With their previous two albums The Gap Band were moving more and more towards becoming what I call a "number one funk" type of band,basically mainstays on the R&B but more than capable of delivering Top 10-20 pop hits. In terms of their popular success this album is likely their most successful overall and landed more pop hits than any other Gap Band album. Of course the reason most would likely be inclined towards this album is because of three musically potent smashes-"Early In The Morning","You Dropped A Bomb On Me" and the more restrained sophistifunk of "Outstanding". The thing that surprised in my first listening to this is how much the rest of this album is geared toward poppy numbers such as the ballad "Seasons No Reason To Change" and two soulful...almost soft rock style tunes such as "Lonely Like Me" and "Stay With Me"-both sound like a cross between Steve Winwood and Seals & Croft as done by an R&B group and were a bit surprising considering how soulful and funky I usually think of the Wilson brothers as.

  "I Can't Get Over You" is a more mid-tempo R&B ballad with a great flugelhorn solo and the album concludes with the witty return to the P-Funk based style in "Talkin' Back". For those going into the album expecting something based on the proto Southern bass hip-hop funk grooves of the albums two main hits mentioned earlier,as actually I did will be surprised how slick,glossy and softer the rest of this album is. It's a more mature effort for them,not that any of their previous releases were childish or uneven by any means. But there's a certain type of polish here that found them in something of a transition between their rougher 70's edges that they generally continued on the previous album. It's still a very good album for them but should definitely not be defined by it's hits and I want to repeat that again. It's a mistake I made and since my personal tastes have grown since I first reviewed this release....well in the end if you want to get this only for the hits it might be better to get them on a best of compilation (and there are plenty) because this album isn't geared for those who desire to hear endless funk grooves.
With their previous two albums The Gap Band were moving more and more towards becoming what I call a "number one funk" type of band,basically mainstays on the R&B but more than capable of delivering Top 10-20 pop hits. In terms of their popular success this album is likely their most successful overall and landed more pop hits than any other Gap Band album. Of course the reason most would likely be inclined towards this album is because of three musically potent smashes-"Early In The Morning","You Dropped A Bomb On Me" and the more restrained sophistifunk of "Outstanding". The thing that surprised in my first listening to this is how much the rest of this album is geared toward poppy numbers such as the ballad "Seasons No Reason To Change" and two soulful... almost soft rock style tunes such as "Lonely Like Me" and "Stay With Me"-both sound like a cross between Steve Winwood and Seals & Croft as done by an R&B group and were a bit surprising considering how soulful and funky I usually think of the Wilson brothers as. "I Can't Get Over You" is a more mid-tempo R&B ballad with a great flugelhorn solo and the album concludes with the witty return to the P-Funk based style in "Talkin' Back". For those going into the album expecting something based on the proto Southern bass hip-hop funk grooves of the albums two main hits mentioned earlier,as actually I did will be surprised how slick,glossy and softer the rest of this album is. It's a more mature effort for them,not that any of their previous releases were childish or uneven by any means. But there's a certain type of polish here that found them in something of a transition between their rougher 70's edges that they generally continued on the previous album. It's still a very good album for them but should definitely not be defined by it's hits and I want to repeat that again. It's a mistake I made and since my personal tastes have grown since I first reviewed this release.... well in the end if you want to get this only for the hits it might be better to get them on a best of compilation (and there are plenty) because this album isn't geared for those who desire to hear endless funk grooves.