In late 1984, Vanity was no longer part of Prince's Minneapolis funk-rock empire. The singer was signed to Motown as a full-time solo artist, and her former group, Vanity 6, had evolved into the trio Apollonia 6. Commercially, Vanity didn't get very far on her own -- many people saw her as a... [+] Expand

In late 1984, Vanity was no longer part of Prince's Minneapolis funk-rock empire. The singer was signed to Motown as a full-time solo artist, and her former group, Vanity 6, had evolved into the trio Apollonia 6. Commercially, Vanity didn't get very far on her own -- many people saw her as a glaring example of style and image over substance and felt that she couldn't be creative without Prince's input. But, in fact, Vanity's solo debut, Wild Animal, isn't bad. While no one would accuse Vanity of having Teena Marie's chops -- her voice is undeniably thin -- the singer's writing is generally decent on this 1984 LP, which she produced with Bill Wolfer. Wild Animal isn't nearly as Prince-sounding as some might assume; on material that ranges from the single, "Pretty Mess" (an infectious slice of funk-rock with a groove that brings to mind Shalamar's "Dancing in the Sheets"), to the haunting "Samuelle" and the rockin' "Strap on 'Robbie Baby'," Vanity sounds like's she's making an honest effort to forge ahead. Some of the lyrics are risqué, although for the most part, Wild Animal isn't as raunchy as Vanity's work with Vanity 6. This out of print LP isn't for R&B purists -- Wild Animal is essentially an R&B album, but Vanity laces her R&B with big doses of rock and pop. Despite her obvious limitations as a vocalist, Wild Animal is a respectable solo debut. But the public refused to take Vanity seriously as a solo artist, and this album's unimpressive sales reflected that. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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