Lionel Richie: Can't Slow Down - 1983

Lionel Richie only actually released three successful solo albums at the height of his popularity in the mid-eighties, and the most successful one, this was his own equivalent to Thriller, being packed full of hits and appearing in the music collections of many people who owned less than ten albums. 

It was not surprising, though, as it is a superbly crafted and produced piece of slick, appealing pop-soul. Yes, it lacks the credibility of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Curtis Mayfield or Stevie Wonder, but as pure enjoyable soulful music with a wide appeal goes, it gets little wrong. It was more poppy than ballady - the opposite to its predecessor - and thus it appealed to a wider audience.

The highlights, of course, are its superb hit singles - the exuberant and melodic Paul Simon-ish party fun of All Night Long (All Night) (those brackets were so important); the sumptuous romantic strains of Penny Lover and Stuck On You; Hello, with its iconic blind student sculpture video; the rocking Running With The Night and the slick, immaculately-produced Michael Jackson-esque funk-pop of the title track, Can’t Slow Down. All Night Long (All Night), indeed, gets regularly radio airplay even today.

 

There are also a couple of songs that have remained inder the radar - 

Love Will Find A Way is a sumptuous, typical piece of late night early eighties soul. Dim those lights now.... The Only One continues in the same vein - beautifully melodic and laid-back, sublimely romantic. 

 

These are very much songs for twenty-somethings and I was lucky to be that age when this album came out. It was easy to dismiss this album in po-faced style as one that lacks proper credibility. I say bollocks to that - I can’t listen to All Night Long and fail to enjoy it. Classy stuff, a masterpiece of its kind.