Alexander ONeal

Description

Alexander ONeal wasnt as huge as Luther Vandross or Freddie Jackson; nonetheless, he was among the most exciting male R&B vocalists of the mid- to late 80s. Creatively and commercially, the soul man hit the ground running with this impressive debut album. Its impossible to discuss Alexander ONeal without mentioning the Time ONeal is an ex-member of that Minneapolis funk-rock combo, and so are the albums producers (Monte Moir on three tracks, the Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis team on the others). Also, former Time member Jelly Bean Johnson is heard on drums, percussion, and guitar. But despite the participation of so many Time graduates, this release isnt nearly as Minneapolis-sounding as it could have been. The intoxicating funk hit Innocent is very Time influenced, but for the most part, ONeal comes across as the epitome of a smooth, romantic soul man sleek gems like If You Were Here Tonight, A Broken Heart Can Mend, and Whats Missing have more in common with Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson, and Kashif than with Prince or the Time. While the solo albums that Morris Day and Jesse Johnson provided in the 1980s were consistently Time-minded, that isnt the case with ONeals 1985 debut. Some people found that surprising, but then, ONeal never actually recorded with the Time when the Time recorded its first LP for Warner Bros. in 1981, ONeal was long gone. Excellent from start to finish, Alexander ONeal is the singers most essential album.