THE O'JAYS
For The Love... (MCA)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Even though there are only two of the original three O'Jays here, the third having been replaced five years ago, the vocal harmonies can still raise goosebumps. I find myself soaking up those harmonies, still as moved as I was the first time I heard "Backstabbers" way back in 1972. What I don't like about For The Love is the same thing I don't like about 99% of all contemporary adult R&B, and that's the "way way too many ballads" syndrome. It just... gets... DREARY! Am I all alone on this? When they do raise the tempo (and not much, at that), it gets interesting for the first time. "I Don't Know" contains the hottest singing, the best groove, and the strongest resemblance to the O'Jays of the glory days. "Latin Lover" has some nice nylon string guitar work and other embellishments that I suppose are designed to make the tune sound Latin, but to be honest I don't hear it. I just hear a fairly decent tune made much better by the voices of The O'Jays. The closing tune, "Baby Makin' Love," echoes some of that 70s O'Jays sound, but it's the sound of the filler, not the hits. I guess I'm expecting too much, or maybe "hoping for too much" is a better way to put it. If you can be happy with the goosebumps, all of For The Love, even all those ballads, is quite beautiful.

© 2001 - DJ Johnson