Heartbreaker (The O'Jays album)
| Heartbreaker | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 27, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul | |||
| Length | 50:47 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer | Gerald Levert, Edwin Nicholas | |||
| The O'Jays chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Chicago Sun-Times |  [2] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
| The Indianapolis Star | [4] |
Heartbreaker is an album by the American R&B group the O'Jays.[5][6] It was released in 1993 on EMI.[7]
The album peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard 200.[8]
Production
[edit]Gerald Levert, Eddie Levert's son, cowrote and produced two of the album's songs.[9][10] Heartbreaker was the first album with Nathaniel Best, who had replaced Sammy Strain.[3]
Critical reception
[edit]AllMusic wrote that "many numbers aren't much different from the classic material that made them superstars in the '70s; that's both part of the music's charm and something that might trouble fans hoping the group would experiment with the vocal arrangements as well as the production."[1] The Washington Post thought that the album "makes up in savvy arrangements what it lacks in well-crafted lyrics, but its real appeal lies in the still smooth Philly soul harmonies and [Eddie] Levert's gritty testifying."[9] The St. Petersburg Times wrote that "while the CD is filled with gorgeous harmonies and melodies, the vocal performances sometimes are almost spoiled by tinny-sounding mechanical tracks with programed electronic drums."[11]
Track listing
[edit]- "Cryin' the Blues" (Edwin Nicholas, Gerald Levert) - 5:59
- "One Wonderful Girl" (Alan Gordon) - 4:28
- "Somebody Else Will" (Edwin Nicholas, Gerald Levert) - 6:27
- "Show Me the Right Way" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Walter Williams) - 5:25
- "Trouble" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Walter Williams) - 4:11
- "Can't Let You Go" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Sherena Wynn, Walter Williams) - 4:10
- "Decisions" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Sherena Wynn, Walter Williams) - 4:20
- "No Can Do" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Sherena Wynn, Walter Williams) - 4:21
- "Heartbreaker" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Sherena Wynn, Walter Williams) - 4:27
- "He Loves You" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Walter Williams) - 7:59
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Heartbreaker - The O'Jays | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ Keller, Martin (August 29, 1993). "The O'Jays, 'Heartbreaker' (EMI)". Chicago Sun-Times. Show. p. 5.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. pp. 290–291.
- ^ Ford, Lynn Dean (17 Sep 1993). "O'Jays 'Heartbreaker', EMI Records". The Indianapolis Star. p. E11.
- ^ "The O'Jays | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Peters, Ida (3 July 1993). "What's Happening: O'Jays...new album...new tour...new member". Afro-American Red Star. p. B6.
- ^ Robbins, Ira (1 Apr 1994). "Also Around Town Smooth Soul Music". Newsday. p. B23.
- ^ "The O'Jays". Billboard.
- ^ a b "O'JAYS: SOUL-BARING ESSENTIALS". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ "O'Jays, Stephanie Mills team for concert at Aladdin Theatre". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 28 July 1993. p. 8C.
- ^ Jackson, Mike (27 Aug 1993). "O'Jays sound still plays well". St. Petersburg Times. Weekend. p. 13.