Search - Lenny White :: Attitude

Early 80's Classic....

OscarNCurtisJr | Baltimore MD | 01/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first heard this album on WHUR back in 80-81.Not sure of the year may have been even 83 or 84.I do remember was in High School when I purchased the album.I'm glad it was finally reissued on CD.This is one of those "sleeper classics" from that era.



The title cut is a bomb(i.e.good),as is "My Turn To Love You"."Just Say The Word" was the cut given the most rotation back in the day.And "Didn't Know About Love",OMG that song still makes my eyes water!



The album rocked back then and over 20 years later it still does the same.Put it in rotation with a Brothers Johnson,TConnection,or Rufus CD,it'll work out fine!



So all you whiners stop crying, because he did "Peanut Butter" and that surely wasn't a jazz track.Just because an artist "thinks out of the box" for a minute he has to get labeled.The man was ahead of the times.I guarantee if some of these songs are played on your local smooth jazz station listeners will run to buy it.



To the jazz purists,you may not like it.Surely fans of "smooth jazz" will love it...this is a smooth jazz classic.This is one that's sure to please."

Does 'Attitude' Really Bring Out The Best In Lenny White?

Andre S. Grindle | Brewer Maine | 09/15/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Having just come off te acoustic be-bop session Echoes of an Era with Chaka Khan as well as his three Twennynine projects 'Attitude' still comes as something of a surprise. Even by the standards of Twennynine's Just Like Dreamin',this 1983 album is sometimes ridiculously slicked up for the pop market. And unlike people like Norman Connors and George Benson Lenny White and "slickened up" don't seem to go together well. For sure there is some funkiness here and keyboard player Bernard Wright brings his DX-7 along just for the occasion.The title cut,"Just Say The Word" and the lighter "Fascination" are all very much of there time although every so often Lenny breaks through with a signiture drum solo or two. Actually two of the best songs here would qualify as ballads or "slow jams"-"You Bring The Best Out In Me" is actually a well composed and memorable adult contemporary ballad in the "Sweet Baby" vein. "Didn't Know About Love (Til I Found You)" has more of a rolling beat to it and the melody uses some minor chords quite nicely-very emotional piece. My favorte songs here are the Bernard Fowler fueled "My Turn To Love You" which features one of the spikier rhythms on the album (due to the unusually brittle percussion) and the presense of Bill Laswell's spikey basslines. Another favorite of mine is the closer "Tell Him (Fala Para Ele)" where 'Nard Wright,Lenny and The System's keyboard maestro David Frank come together for a nice hefty drum-machine fueled Caribbean-funk groove similar to Jermaine Jackson's "There's A Better Way" from his out of print 'Let Me Tickle Your Fancy' album from around the same time as this. I know from hearing the rest of his work that electro-funk could be a great asset to Lenny White's sound,and I understand his need not to follow Stanley Clarke or Herbie Hancock's choice to go for the industrial hip-hop sound in this era. Instead he goes for an urban funk/R&B recording with a heavy light sheen that really is enhanced by the great digital mastering on this CD. The vinyl version I had sounded awful and it did detract from the sound of the music so my previous review reflects that. I still do not think this is the GREATEST Lenny White album in existance but it is certainly an interesting footnote and as far as I can tell his last solo recording for a very,very long time."