The Icon Is Love

This CD is mostly amazing. From the sultry "Baby's Home" to the energetic "I Only Want to Be with You" to the subtle, but not-too-subtle "Practice What You Preach", this CD hits the private amazing moments of a love affair that make it worth the shouting and arguing that happens in between.

The only reason why I give it four stars is because the deadweights of "There It Is" and "Whatever We Had, We Had" are the longest songs in the batch. The former is just mediocre, while the latter evokes the "We are breaking up but I want to say everything in order that you think of me in a good way" desperation perfectly. We've all been in that place where we want to leave a good impression with an ex-girlfriend so we just go on babbling. Only I don't want to remember it. I don't want to hear it. I especially don't want to hear it for over 10 minutes when all he's really saying in the song is "It's over" over and over again.

Besides that one song this is a perfect gift, for yourself or that lover or that potential lover.

Practice What You Preach opens this album in grand style. This track begins with a sultry rap spoken to the accompaniment of a sensuous bass line, after which Barry launches right into lyrics of great energy and appeal. The chorus is fantastic, so catchy you will carry this tune around in your head for days at a time. Practice What You Preach spent 30 weeks on the Billboard R&B charts, three of them at number one, and helped reenergize White's career. Two other singles from this album, Come On and There It Is also made the charts. Come On oozes with sensual power, as White pleads with his partner to come on and play; satisfaction is guaranteed in this up-tempo track. There It Is, however, is much less entrancing; this is actually my least favorite song on the album. Two other tracks merit special mention: Baby's Home and Whatever We Had, We Had. These are vintage White classics that belong right alongside so many of his earlier standout recordings. Oozing with that unquantifiable magic White's voice conveys, the singer gives the words and music all the time and attention they deserve. Baby's Home runs over eight minutes, while What We Had, We Had runs for over ten and a half minutes - neither song is too long. The latter has to do with breaking up and remaining friends, while Baby's Home expresses all of the magic of a love still burning with passion.

Sexy Undercover picks up the tempo a little bit, as Barry tells his lady that he's shy on the outside but full of surprises behind closed doors; he's got the mojo working hard in this dance-worthy track. I Only Want To Be With You, in which Barry sings that love is so much more than a physical thing, lays down a smooth, toe-tapping groove with just a touch of good old-fashioned funk; I wish this song had been released as a single because I think it would have been a huge hit. Don't You Want to Know is slow and sensual, really a beautiful little song. Love Is the Icon and The Time Is Right are great tracks, as well.

With a nice mixture of up-tempo tracks and mesmerizing ballads, this 1994 album returned Barry White to the spotlight and, in so doing, gave the world ten more Barry White classics to enjoy forevermore. Barry White may have mellowed a little bit by 1994, but the magic was still there for all to hear and enjoy. He was and always will be the icon.