Lionel Richie

The solo debut album from pop-soul ballad king Lionel Richie includes no less than five
sugarcoated arias in the mode of "Lady" and "Endless Love." The appeal of these songs lies
in their utter lack of sophistication: in "Truly," "You Mean More to Me," "My Love," "Just Put
Some Love in Your Heart" and "Wandering Stranger," ardent declaration overrules any
psychological subtlety. In order not to sound trite, ballads this basic require a si... More >

At least Jeffrey Osborne wants to sing like Peabo Bryson or somebody; no sooner does Richie split off from his unnecessarily successful funk group than he starts making like Andy Williams. Not that this comes as a surprise to those who know the funk group. But there are better ways to integrate this great nation of ours. (Grade: C+)