With Tommy LiPuma and Al Schmitt back producing,
Michael Franks again moves in a different direction on
One Bad Habit, with mixed results. Easily considered his commercial breakthrough, the album often lacks the lyrical and imaginative songwriting of previous efforts and sounds at times like two different albums. The contributions of
Clare and
Andre Fischer help bolster some of the more ambitious music, while players like
Eddie Gómez,
Eric Gale and David Spinozza at times appear underutilized. The title cut is another example of
Franks' wry, observant takes on love and lust, yet musically it is a little lightweight. Still, considering the players, the occasionally adventurous musical ideas, and the basic jazz sound,
Franks was able to go where very few jazz artists ever go in terms of attracting a larger audience and considerable airplay. ~ Steve Matteo