While nothing soared as high as "Everybody Plays a Fool" from the
Bitter Sweet LP,
Euphrates River is tighter and has more zap than the previous year's beautiful but hitless
Afrodisiac. They nailed Seals & Croft's "Summer Breeze" -- the New Yorkers almost surpassed
the Isley Brothers' soulful version.
Cuba Gooding sings the upbeat and funky "California My Way" from the heart (the soul singer moved his family to L.A. -- the only
Main Ingredient to do so). The trio gives
Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry About a Thing" all they can muster; this is an excellent rendition that should have done better on the charts. Their version of "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" helped sell this LP; it was previously done by
Blue Magic and
Ronnie Dyson, but
the Main Ingredient's version reigns supreme. Rolling, midtempo beaters make up the bulk of the tunes with "Euphrates" and "Happiness Is Just Around the Bend" as prime examples.