Bar-Kays – As One

Another in the Bar-Kays‘ monstrous string of hit LPs, 1980’s As One unleashed one more blistering set upon a public who seemed unable to get enough of the band. As usual, the LP slammed into the Top Ten, down only slightly from the previous year’s Injoy. And, reaching back to the graphics of 1978’s Light of Life, the group again wrought a fine parody of Earth, Wind & Fire‘s space-age Egyptology for their cover. But, of course, it’s what’s inside that matters. And here, at least in part, the Bar-Kays wouldn’t disappoint. Both the title track and “Boogie Body Land” are classic Bar-Kays funk behemoths, and even the LP’s second charting single, “Body Fever,” isn’t bad, although it does pale markedly in comparison. Where the band falters, however, is across a few more-than-mediocre ballads — replete with very MOR crescendoed backing vocals. They were never at their best as a ballad band, and by 1980 perhaps they had run out of steam on that front. “Open Your Heart,” meanwhile, is a cute little disco song — but there were so many disco acts doing it better. The Bar-Kays were on a real fencepost here, teetering between old and new before dropping wholeheartedly into more contemporary waters. However, their three previous LPs were all leaning toward the future as well — and were done much better. At the end of the day, perhaps a little time out would have been warranted.