After an incredible three-year run of topflight material and several chart-toppers,
Barry White
's star began to dip a bit with this 1976 release. Though not as disappointing as later albums like
Sheet Music
,
Is This Whatcha Wont?
still wears thin at times because of some weak tracks --
"Don't Make Me Wait Too Long"
and
"Now I'm Gonna Make Love to You"
find
White
recycling past glories and stretching his proto-
disco
magic a wee thin. Maybe he was just opting for a lighter production approach than before, but even taken more as
pop
ephemera and less like some dancefloor classics, these tracks still falter, especially under the weight of
's preferred extended-mix mode. Nevertheless, there's a lot of quality stuff to be had, especially sensual slow burners like
"I Wanna Lay Down With You Baby"
"Your Love -- So Good I Can't Take It"
(the latter featuring fine work by
's guitarist at the time,
Ray Parker, Jr.
). Also included here is the up-tempo hit and Philly bump sound-alike
"I'm Qualified to Satisfy You."
There are plenty of
Gene Page
's top-notch arrangements, too; during the
era, who did strings better than these two? Those who want to explore
's output from the latter half of the '70s should first check out the excellent
Let the Music Play
.
fans, though, could certainly do a lot worse than picking up this highly enjoyable record. ~ Stephen Cook