Rapture - Baker, Anita (Cassette 1987)

Perhaps it might not make sense for a rock 'n roll lover or a hip-hop fan, but many of us who are into R&B use it as the soundtrack for...how do I say this discreetly...romantic interludes. There's a certain feeling-a particular stirring in the nether regions-that you get when listening to Luther Vandross and Barry White that you just don't get when listening to Bob Dylan.

Yep, we R&B fans love our slow jams. So much so, that at some point in the late Seventies, an entire R&B subgenre was based around that sound. Called "quiet storm" and named after a 1975 Smokey Robinson album, the genre consisted of slow, sensual grooves. You'd usually find them on your local "urban contemporary" radio station after 10 PM, when couples retired to bed or returned from dates, with their minds (and loins) firmly set on one thing.

This subgenre peaked in the mid-Eighties, with the success of artists like the aforementioned Vandross, and the emergence of Detroit-based vocalist Anita Baker, whose "Rapture" was one of the decade's defining soul records. With sumptuous musical arrangements that straddled the line between lush jazz and contemporary R&B, as well as an expressive, husky voice that suggested the love child of Sarah Vaughan and Michael McDonald, Baker set the tone for many a romantic night with these eight songs. And the music sounded just as good when you turned on the lights and got up the next morning.

Actually, by the time of "Rapture"'s release in 1986, Baker had been on the scene for nearly a decade. She got her start with an R&B group called Chapter 8 and had a couple of minor hits before going solo. Her 1983 debut, "The Songstress", was released on a tiny indie called Beverly Glen Records, and became a surprise Top 5 hit on the R&B charts. After three years and some serious legal wrangling, Baker found herself signed to a major (Elektra) and released "Rapture". Not only was her voice the star of the show, but she proved that she had writing and production chops as well with this release.

Although many of the songs are paeans to eternal love, Baker had a bit of a feisty side too. Although she can never be compared to dance divas of the day like Janet Jackson, Anita knew what to do with a funky midtempo groove. "Same Ole Love (365 Days A Year)" has a funky, finger-poppin' bass and an easygoing attitude that won't make you cut a rug, but it will have you boppin' in your chair. It was the perfect jam for an easygoing activity like roller skating, which is exactly what Baker did in the song's memorable video. Meanwhile, "Watch Your Step" is sprightly in sound, but sassy in attitude, as Baker warns a deceitful lover to watch his back.

With that said, the ballads are the heart of this album. The dreamy "Caught Up in the Rapture" uses twinkly keyboard textures to highlight it's starry-eyed message ("I want you in my life for all time"), and a pretty acoustic guitar solo at the end of the song seals the deal. This track and the gospel-like "You Bring Me Joy" put the spotlight squarely on Anita's voice, which there was nothing like at the time. At a time when flailing power-divas were all the rage (Aretha, Patti, Chaka, Whitney), Anita's voice was a subtle, but tantalizing change of pace.

While the memorable melody and swaying groove of "Sweet Love" gave "Rapture" it's biggest hit, my favorite songs on the album are the ones where you can feel the lights dim just a bit in the control room. Unlike many current R&B artists whose depictions of sex leave little (or nothing) to the imagination, sensuality without raunch was the name of the game for Anita. "Been So Long" has a quiet, shuffle groove with a prominent bass. You can picture bodies moving under the sheets on this one. And when Anita starts off by crooning in a deep growl "I won't be neglected/And I won't be denied", well...you know how this story ends. She finishes the song with some serious scatting reminiscent of the jazz greats of the 40s and 50s. "Mystery" works the same motif, only with a more haunting vibe to it. High-pitched synthesizers give the song a mysterious feel.

"Rapture" may only have eight tracks, but you're lucky nowadays to get eight good tracks out of an album twice as long. There's not a terrible or even mediocre song in the bunch. In addition to the song quality, "Rapture" is a classy affair, mellow without being overproduced or boring. It turned out to be a deservedly successful album, selling over four million copies and winning two Grammy Awards. You can hear echoes of this album in many artists and albums that followed, from Toni Braxton (who was pretty much created in Anita's image) to upscale jazz/pop artists like Norah Jones. Anita herself has spent much of the last two decades trying to live up to the standard of this highly influential R&B classic, a must in any true soul lover's collection.

"Rapture" by Anita Baker
Released 1986 on Elektra Records (now available on Atlantic Records)
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars