Barbara Mitchell
Remember those Westerns where some trigger-happy hombre fires at another man's dusty boots and commands him to dance? This album carries the same kinetic imperative. Mitchell, former lead singer for the Motown group High Inergy, snared Cameo's Larry Blackmon as a producer for her second solo record. Lucky lady. Blackmon's influence is immediately apparent with the ferociously funky bite of Ace of My Heart. The only conceivable knock on this riveting number is that even at five minutes, 21 seconds, it's not nearly long enough. Mitchell helps her own cause by writing such throbbing dance songs as High on Love with its Carib beat and Stevie Wonderish harmonies. Her strong voice can suggest emotion too, as on Don't Look Over Me, which features a dynamite duet with Kary Hubbert of the group Cash Flow. Still, it's the grooves laid down by Blackmon, not Mitchell's singing, that make this album irresistible. (Polygram)
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