| Love or Physical | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Label | Capitol [1] | |||
| Producer | Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson | |||
| Ashford & Simpson chronology | ||||
| ||||
Love or Physical is an album by the American musical duo Ashford & Simpson, released in 1989. [2] [3] The first single was "I'll Be There for You". [4] The duo would not record another album until 1996's collaboration with Maya Angelou, Been Found. [5] The album peaked at No. 135 on the Billboard 200. [6]
The title track was originally called "Honest to Goodness Love"; it in part alludes to AIDS and infidelity. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [9] |
| Los Angeles Times |  [10] |
The Los Angeles Times wrote that "In Your Arms" "is the loveliest and most genuinely sensual ballad this husband-and-wife duo has recorded in a long time." [10] The St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that "their sound is impeccably produced but actually quite sparse in spots." [11]
The Advocate stated that "the title track is a fresh urban-contemporary approach to male-female relationships." [12] USA Today concluded that the album "goes beyond carnal concerns and explores deeper matters." [13] The Dallas Morning News concluded that "it's still a pleasure to listen when the vocal interplay between these two veterans turns dexterous, as it does on the romantic ballad 'I'll Be There for You'." [14]
All tracks are written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson; except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love or Physical" | 4:24 | |
| 2. | "I'll Be There for You" | 4:38 | |
| 3. | "Comes with the Package" | 4:15 | |
| 4. | "Til We Get It Right" | 5:07 | |
| 5. | "Something to You" | 4:59 | |
| 6. | "In Your Arms" | Bruce Roberts, Edgar Bronfman, Jr. | 4:39 |
| 7. | "Cookies and Cake" | 4:43 | |
| 8. | "Timing" | 4:52 |
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