LENNY WHITE

ATTITUDE

  1/  Attitude                                   (White)                       5.49
  2/  You Bring Out the Best In Me               (Findon,Myers)                4.25
  3/  Just Say the Word                          (White,Pati,Palmer)           4.39
  4/  The Ride                                   (Palmer,Palmer)               4.36
  5/  My Turn To Love You                        (Eddy Grant)                  5.50
  6/  Didn't Know About Love (Till I Found You)  (Palmer)                      6.06
  7/  Fascination                                (Palmer,Palmer)               4.09
  8/  Tell Him (Fala Para Ele)                   (White,Brooks)                4.38

          Track 5 produced by Material and Lenny White
          Executive Producer: John Smith

(5) Bernard Fowler: lead vocals; Michael Beinhorn: synthesizers; Bill Laswell: bass; Lenny White: drums.

          1983 - Elektra (USA), 9 60232-1 (Vinyl)
          2005 - Wounded Bird Records (USA), WOU 232 (CD)

REVIEWS :

Even with his be-bop session Echoes of an Era with Chaka Khan as well as his three Twennynine projects 'Attitude' still comes as something of a surprise. Even by the standards of Twennynine's Just Like Dreamin',this 1983 album is sometimes ridiculously slicked up for the pop market. And unlike people like Norman Connors and George Benson Lenny White and "slickened up" don't seem to go together well. For sure there is some funkiness here and keyboard player Bernard Wright brings his DX-7 along just for the occasion. The title cut, "Just Say The Word" and the lighter "Fascination" are all very much of there time although every so often Lenny breaks through with a signature drum solo or two. Actually two of the best songs here would qualify as ballads or "slow jams"-"You Bring The Best Out In Me" is actually a well composed and memorable adult contemporary ballad in the "Sweet Baby" vein. "Didn't Know About Love (Til I Found You)" has more of a rolling beat to it and the melody uses some minor chords quite nicely-very emotional piece. My favorite songs here are the Bernard Fowler fueled "My Turn To Love You" which features one of the spikier rhythms on the album (due to the unusually brittle percussion) and the presence of Bill Laswell's spiky basslines. Another favorite of mine is the closer "Tell Him (Fala Para Ele)" where 'Nard Wright,Lenny and The System's keyboard maestro David Frank come together for a nice hefty drum-machine fueled Caribbean-funk groove similar to Jermaine Jackson's "There's A Better Way" from his out of print 'Let Me Tickle Your Fancy' album from around the same time as this. I know from hearing the rest of his work that electro-funk could be a great asset to Lenny White's sound, and I understand his need not to follow Stanley Clarke or Herbie Hancock's choice to go for the industrial hip-hop sound in this era. Instead he goes for an urban funk/R&B recording with a heavy light sheen that really is enhanced by the great digital mastering on this CD. The vinyl version I had sounded awful and it did detract from the sound of the music so my previous review reflects that. I still do not think this is the GREATEST Lenny White album in existence but it is certainly an interesting footnote and as far as I can tell his last solo recording for a very, very long time.

Andre S. Grindle (courtesy of the Amazon website)