempo cuts to show that Pendergrass had the sound, personality, and style to cut it on his own.... Read More

Still Caught Up
Artist: Millie Jackson

Still Caught Up returned listeners to the torrid backbiting and constant recriminations of Millie Jackson's blockbuster Caught Up, and though it didn't compare favorably, it was easily good enough to make it better than her average full-length. Though not live, it has a stagey sound, with frequent monologues, nice testifying backup vocals, an... Read More

Whispers Greatest Hits
Artist: The Whispers

These songs encompass the Whispers' Janus recordings that chronicle the second phase of their recording career; they cut their teeth with Dore Records. A larger recording budget and better songs make this a sweeter package then the primitive sounding Dore tracks. Unlike the Dore tracks, these recordings got played outside of California and... Read More