Commodores – Commodores

Commodores' Commodores arrived in 1977 as the band's fifth studio album, the record that pushed them decisively from the Southern funk circuit into the pop mainstream. It balances the group's tight, keyboard-led funk with the smoother side that would soon make Lionel Richie a major ballad writer, so you can hear the band broadening its reach without losing its groove.

The best-known songs still explain why this album mattered. "Brick House" became a major breakthrough, reaching No. 5 on the U.S. Hot 100 and No. 4 on the U.S. R&B chart, with Walter Orange's rough-edged lead vocal and Ronald LaPread's elastic bassline giving it real bite. On the other side, "Easy" showed a very different strength: a relaxed pop-soul ballad, written by Richie, that pointed clearly toward his later adult contemporary success. "Zoom" adds another angle again, becoming one of the group's signature tracks and reaching No. 38 in the UK despite not being issued as a U.S. single.

That range is what makes Commodores such a rewarding listen now. Songs by Richie, Thomas McClary, William King, Milan Williams, Walter Orange and Ronald LaPread give the album a real band identity rather than a one-note hit package. This reissue is especially appealing because it brings together extended versions of every track, presented on vinyl for the first time.

Reviews

• their funk never got any hotter than this 1977 breakthrough hit - AllMusic.com