 Ohio Players The album begins with the classic OP funk of "Do Your Thing," which you could easily play alongside earlier Players hits with no noticeable difference. Within three songs the album has careened into midtempo early-80s soundtrack mode. Every cut is filler, it's beautiful! At this point (1981), the Ohio Players were really stretching it thin. Even the cover has watered down the lovable misogyny of "Pain," "Honey," and "Angel." They've gone from burning a woman's breasts with hot honey to removing a Band-Aid from a woman's backside ("Ouch!"). I bet they thought that was pretty great; I wonder what they thought of the music (between freebases, I mean). Actually, I'd love to say this album is much worse than it is (and to attribute that to the two white guys in the band photo), but it's really just pretty mediocre. Speaking of the band photo, there are nine members included, while only four are credited in the liner notes. Man, I'm thinking about this album way too much, and I'm barely thinking of it at all. Standout track: "I'd Better Take A Coffee Break." Typical funk title. This album is a coffee break.
Review by Saul Chan |