With a track record in soul that can only be compared to The Isley Brothers, The O'Jays try to make their umpteenth comeback with the album Imagination. The trio that scored classic funk soul hits like Backstabbers and For The Love Of Money in the 1970s has been taken under the care of Matthew Knowles, who as father and manager of Beyoncé and record boss of Sanctuary Urban is a powerful factor in
… the R&B world. The voices of Eddie Levert Sr., Walter Williams and newcomer Eric Nolan are still capable of vocal fireworks and with the right song material - for example the funky Repair Man - they still know how to convince. But the sweet choirs of these three soul singers sound a bit dated in 2004 and the clinical production, dominated by smooth synthesizers, clashes with Levert's earthy and soulful lead vocals. As a result, the thoughts involuntarily drift to the time when The O'Jays did make relevant music. (MS)more
