Quotable:
“One of the few singers that bridged the old school to the new, and this 1986 album was – and is – a true soul classic.” – Rebecca Wallwork, Amazon.com
Review:
“If there seems to be an oversupply of young divas-in-waiting today, you can probably thank Anita Baker for it. Baker was one of the few singers that bridged the old school to the new, and this 1986 album was – and is – a true soul classic. An inspiration for everyone from Whitney Houston to Toni Braxton, Baker carved the way with soaring vocals and an effortless style on tracks like Sweet Love and You Bring Me Joy. Caught Up in the Rapture was the anthem for many a lovestruck couple, and Baker sums it up best herself in the same song: ‘Nothing else can compare’.” RW
She had garnered “some airplay out of The Songstress, [but] that promising solo debut didn’t bring her financial security. In fact, Baker was earning her living as a legal secretary in her native Detroit when she signed with Elektra in the mid-‘80s. Elektra gave her a strong promotional push, and the equally superb Rapture became the megahit that The Songstress should have been. To its credit, Elektra made her a major star by focusing on Baker’s strong point – romantic but gospel-influenced R&B/pop ballads and ‘slow jams,’ sometimes with jazz overtones – and letting her be true to herself.” AH
“Praising Baker in a 1986 interview, veteran R&B critic Steve Ivory asserted, ‘To me, singers like Anita Baker and Frankie Beverly define what R&B or soul music is all about.’ Indeed, Rapture’s tremendous success made it clear that there was still a sizeable market for adult-oriented, more traditional R&B singing.” AH
5.0
0.3
8.0
