Anita Baker - Rhythm of Love (1994)

My least favorite Anita Baker album, but that doesn't mean it's bad and I never listen to it. With a sexy, soulful voice like that, I doubt Baker could make a bad album. The problems here are material that is weaker than usual and production that is uneven (probably because 6 different producers hand their hands in the mix). This one is good, but didn't live up to the high expectations Baker created with Rapture.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #3
• Billboard R&B: #1

Tracks: Highlights include the beautiful, waltzing Body And Soul, Baby, and Sometimes I Wonder Why. Nothing can touch Dusty Springfield's take on Bacharach's The Look Of Love, but Baker's version here certainly tries - I enjoy the attempt to merge it with a quiet storm sound. There are also songs on which Baker takes weak material and elevates it to another level (Plenty Of Room, Wrong Man). I usually skip the title track and Only For A While. I'm also not a fan of the covers of You Belong To Me and My Funny Valentine.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I lived in San Antonio for most of 1994, so this CD brings back memories of that time, particularly of the Alamo Cafe. Back then the restaurant was on San Pedro and had the best chicken fried steak in the city, despite the fact that it's a Tex-Mex joint.

Previously revisited for the blog:
My Everything (2004)
Compositions (1990)
Giving You The Best That I Got (1988)
Rapture (1986)

Anita Baker - Giving You The Best That I Got (1988)

Girl can sing. The follow-up to Baker's breakthrough album, Rapture, this album features more of the same blend of jazz, pop, and soul. In terms of material, this one isn't quite up to the standards of the previous album, but enjoyable nonetheless. A welcome oasis compared to other R&B releases around that time (Bobby Brown, Al B. Sure!). Baker rounded up top-notch session musicians (Nathan East, Omar Hakim, Chuck Findley) so the musicianship of the backing tracks match the musicianship of the vocals. Relaxing and romantic.

Press of the time:

• Stereo Review: "a high quality of musicianship prevails throughout"
• Rolling Stone: "It's hard to quibble with this kind of class"
• CashBox: "trademark lush, mid-tempo r&b balladry"
• Billboard: "a mature singer of uncommon warmth and unshowy excellence"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #1 (4 weeks, Dec 24, 1988 - Jan 14, 1989)
• Billboard Pop CD: #2
• Billboard R&B: #1
• Rolling Stone: #1

Tracks: The top two cuts are Priceless and the title track. Also good are Rules, You Belong To Me, and the Top 40 single, Just Because. More jazz-oriented tracks like Lead Me Into Love and Good Enough make one wonder why Baker hasn't ever released an outright jazz album or booked month-long engagements at the Café Carlyle in NYC.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This was the #1 album in the US as the calendar changed from 1988 to 1989, so this album brings back memories of the spring of 1989. I had graduated from college, was living with my parents in their duplex, taking two graduate classes at UT-San Antonio, and working two jobs: in the mornings, I would sell master cable TV systems to apartment complexes and, in the afternoons, I raised money in the development office of the San Antonio Symphony. Sounds busy. Somehow, I found time to get engaged, married, and find my first teaching job that year.

Previously revisited for the blog:
My Everything (2004)
Compositions (1990)
Rapture (1986)

Anita Baker - My Everything (2004)

After a decade-long hiatus, the urban adult soul songstress Anita Baker returned with this album, her Blue Note debut. It's no Rapture, but it is much better than 1994's Rhythm Of Love. This music is timeless. One could easily say that almost all of Baker's music sounds the same (if ain't broke...), but I think that's a compliment. The down tempo mix of R&B, soul, pop, and jazz is always good, but the real star is Baker's sultry voice which never disappoints. So tasteful and controlled. An admirable return but nothing since - how about something new, babe?

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #4 (Sept 25, 2004)

Tracks: Of the 10 tracks here, I like you're My Everything, How Could You, and the mixed meter gospel-tinged I Can't Sleep. My favorite track is How Does It Feel. The songs Serious and Close Your Eyes fall short. The duet with Babyface, Like You Used To Do isn't that good musically and the lyrics ("You were my weezy/You were my boo") don't help.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Compositions (1990)
Rapture (1986)

Anita Baker - Rapture (1986)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP, later replaced by a CD.

I listened to a lot of different music in college, quickly moving on to the latest new artist or whatever Billboard or Rolling Stone was telling me about the hot new trends. But no matter what came and went, I would always return to Anita and this album, a rich blend of jazz, pop, and soul. The music is so timeless and smooth. It sounds as good today as it did in '86. In 1989, Rapture was ranked #36 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s and in its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Rapture at #404. In my book, that ranking is a little off, because I'd put it in the top 15, maybe even the top 10. Anita always brings her A game; strong but tasteful. What a smoky voice! So soulful with just the right touch of melisma. So much better than similar artists like Sade or early Toni Braxton. Mariah and Beyoncé should listen to more Anita Baker; they could learn a lot. I could go on and on about how great this music is, but I think you should discover it for yourself. My recommendation is to enjoy this album late at night with some wine and candlelight; preferably in a hot tub.

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "an unexaggerated delight"
• Stereo Review: "Anyone who can make this sort of musical magic is bound to have a brilliant future."
• Billboard: "stunning label debut"
• CashBox: "Keep your eyes on this one."
• Robert Christgau (B-): "the human voice as vehicle of an expression purer than expression ever ought to be"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #11 (Mar 21, 1987)
• Billboard Pop CD: #10
• Billboard R&B: #1
• CashBox CD: #9
• Rolling Stone: #7

Tracks: Sweet Love is an incredible song, winning the 1987 Grammy for Best R&B Song. It is easily the best song on this disc and my favorite Baker song ever. The other 8 songs are all good in their own way. I never tire of listening to these songs. If there's a weaker track, it's probably Mystery. Even so, Baker's interpretation of that song is 10 times better than the one done by The Manhattan Transfer a few years earlier.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I don't remember many music videos from the mid-'80s, but the one for No One In The World has stayed with me because it is soooo cheesy. Set in the 1940's, Anita sings for a group of soldiers that have just returned from World War II. After she sings, a soldier turns to his date and says, "Now I know why I fought the war!" That still cracks me up.

Near the end of the song Been So Long, Anita does some amazing scat singing which contains just gibberish; phonemes chosen for their sound rather than their meaning. During that singing, she scats the words "hubba bubba." I never though anything about it, but I was dating a girl around 1988 and she thought that was hilarious. Needless to say, we didn't date very long.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Compositions (1990)

Anita Baker - Compositions (1990)

In the late '80s - early '90s, I listened to Anita Baker all the time. So smooth. What makes this CD different from other R&B releases of the time is its low-tech approach: Baker insisted that a live rhythm section be used for the tracks and she refused to use a drum machine. Of course, Baker's voice just soars above it all. As a result, this music hasn't aged a bit. After 1986's Rapture, this is my second favorite Baker disc.

Press of the time:

• Stereo Review: "epitomizes the qualities that have set her apart"
• Rolling Stone (★★★): "relentlessly predictable"
• CashBox: "This effort is Baker with one hand behind her back and both eyes closed"
• Billboard: "A tip of the hat to Baker for taking a risk that works."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #5
• Billboard R&B: #3

Tracks: There are many great cuts on this disc, including Talk To Me, Soul Inspiration, Lonely, No One To Blame, and Fairy Tales (my personal favorite). One of the weaker cuts is Whatever It Takes. Love You To The Letter isn't a bad song, it just seems oddly out of place on this particular disc.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I've been racking my brain, but I can't come up with anything specific.