Stargazer

by Alex Henderson When Peter Brown excelled in the 1970s and 1980s, he really excelled; "Do You Wanna Get Funky With Me?," "Fantasy Love Affair," "Overnight Sensation," and "Dance With Me" are disco-funk classics. But unfortunately, the Chicagoan didn't excel as often as he should have. Brown's albums tend to be uneven and unfocused, and that's definitely the case with his second LP, Stargazer. This 1979 release contains a few gems, including the passionate "It's Alright," the mysterious "Leadmeon," and the hell-raising hit "Crank It Up." But most of the tunes are merely competent. Brown, who wrote or co-wrote all of the songs and produced Stargazer with Cory Wade, had the potential to record an album that was great all the way through. But Stargazer isn't such an album; it's a generally decent record, but Brown was capable of a lot more.