Lakeside Albums (9)
'Keep on Moving Straight Ahead'
Release Date 10/5/2004
Tracks 8
Label Solar
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Produced by band guitarist Stephen Shockley, Power was Lakeside's last nationally charting album. Issued during the waning years of R&B bands, it has healthy heaping of both funk cuts and slow jams. The opening track, "Relationships," written by onetime Prince & the Revolution bassist Brownmark, was a Top 24 R&B single in the spring of 1987. Still, it's the LP's ballads that left the most lasting impressions. The crystalline "To Be Your Lover" remains a heart-melter almost two decades after its release and was curiously never released as a single, despite receiving massive radio play. The other standout ballad, "Bullseye," was a Top 33 R&B hit during the summer of 1987. Former Slave member Steve Arrington's wife, India Arrington, co-wrote the inspiring, poppin' title track which sports the lyric: "What makes you better than the roaches on the wall/Until you get up from the bottom/You'll both have to crawl." "Bullseye" appears on The Best of Lakeside [Sequel] and Galactic Grooves: The Best of Lakeside. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A solid mid-'80s album featuring the Ohio funk band Lakeside at its prime. They did superb groove and uptempo tunes, made acceptable change of pace ballads, and never tried to be something they weren't, like a political or cause group. They were a bit smoother than their role models The Ohio Players and Slave, but still had a tougher sound than most of their other labelmates at Solar. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
There is no denying that Lakeside are masterful purveyors of pleasant grooves and light electronic trickery. They were masters, too, of creating a party atmosphere. The trouble with that, however, is that what was novel in 1979-1980 was by the middle of the decade routinely commonplace, and Lakeside, who'd earlier taken the marvelous "Fantastic Voyage" to the top of the charts, now found themselves running with the pack. Outrageous continued the band's tradition of thematic covers, this time sending the group down the Nile à la Indiana Jones in a quest for the perfect groove. Indeed, even the inner sleeve furthered the joke with a printed map where "Outrageous" marked the spot with a decisive X. This is because as good as this entire set is, "Outrageous" is by far the standout. Reaching number seven on the R&B charts in spring 1984, the song is typically Lakeside, with a strong bassline and intricately layered construction; even better, it's included on the LP in its glorious 12" version. But the group was whipping out in other directions as well -- especially across the very Euro-discoed "Make My Day," which is replete with Giorgio Moroder-isms throughout. The rest of Outrageous flawlessly falls into place from there, from the more traditional funk stylings of "Restrictions" and on to several ballads, most notably "Baby, I'm Lonely" and the lighter pap of "Something About You," which is a successful combination of both styles. While this cannot be counted among Lakeside's best-ever efforts, Outrageous is still a cohesive slab of smooth, tight rhythms and entertaining melody. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Kool & the Gang may have labeled themselves as the original genies of funk on Open Sesame, but Lakeside did a fine job of wresting away that crown across 1981's Your Wish Is My Command. Their third album to reach the R&B Top Ten, Your Wish Is My Command found Lakeside in fine fettle, returning to a stronger form after the relative disappointment of Keep On Moving Straight Ahead. And, although this set was packed with soft grooves that belied the heaviest funk of their early material, Lakeside nevertheless kept a smooth flow. Portrayed on the cover as be-turbaned genies with magic glitter, Lakeside triumphed immediately with the title track. A delirious blend of beat and bass, "Your Wish Is My Command not only conjured up vivid visuals, it was perfect for the dancefloor -- and not only because there is just a ghost of their "Fantastic Voyage" hovering in the background. Elsewhere, both "Magic Moments" and "The Urban Man" re-create that same vibe, with the latter adding a fierce guitar solo to the bridge. "There's Something About That Woman," meanwhile, emerged the freshest flower of the bunch, and Lakeside was rewarded with a Top 30 hit. Oddly, the only other song on Your Wish Is My Command to enter the chart was a ballad -- a style one didn't usually turn to Lakeside for. Their soulful rendering of the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" reached number five early in 1982, and while it seemed an odd choice of cover, the band rose wonderfully to the occasion. Predictable and uneven in places, there are still some fine moments on Your Wish Is My Command. And, although it cannot touch the best of Lakeside's mid-'70s output, there is still room to groove. ~ Amy Hanson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Lakeside had one of R&B's most exciting live shows of the late '70s and early to mid-'80s, but in the studio, the Dayton, OH band generally didn't go that extra mile. Most of Lakeside's Solar albums were generally decent and had a few gems, but a consistently excellent studio album was something the group never achieved. The closest Lakeside came to a great studio session was Fantastic Voyage, arguably the band's best album. Some of the songs are superb, including the sweaty title track (a major hit), the intoxicating "Your Love Is on the One" and the unapologetically romantic "I Love Everything You Do." Though best known for hard funk, that and "Say Yes" point to the fact that Lakeside also delivered some memorable soul ballads. Other material falls under the heading of "good but not great" -- a phrase that applied to so much of Lakeside's work. [Sequel reissued the album in 1996.]~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The second album from the nine-piece outfit did not have the smash hit like its predecessor Shot of Love, but it still has its bright spots. Though the group has multiple lead vocalists, the baritone of Mark Woods is commendable. The featured releases were "Pull My Strings" and "From 9:00 Until." The former is an aggressively paced funk number. However, it does not retain that vibrant feeling for which the group is known. It peaked on the Billboard R&B charts at #31. The latter is also aggressive, but has a festive atmosphere more in line with the septet's let's-get-this-party-started image. Though it's easily a Top Ten cut, it only managed to peak at #44. "If You Like Our Music" is a classic Lakeside number but was never released. This project also features two beautiful ballads in "I Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "I'll Never Leave You," and the moderate number "All in My Mind." ~ Craig Lytle, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Shot of Love has often been called Lakeside's debut album, but in fact, it was Lakeside's second. In 1977, Lakeside came out with an album that didn't go very far, and it was Shot of Love that made the band well known. Fueling the success of this album (which first came out on Solar and was reissued on CD by The Right Stuff in 1997) was the gutsy funk smoker "It's All the Way Live," and almost as strong are the infectious title song and the classy soul ballads "Given In to Love" and "Visions of My Mind." But as much as Shot has going for it, the album on the whole isn't outstanding -- enjoyable certainly, but not outstanding. A product of Ohio's rich funk scene, Lakeside was so live-oriented that it seemed to hold back a bit in the studio. (It's absolutely insane that Solar never released a double live Lakeside set.) Shot of Love was the first Lakeside release to boast one of its famous thematic covers -- this one depicted the funksters as Robin Hood-type archers, whereas on future recordings, they'd be everything from pirates (Fantastic Voyage) to jockeys (Keep on Moving Straight Ahead) to genies (Your Wish Is My Command). ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
