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During the 1980's, Lionel Richie couldn't slow down for one minute. He just kept on dancing on the ceiling through his multi-platinum album sales, his hosting of numerous award shows, and his most epic project, the "We Are the World" recording. But as the '80s ended and alternative music came into the picture, soulful pop stars were out of jobs. The genre collapse, coupled with Richie's second marriage, kept him away from the scene for most of the '90s. Now, with the new millennium in full swing, Richie is hoping to follow on the heels of retro artists turned modern pop stars like Cher and Tina Turner. 

In fact, his debut single "Angel" has similar tones to those artists' comeback songs (Cher's "Believe" and Tina Turner's "When the Heartache is Over"). But just like those two divas, Richie seems out of place trying to fit into the dance club scene, acting much younger than he really is and trying to trick younger music listeners into thinking that he is a new artist. He attempts to pull a Latin-styled brisk ballad out of his pocket on "Cinderella," but suffers from the same syndrome of trying to sound younger.  "Peace of My Heart" could have been made just as well by the Backstreet Boys, while "Dance the Night Away" would have fared better if it was recorded by Mark Anthony. "Here is My Heart" is just silly, putting Richie behind a salsa beat, with cheesy lyrics suitable for any contrived boy band. 

And as if once was not enough for fans to hear "Angel," an extended remix in included as the grand finale, although I would recommend stopping the disc before reaching that point. That's not to say that Richie doesn't have a soulful and passionate voice, mixed with the ability to switch up each song's pace. It's just that he had a time and place in music, and so far in this decade, he's not a relevant force.

Andy Argyrakis 5/26/2001