Neither 1977's
Just Family nor 1979's
Bad for Me, the two albums combined for this Collectables release, can be considered
Dee Dee Bridgewater's best work, but fans of mature, mid- to late-'70s R&B should find them moderately appealing. Though
Bridgewater wouldn't really hit her stride until her return to jazz in the '90s, she was more than competent when it came to fitting in with the likes of
Phyllis Hyman,
Patrice Rushen,
Minnie Riperton, and
Patti Austin. Confoundingly, her only two chart hits -- the title tracks -- are contained here, while "Children Are the Spirit (Of the World)," "Sweet Rain," "Open Up Your Eyes," and "Don't Say It (If You Don't Mean It)" would have to be included on an anthology of her first five albums.
Just Family and
Bad for Me would have benefited from a track or two with the contagious energy heard on her version of
Allen Toussaint's "It Ain't Easy" (found on her self-titled 1976 album for Atlantic), along with a couple sweeter ballads. ~ Andy Kellman