Tracklist (Vinyl)
| A1 | | Closer To Your Love | | 3:54 | | A2 | | My Old Friend | | 4:26 | | A3 | | We're In This Love Together | | 3:44 | | A4 | | Easy | | 5:23 | | A5 | | Our Love | | 3:53 | | B1 | | Breakin' Away | | 4:12 | | B2 | | Roof Garden | | 6:19 |
See more tracks| B3 | | (Round, Round, Round) Blue Rondo A La Turk | | 4:44 | | B4 | | Teach Me Tonight | | 4:13 |
* Items below may differ depending on the release.
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Review
An engaging mixture of strutting slow songs and jazzy set pieces, Al Jarreau's sixth album places him dead center in Los Angeles' haut monde melting pot of pop-funk fusion music. Produced by Jay Graydon and recorded with the cream of California's session luminaries, Breakin' Away emphasizes formula ballads ("We're in This Love Together," "Our Love," the title tune) instead of the percussive vocal fantasias that have earned Jarreau his reputation as jazz-fusion's glibbest singing speed demon.Jarreau's jazz following will probably… Read More lament the fact that the new LP's only scat tongue twister is a lyricized version of Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo a la Turk." But the singer's pop audience should eat up this ear candy as eagerly as George Benson fans embraced Breezin' five years ago, for Jarreau makes a cheerfully romantic pop-soul balladeer, as sweet in spirit as the young Johnny Mathis but with the bonus of jazz chops. And even though there are no Afro-Caribbean riffs here, Al Jarreau's fusion ties are still obvious, both in his Moog-like timbre and preprogrammed attitude of boundless glee. (RS 355) STEPHEN HOLDEN |
