Gigolo

by Donald A. GuariscoThis 1981 outing is probably the slickest album in the Fatback catalog, and that's not necessarily a good thing. Although the instrumentation still has a familiar earthiness to it, the album employs a new set of different, slicker vocalists and just as many engineers to create an album that appears designed to appeal to as many different segments of the R&B market as possible. Gigolo is professional enough to live up to this ambition, but its attempts to be all things to all people cause it end up as an album that is neither fish nor fowl. It also robs the band of the distinctive personality that characterized past albums like Raising Hell and XII. Case in point: The slick but lifeless cover of the Chi-Lites' classic "Oh Girl," which sounds like it could have been recorded by any second-tier soul band. That said, Gigolo still offers enough high points to appeal to the Fatback fan. Knockout tracks on this album include "Higher," a barnstorming track about an addictive love that sports a surprisingly rock-oriented beat, and the title track, an electronic opus with plenty of Zapp-styled synthesizer hooks. There is also an inspired cover of "Na Na, Hey Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye," which transforms that song from a lightweight bubblegum tune into a full-blooded funk outing dressed up with Parliament-style cartoon vocals and synthesizer squiggles. All in all, Gigolo probably won't take pop or soul fans by storm but remains an interesting curio with enough solid tracks for the hardcore Fatback devotee.