Narada Michael Walden - The Nature Of Things (1985)

Artist:  Narada Michael Walden
Title:  The Nature Of Things
Release:  1985
Format:  LP
Label:  Warner Bros. Records
Genre:  Soul
Catalog#  925176-1   (D/L)

For “The Nature of Things”, Narada Michael Walden went back to his musical roots when he lent a strong Motown vibe to “Gimme Gimme Gimme,”  his rousing duet with Patti Austin which recalls the romantic upbeat hits of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
 On “The Nature Of Things” Narada uses a similar musical approch but there are heavy elements of his own jazzier musical elan added into the mix. Many of these songs are message oriented and have a highly mystical bent. The brooding dance song “That’s The Way It Is” was one of the finer uptempo message songs of the period. One of the songs that I and everyone really enjoys on this album is the majestic dance tune “High Above The Clouds”, it’s an easy candidate for the best song here. “Live It Up” and “Suspicion” are both veddy mid 80's dance-funk tunes with enough of Narada’s nimble musicianship to make them work. The title track a hip-hop dance track with a lot of scratch breaks and the melody of a matrical! Narada rocks out on “Dancin’ On Main Street”,singing in a deep,gruff voice not normally associated with him. The album ends with the sing-a-long Caribbean number.


Side one
1.  That’s the Way It Is   (5:40)
2.  High Above the Clouds   (6:08)
3.  Gimme, Gimme, Gimme   (4:41)
4.  Live It Up   (4:14)

Side two
1.  The Nature of Things   (5:04)
2.  Suspicion   (4:53)
3.  Dancin’ on Main Street   (5:12)
4.  Wear Your Love   (5:54)

available at: http://www.ad-vinylrecords.com