The Emotions: Flowers - 1976

Three-girl (sometimes four - all Hutchinson sisters) soul group The Emotions had been around on the Stax label for several years, putting out several excellent singles, but they became better-known when they started performing back-up vocal duties for Earth, Wind & Fire. 

EWF producer Charles Stepney and Maurice White produced this, the group's third album, from 1976. Stepney unfortunately died in May of the same year and White took over the production. The album has quite a bit of EWF influence on it, understandably, and it sounds a bit like a EWF album from the same era without the male voices. The girls could sing soul, of course, but the EWF production added that distinctive brassiness. At only 28:40, it is an extremely short album - take off two short vocal interludes and you have only eight tracks. Short but warm, relaxing bath sweet.

I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love is an upbeat, brassy opener before some quality seventies soul balladry arrives on Me For You. You Got the Right To Know is a lively piece of soul-funk groove. We Go Through Changes is a short a capella vocal interlude before some solid brass kicks us into the slowie You're A Special Part Of My Life.

No Plans For Tomorrow is typical of so much of the soul of the era and you will know what I mean when you hear it. It is sort of difficult to describe. The song has a nice saxophone solo near the end. How Can You Stop Loving Someone is late-night lovers' angst fare. 

Flowers was the single from the album and is probably the best cut on here, featuring a deep introductory bassline, a nice warm sound all over and plenty of those recognisable Emotions vocals. God Will Take Care Of You is a very short gospel vocal only closer. 

I find it considerably more difficult to write reviews of albums like this when compared to those of artists who put out albums of varied material. As with reggae albums, many soul albums just give you a lovely warm, chilled-out feeling for their half hour. Track-by-track effect or analysis is not so relevant. It is about the whole - the feel, the relaxing, unthreatening, smooth ambience.

    

Two more albums followed in 1977 - Rejoice and Sunshine - and they are in the same vein -  soul with a funky, gospel-tinged brassy edge. The former is notable for its superb hit disco-soul single Best Of My Love as well as a minor hit, the laid-back soul groove of Don't Ask My Neighbors. 

Overall, though, it is a pretty smooth, easy-going late-night soul album. Best Of My Love is the standout track and by far the liveliest cut on there. How'd I Know That Love Would Slip Away is also an enjoyable, pacy one too.

Both albums are perfectly pleasant listens and the vocal and musical quality on show is obvious. Are they particularly memorable, stick-in-the-mind (or ears) albums? No. That's not a particularly negative assessment, though, it's just the way it is as I hear it. I'm sure a listen may find you agreeing. You simply can't beat Best Of My Love, however, can you?