The Carol Douglas Album

Although the material on ' initial outing may seem somewhat routine these days, it's actually quite notable considering it preceded the actual fruition of disco. The perennial alone would make this a classic, but the quality is far from limited to that track. Earthy dance gems like and are a nice cross between the late-'60s sound of Detroit soul and late-'70s dancefloor soul. Meanwhile, the mellow show a calmer side, while still keeping the groove alive. has a sophisticated, understated approach that is fully soulful without any dramatic gestures, and she brings a rich vibe to each tune. The only drawback is the presence of somewhat formulaic melodies and lyrics at some points -- an aspect usually overcome by the classy arrangements. On a few tunes, the singer lacks a certain warmth, perhaps because she's trying to play it a little too cool. Overall, is an impressive pre-disco effort which helped pave the way for many subsequent albums by dance-driven R&B acts. 's CD release of the album also includes an extended version of as well as the singer's '80s cover of ' ~ Justin M. Kantor