White Gold

Barry White's second Love Unlimited Orchestra album drives more carefully down the middle of the road than did its predecessor, Rhapsody in White. Save for the extremely polite "Satin Soul," most of White Gold is disco background instrumental with barely a pulse; the big man also refrains from butting in with the purring pronouncements of love (or horniness) that helped make Rhapsody such a kick. Still, you have to kind of admire an album whose cover carries a credit for the jewelers who loaned most of the photo props. –Rickey Wright