Smooth Grooves: A Sensual Collection, Vol. 1
The first volume of this long-running series of "quiet storm"  classics is also one of the best. Among the '70s and early-'80s soul ballads included are several that helped define the popular radio format: the long live version ofEarth, Wind & Fire's "Reasons,"Heatwave's "Always and Forever," andLarry Graham's "One in a Million You." Where laterSmooth GroovesCDs get bogged down in prettiness for its own sake, the performances here are marked by regret (Teddy Pendergrass's eternal "Love T.K.O.,"Champaign's "How 'Bout Us") or a true sweetness (theManhattans' "Shining Star"). The finest are music of the soul, music that deserves to be heard with or without a lover around.--Rickey Wright