S.O.S.: Expanded Edition

One of 1980's most promising R&B debuts came from the S.O.S. Band, whose debut album is a classic. This sleek yet gritty album went gold in the U.S. (which isn't counting sales in Europe), and the infectious "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" soared to number one on Billboard's R&B singles chart. It isn't hard to see why the S.O.S. Band's first album was a hit; all of the tracks are excellent. That is true of up-tempo funk-dance gems like "Take Your Time (Do It Right)," "S.O.S. (Dit Dit Dit Dat Dat Dat Dit Dit Dit)," "Love Won't Wait for Love," and "Take Love Where You Find It," as well as the melancholy soul ballad "What's Wrong With Our Love Affair?" In 1980, there were plenty of inconsistent albums that failed to live up to the promise of an exciting single, but the S.O.S. Band's debut isn't one of them. Those who bought this LP after hearing "Take Your Time (Do It Right)" on the radio were not disappointed by the other tracks -- they were happy to learn that the S.O.S. Band's first album is impressively consistent. And they also discovered that the Atlanta outfit had a major asset in lead singer Mary Davis, an expressive, big-voiced belter who demonstrated that she could handle up-tempo material and ballads equally well. Not all of the S.O.S. Band's subsequent albums were consistent, but this release is superb as well as essential. ~ Alex Henderson|