| Radio M.U.S.C. Man | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Genre | Soul, pop | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Womack & Womack chronology | ||||
| ||||
Radio M.U.S.C. Man is an album by the American soul duo Womack & Womack, released in 1985. [1] [2] The pair were dropped by Elektra Records shortly after the release of the album. [3]
The album peaked at No. 56 on the UK Albums Chart. [4]
The album contains a cover of George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun". [5] The composition of the album's sixth track, "Love's Calling", was started by the soul singer Sam Cooke (the father of Linda Womack). [6] Many members of the Womack family contributed to the making of Radio M.U.S.C. Man. [7]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Robert Christgau | B+ [9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [11] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [12] |
Robert Christgau praised the "relaxed groove and wavering back-porch harmonies that go into their unique sound—lazy, tender, patient, long-suffering, tired of fighting." [9] Billboard wrote that the album "showcased this couple's extraordinary writing skills and enticing vocal interplay." [3] The Gazette called the album "brave and beautiful," writing that the duo "make the sweetest music in the whole world, propelled by effortless, hip-deep dance grooves, ballads to swoon over, and vocals—duets!—that make you wonder how this wonderful music ever went out of style." [13]
The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed it "excellent," praising how "Linda's smokily ethereal tenor rubs against the rough edges of Cecil's craggy baritone." [14] The Washington Post wrote that the Womacks "[tear] apart all the conflicts, temptations, betrayals and insecurities of marriage, swapping lines, verses and songs, always espousing two clear points of view in danceable, classic soul style." [15]
NME listed Radio M.U.S.C. Man as the 34th best album of 1985. [16]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "No Relief" | 4:27 |
| 2. | "Maze" | 5:52 |
| 3. | "Night Rider" | 4:58 |
| 4. | "Eyes" | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Radio M.U.S.C. Man" | 4:10 |
| 6. | "Love's Calling" | 5:48 |
| 7. | "Strange and Funny" | 4:30 |
| 8. | "Romeo & Juliet (Where Are You?)" | 5:37 |
| 9. | "Here Comes the Sun" | 3:06 |
Samuel Cook, known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distinctive vocals, pioneering contributions to the genre, and significance in popular music.
Robert Dwayne Womack was an American singer, musician and songwriter. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career spanned more than 60 years and multiple styles, including R&B, jazz, soul, rock and roll, doo-wop, and gospel.
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Cecil Dale Womack was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He was one of the musical Womack brothers, and had success both as a songwriter and recording artist, notably with his wife Linda as Womack & Womack. In later years he took the name Zekkariyas.
Linda Womack, now known as Zeriiya Zekkariyas, is an American singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of soul singer Sam Cooke. She later had a successful career as half of the duo Womack & Womack with her husband Cecil Womack.
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Womack & Womack was the singing and songwriting partnership of married American musicians Linda Womack and Cecil Womack. The duo were successful as songwriters for other artists and had several international hits as a singing duo in the 1980s and 1990s. Later recordings with other members of their family were credited to The House of Zekkariyas.
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The Valentinos was an American family R&B group from Cleveland, Ohio, best known for launching the careers of brothers Bobby Womack and Cecil Womack. Bobby went on to find greater fame as a solo artist while Cecil became successful as a member of the husband and wife duo of Womack & Womack with Linda Cooke. The group was well known for R&B hits such as the original versions of "Lookin' for a Love", notably covered by the J. Geils Band and later a solo hit for Bobby Womack, and "It's All Over Now", covered by the Rolling Stones.
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