Heartbreaker (The O'Jays album)

Heartbreaker
Studio album by
the O'Jays
ReleasedJuly 27, 1993
Recorded1993
GenreR&B, soul
Length50:47
LabelEMI
ProducerGerald Levert, Edwin Nicholas
The O'Jays chronology
Emotionally Yours
(1991) 		Heartbreaker
(1993) 		Love You to Tears
(1997)

Heartbreaker is an album by the American R&B group the O'Jays.[1][2] It was released in 1993 on EMI.[3]

The album peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard 200.[4]

Production

Gerald Levert, Eddie Levert's son, cowrote and produced two of the album's songs.[5][6] Heartbreaker was the first album with Nathaniel Best, who had replaced Sammy Strain.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Chicago Sun-Times[9]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[7]
The Indianapolis Star[10]

AllMusic wrote that "many numbers aren't much different from the classic material that made them superstars in the '70s; that's both part of the music's charm and something that might trouble fans hoping the group would experiment with the vocal arrangements as well as the production."[8] The Washington Post thought that the album "makes up in savvy arrangements what it lacks in well-crafted lyrics, but its real appeal lies in the still smooth Philly soul harmonies and [Eddie] Levert's gritty testifying."[5] The St. Petersburg Times wrote that "while the CD is filled with gorgeous harmonies and melodies, the vocal performances sometimes are almost spoiled by tinny-sounding mechanical tracks with programed electronic drums."[11]

Track listing

  1. "Cryin' the Blues" (Edwin Nicholas, Gerald Levert) - 5:59
  2. "One Wonderful Girl" (Alan Gordon) - 4:28
  3. "Somebody Else Will" (Edwin Nicholas, Gerald Levert) - 6:27
  4. "Show Me the Right Way" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Walter Williams) - 5:25
  5. "Trouble" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Walter Williams) - 4:11
  6. "Can't Let You Go" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Sherena Wynn, Walter Williams) - 4:10
  7. "Decisions" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Sherena Wynn, Walter Williams) - 4:20
  8. "No Can Do" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Sherena Wynn, Walter Williams) - 4:21
  9. "Heartbreaker" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Sherena Wynn, Walter Williams) - 4:27
  10. "He Loves You" (Dwain Mitchell, Eddie Levert, Walter Williams) - 7:59

References

  1. ^ "The O'Jays | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Peters, Ida (3 July 1993). "What's Happening: O'Jays...new album...new tour...new member". Afro-American Red Star. p. B6.
  3. ^ Robbins, Ira (1 Apr 1994). "Also Around Town Smooth Soul Music". Newsday. p. B23.
  4. ^ "The O'Jays". Billboard.
  5. ^ a b "O'JAYS: SOUL-BARING ESSENTIALS". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  6. ^ "O'Jays, Stephanie Mills team for concert at Aladdin Theatre". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 28 July 1993. p. 8C.
  7. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. pp. 290–291.
  8. ^ a b "Heartbreaker The O'Jays". AllMusic.
  9. ^ Keller, Martin (August 29, 1993). "The O'Jays, 'Heartbreaker' (EMI)". Chicago Sun-Times. Show. p. 5.
  10. ^ Ford, Lynn Dean (17 Sep 1993). "O'Jays 'Heartbreaker', EMI Records". The Indianapolis Star. p. E11.
  11. ^ Jackson, Mike (27 Aug 1993). "O'Jays sound still plays well". St. Petersburg Times. Weekend. p. 13.