![]() Two daring electro cuts provide a refreshing break from the four to the floor tradition, only to be followed by the stripped down sound the duo is so comfortable with. This album is a reflection of that skill, starting its journey with soothing, mood-setting ambient, followed by timeless pieces of Detroit and dubtechno. An hour in which they so delicately time their changing of styles and tempos, always reading the room and always being one step ahead of the crowd. Midnight Ensemble could be interpreted as an ode to nightlife a reminiscence of all that happens between dusk and dawn, captured and compressed into about one hour of music. When listening to this album, the resemblance between their unpredictable selection behind the decks and the eclectic range of subgenres on this album is more obvious than ever before. Those who have followed the duo since their early days of playing dj-sets together, know that it’s hard to define their style anywhere beyond techno or even electronic music, as it is ever evolving and always dependent on the time of the day or night. If Paul Boex and Dave Miller hadn’t already reached that status under their Abstract Division moniker, they certainly have now, with the release of Midnight Ensemble, their first full length album. Nonetheless, this is a generally decent, if uneven, record that has more strengths than weaknesses.When two musicians intensively work together for a period of time, at some point the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Midnight Magic isn't one of the Commodores' essential releases, and R&B purists are advised to stick to the band's pre-1977 albums. Some R&B purists saw "Sail On" as a blatant example of how watered down the Commodores had become, but it's still a charming and likable tune - one that wouldn't have been out of place on a Dolly Parton or Glen Campbell LP. Next to "Still," the album's best-known track is "Sail On," which reached number eight on Billboard's R&B singles chart (and number four on its pop single chart) despite the fact that it is essentially a pop-country song. "Sexy Lady" is the only thing on the LP that can honestly be described as hardcore funk most of the up-tempo tunes favor the type of sophisticated funk that the Brothers Johnson, Rufus/ Chaka Khan, and Heatwave were known for in the late '70s. "Wonderland" (a number 21 R&B hit) is an enjoyable R&B slow jam, and fans of sophisticated funk (as opposed to hardcore funk) should appreciate "You're Special," "Gettin' It," and the disco-minded title song. But even if "Still" doesn't excite you, the rest of the album isn't bad. The sappy ballad (which features Lionel Richie) wasn't without its detractors, who felt that the Commodores had become too much of a slick crossover act. And sure enough, Midnight Magic contains the ballad "Still," which was a number one pop hit (as well as a number one R&B hit) and became a staple on adult contemporary radio. ![]() When the Commodores' seventh studio album, Midnight Magic, came out in 1979, one could safely assume that the LP would contain at least one adult contemporary ballad.
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