Bobby Womack - The Poet (1981)

I was a little diquieted by The Poet's opening riffs. "So Many Sides Of You" at first was a near disaster of a fusion between disco-ish funk and 80s synth rock. The song is saved by Womack's vocals, which my first listen makes me think of a mix of Bozz Scaggs, Lou Reed, and a bit of Barry White. It's unfair to call the music bad. It's well composed and arranged, and the musicians are clearly good at their job, particularly the bass player. It just sounds a bit weaker than it would have sounded had it come out a decade or even 5 years earlier. There's a fake digital sheen to the sound that I find unfortunate. "Stand Up" is the most obvious example- it sounds almost exactly like a Prince-like song written by a computer. If it were recorded in 1976 it probably would have been a really cool disco track with real horns and everything.

Luckily there's nothing that could keep Womack's singing from sounding awesome. The Poet is another in a string of albums I've heard lately that are lovely quick-and-easy listenings. So grab yourself a copy and enjoy! 4 stars.