EL DEBARGE - IN THE STORM

El DeBarge is a member of the 80's R&B family band, DeBarge. They scored a number of mediocre hits in the early 80's, especially on soundtracks. They eventually split up to work on solo projects. On this particular disc, El enlists the help of famous producers and songwriters. The overall production credit goes to Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire fame. He only gets one writing credit. It's the album's final track. 'Special' is a rather unremarkable piece that drags the body of work down. Ending with 'Prelude To Midnight' would have been a smarter choice.

El brings in all kinds of brand names to create this outing. Chante Moore contributes vocals on numerous tracks. Soul/Funk veterans Patti LaBelle and Larry Graham also show up on songs. Rapper Kool Moe Dee contributes a satisfying funk workout at the start of the album in the track, 'Fast Lane'. Larry Graham thumps out a pounding bass and you can catch him vocalizing as well. Patti LaBelle donates her voice and arranges vocals on 'After The Dance'. Keith Crouch appears to be the major musician on the disc. He works well with DeBarge and the interlude/prelude pieces are interesting musical ideas. They're intriguing though sadly too short to fully appreciate. There's at least another album's worth of instrumental material waiting to be flushed out.

The lag time occurs in the ballads. Switching up from nasty funk to social consciousness has never sat well with me. It's a bit dodgy and the fact El apologizes for the naughtiness of this album in the liner notes only destroys the credibility of the funky sound. It also demonstrates he realizes he'll never be successful just singing soppy ballads. And it should be pointed out the generic, boring moments on the album are the result of poor balladry. Still, nothing compares to the instrumentation and sheer funk of 'Leggs'. George Clinton would be proud.

Of course, all of this was unexpected but welcome. My purpose in buying this disc was the addition of a Prince track co-written by Kirk Johnson. 'Tip O' My Tongue' doesn't feature a performance by Prince. Instead, El and Crouch collaborate to interpret the song in the style of the album's other material. Musically interesting and catchy; 'Tip O' My Tongue' stands out from the other songs. It's more complex and challenging with a wonderful vocal arrangement driving the rhythm section forward. El isn't a stranger to the Prince camp. He sang background on the song Prince wrote for Kenny Rogers in 1987. It's not unexpected to have this contribution floating around.

What is unexpected is the funky diversity and fleshed out soul of the entire disc. It's quite enjoyable on its own. Like most R&B albums, it contains its share of boring, generic filler material, but comparatively speaking... It has more bright moments than dull. Song highlights include though not should be limited to: 'Fast Lane', 'My Heart Belongs To You', 'Tip O' My Tongue', 'Elmo Funk' (Prelude and Interlude), 'Thick', 'Leggs' and 'Another Chance'. So if you buy nothing else from El DeBarge, you wouldn't go wrong making this your one selection. Worth it!!!!! My final word: STORMY.

EL DEBARGE - IN THE STORM
01. Elmo Funk (Prelude)
02. Fast Lane
03. After The Dance
04. My Heart Belongs To You
05. Cry (Interlude)
06. Love Me Tonight
07. Sincerely Yours (Interlude)
08. You Know What I Like
09. Tip O' My Tongue
10. Soul Searchin' (Prelude)
11. In The Storm
12. And Then I Wrote (Interlude)
13. Thick
14. Another Chance
15. Leggs
16. Elmo Funk (Interlude)
17. You To Turn Me On
18. Prelude To Midnight
19. Special

EARTH, WIND & FIRE - MILLENNIUM

Even though Earth, Wind & Fire are a famous band from the 70s, I've never really listened to them. I certainly have some affection for 70s funk bands, but this one never caught my attention. My main reason for picking up this disc is of course my obsessive pursuit of Prince songs. He contributed one track to this album. I later learned 'Super Hero' was actually used by The Steeles on the "Blankman" soundtrack. I believe this track is therefore considered a cover. At the time I was under the impression it was the only existing recording of the song. In comparison, this is the superior cut of the two versions. It's a sparse arrangement whereas The Steeles' version seems overproduced and cluttered.

I'd like to say this disc inspired me to buy more Earth, Wind & Fire material, but the exact opposite is true. I find the album tedious in a generic way. There's nothing that really stands out and grabs me. I find certain tracks somewhat interesting, but they're hardly worth the price. I keep reading about Maurice White and how important a producer/songwriter he is; yet if this work is any indication of his ability, I'm left wondering what the attraction is. Maybe is a generational thing. I'm too young to appreciate what's happening here. But my overall impression is extremely strong. I feel like I'm listening to a band that hit its stride and is now churning out retired music.

There seems to be a list of well known, respected songwriters working here to create a hit record, but the collection falls short and for the most part lacks strong efforts by various names like Philip Bailey, Frankie Blue, But Bacharach, Michael and Linda Stokes... The packaging promised something iconic, but the contents fail to deliver.

You expect something groundbreaking or more representative of the band's history and hits. What you get is bland, run of the mill pop. 'Super Hero' is the singular exception here. It's one of Prince's better tunes from the early 90s. I think Prince would have done the band a big favor by donating more tunes to this lackluster project and punching it up a couple notches. With dismal track after track of throwaway tunes, 'Millennium' needs a vital infusion of contemporary funk.

Of course these days you can download the single track and avoid the filler material entirely. I recommend saving the money unless you find it used for a couple bucks. 'Super Hero' is at least worth that. My final words: MILLENNIAL BOMB.

EARTH, WIND & FIRE - MILLENNIUM
01. Even If You Wonder
02. Sunday Morning
03. Blood Brothers
04. Kalimba Interlude
05. Spend The Night
06. Divine
07. Two Hearts
08. Honor The Magic
09. Love Is The Greatest Story
10. The "L" Word
11. Just Another Lonely Night
12. Super Hero
13. Wouldn't Change A Thing About You
14. Love Across The Wire
15. Chicago (Chi-Town) Blues
16. Kalimba Blues