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R&B / Soul · 1988

Back

Ohio Players

Late-eighties funk revival defined by polished digital synths, snapping drum machines, and the unmistakable, seasoned falsetto of Sugarfoot Bonner.

May 16, 1988 · Goldenlane Records

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Back represents a fascinating temporal bridge where the raw, sweat-soaked funk of the 1970s Dayton scene collides with the high-gloss digital sheen of 1988. It is an album that feels both like a victory lap and a modernization project, replacing some of the grit of their Mercury years with the punchy, gated-reverb percussion and FM synthesis that defined the late-eighties R&B landscape. The result is a record that sounds remarkably crisp, trading the basement-jam aesthetic for a sophisticated studio polish that aims directly at the urban contemporary radio of its time.

Moments Worth Listening For
The transition from the programmed drum loop to the live horn blast on the opening track.
Sugarfoot's signature 'ow!' punctuating a particularly tight synth-bass breakdown.
The way the backing vocals layer into a thick wall of harmony during the bridge of the lead single.
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Back sound next to the rest of Ohio Players's catalogue?

Energetic+1.4σ

Energetic saturates this record notably more than the artist's norm.

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