Album of the week - Smokey Robinson ‘A Quiet Storm’
Smokey. His songwriting is pure poetry, and his vocal prowess is an elegant, captivating force of nature. His importance in the all time greatest record label can’t be overstated. As a performer, songwriter, producer, and part time A&R man at Motown, Smokey Robinson is one of the most important figures in music history.
Motown had made a very successful shift in the early 70s to releasing a slew of albums that captured the same magic that their unstoppable, bottomless well of singles weaved all throughout the 60s. While several artists saw their star rise higher, Smokey had a few difficult years after his split with the Miracles in 1972. Not only were his first two solo albums not really up to his potential as an artist (nor were they commercially successful), but he and his wife of 16 years, Claudette, separated in 1974.
Whatever aspects of his personal life contributed to the creation of this masterpiece isn’t entirely clear, but it would be hard to argue that it wasn’t a factor, and that this album wasn’t cathartic. He had a lingering affair with Diana Ross in the early ‘70s, and it doesn’t take much imagination to think that his version of ‘Happy’, (which takes its melody from the theme song of Diana Ross star vehicle film Lady Sings The Blues) is a reflection of his emotions surrounding that affair. ‘The Agony And The Ecstacy’ also deals with infidelity in unflinching honesty.
Throughout this album, Smokey updated many of the key elements that made his ‘60s hits for The Miracles and practically the entire Motown roster such an unstoppable. The tempos are mostly slowed, the arrangements are synth and percussion heavy, but the songs are full of hooks and the human elements in the lyrics that make his music so relatable. The feeling here is undoubtedly 70s in vibe (flutes!), yet somehow it all still feels timeless. Smokey deals with love emotions that are less about the abandonment of carnal pleasures but more of deep soul connections.
The title track is a thing of wonder; nearly 8 minutes of exploration into the condition of love and the act of seduction. Motown expertly began fusing heavy rock elements into their hit machine in the late 60s with their patented psychedelic soul, but here Smokey explores the other side of psychedelia- the repetition, drone, and hypnotic nature, as the listener submits to the music. It’s music for making love to each other’s minds, and bodies.
The highlight here - a song that could easily be proclaimed one of Motown’s all time greatest- is the infectious, unstoppable groove majesty that is ‘Baby That’s Backatcha’. It’s a song and performance that defies words, and I can never play it only once. Another highlight is the funky, punchy ‘Love Letters’ which really cooks with burning intensity. The albums sequencing and synth sweeps connecting the tracks, and it plays out like one song/ one story. What’s Going On may get far more words and attention, but A Quiet Storm is right up there as being an album that proudly stands among the other all time flawless albums.
I can’t think of any other album titles or songs that named a sub-genre of music that became a radio formatting sensation, but this LP did exactly that.