Anita Baker Original Album

Trends in African-American music changed considerably between Anita Baker's first taste of national exposure in 1979 (when she was a member of Detroit soul band Chapter 8 and sang lead on the hit ballad "I Just Wanna Be Your Girl") and her debut solo album, The Songstress, in 1983. While 1979's black music charts were full of large funk bands, standup vocal harmony groups, and disco divas, rappers and techno-funksters like the System were very much in vogue in 1983. Instead of following trends, Baker excelled by doing what she does best: gospel-influenced, '70s-type soul/pop with jazz overtones. The Songstress, released by the small Beverly Glen label and reissued by Elektra in 1991 is her best album.

Anita Baker's My Everything is her first studio outing in a decade. Family life seems to have claimed most of that time, as the album's last cut, "Men in My Life," seems to indicate. Baker co-wrote seven of the album's nine songs (one is a reprise of the title track), authored the aforementioned tune, and assisted producer Barry J. Eastmond in the arrangements. The disc's first single, "You're My Everything," is indicative of the album's sound: finely wrought and executed urban adult soul. Most of the set falls into this category, too, with the exception of "Like You Used to Do," a duet with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds that walks a line between it and new-school groove.

It's been years since Anita Baker fans got any new material from their diva, but it's coming. 2004 found Baker signing a contract with Blue Note and recording a new album. So if Baker-mania is going to break out amongst the cosmopolitan again, her old home Warner Brothers must feel they've just got to have new Baker product on the shelves. Here Warner Brothers hands the singer over to their reissue imprint, Rhino.

The Mastercuts series is a must for all the old Funkateers still wanting to remember what is was really like back in the 70s and early 80s.The real draw on this album for me was the 7.15 full version of You're Gonna Get Next To Me.