Many R&B historians have denounced the 1980s as the decade in which R&B went way downhill and lost much of the creative momentum it had enjoyed in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s; hip-hop, those historians argue, is where the real action was during the
Ronald Reagan/George H.W. Bush years. But despite all the schlock and drivel that came out of 1980s R&B, there were some great moments as well;
Prince,
Michael Jackson,
Teena Marie,
Alexander O'Neal,
Morris Day,
Bobby Brown, and
Luther Vandross did some of their best work in the 1980s. And for a few years, producer/singer
Jay King did his part to shake things up -- first with
Timex Social Club, then with
Club Nouveau. The outspoken
King wasn't afraid to record some sociopolitical songs, and both groups brought a lot of hip-hop edginess to R&B at a time when most urban radio programmers still wouldn't touch hardcore rap. Fast forward to the late 2000s;
King is recording as a solo artist, and he shows a very introspective side of himself on his solo album
Open Book. This 45-minute CD may come as a surprise to those who remember
King for "Rumors" or his hip-hop-drenched remake of
Bill Withers' "Lean on Me"; his performances are much more subdued on reflective tracks like "Can't Let You Go," "What Do You Want from Me," and "I Would Die for You" (not to be confused with
Prince's 1984 hit). There are no aggressive, hip-hop-minded electro-funk jams on
Open Book, and nothing on this release comes even close to party music; instead, the ambience is much closer to
Vandross,
Freddie Jackson, and
Will Downing, but with a lot more introspection.
Open Book is consistently personal-sounding, and even though the material is surprisingly subtle and understated,
King conveys what he needs to convey emotionally.
Open Book won't go down in history as his most essential project, but it's respectable and honest -- and it's good to see
King continuing to record long after the 1980s. ~ Alex Henderson