'let's Get It On' Is

Sly Stone Doesn't Make Good Albums: Only Good Records. His Style Is So Infinite And Revolves Around So Many Crucial Aspects That It Has Only Come Together Perfectly On A Handful Of His Singles.

Elton John Can Be A Master Of The Sleight Of Hand. The Arrangements Make It Seem Like There Are Substantial Melodies Underneath The Tracks - But Almost Nothing Demands Repeated Listenings. Similarly, He Always Sounds Like He's Singing Up A Storm, But His Voice Glosses Over The Material, Reducing Most Things To An Uninteresting Sameness.

I Saw My Rock'n'roll Past Flash Before My Eyes. And I Saw Something Else: I Saw Rock And Roll Future And Its Name Is Bruce Springsteen. And On A Night When I Needed To Feel Young, He Made Me Feel Like I Was Hearing Music For The Very First Time.

Barry White Seemed So Filled With Self-parody At First That It Was Easy To Dismiss Him. But It Is Becoming Increasingly Obvious With Every Additional Release That He Is A Very Talented Man.

There Were Many Stars In Motown's Firmament - Among Them, Stevie, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves And Diana Ross - But I Happen To Have Loved The Four Tops Most Of All.