MORRIS DAY - DAYDREAMING

You'll probably recognize Morris as the lead singer of The Time and star of "Purple Rain".  Believe it or not, Morris is still around and being just as funky today as he was back then.  After The Time disbanded, Morris went on to launch a solo career.  Like many former Prince associates from that time, he continued to release music based on the Minneapolis sound they'd become so famous for.

During this time in the 80's, there was glut of bands who were writing and trying to copy this sound.  Morris may have had his roots in the movement, but on his own his music lacked a lot of the substance and soul of other artists working in this genre.  His material can often sound somewhat generic and uninspired.  That never stopped him from working though.

"Daydreaming" was his second solo effort and even though it was a vast improvement on his previous record, it didn't break any new ground for the singer.  At least it didn't as far as I know.  There is one significant difference between this record and "Color Of Success"...  On this record, he enlisted the help of former Time members, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.  This duo had their own brand of Minneapolis funk and they'd used it to catapult artists like Janet Jackson and The Human League to superstar status.  In all honesty, this is probably the best move he could've made.  'Fishnet', the Jam And Lewis track, was a huge hit for him and gave him his most popular single as a solo artist.

The two producers also worked on a second track on the disc, 'Love Is A Game'.  If he'd been smart, Day would've hired the them to produce the entire record and worked with them while he was writing this material.  They would've helped him put together a stronger, more solid piece of work.  

I really like Morris and I want to see him do well.  It's discouraging when an artist you like doesn't deliver the work you know they're capable of.  

I'm not really into this disc beyond the two Jam & Lewis tracks.  But I do have some memories of it.  The first time I saw Morris and The Time live, he signed my copy of this CD.  The second time I saw them, he pulled me up on stage to sing the hit single from this record, 'Fishnet' with him.  I'll never forget that.

I wish I could recommend this disc but I don't think it has enough appeal.  If you're a Morris Day fan, this is a must.  If you're a Jam & Lewis fan, it's also a must.  But for those of you who casually like to listen to some Minneapolis funk now and then, stream or download 'Fishnet' and be done with it.

My final words:  A DISAPPOINTING FOLLOWUP FROM A DYNAMIC PERFORMER!

MORRIS DAY - DAYDREAMING
01. Daydreaming
02. Yo' Luv
03. Fishnet
04. A Man's Pride
05. Standing On The Line
06. Are You Ready
07. Love Is A Game
08. Moonlite (Passionlite)
09. Sally