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==Critical reception==
In a contemporary review for ''[[The Village Voice]]'', music critic [[Robert Christgau]] gave the album an "A–" and called it Robinson's best solo album. He said that, despite potential "cavils" from novice Motown purists about the [[disco]] version of "[[Get Ready (The Temptations song)|Get Ready]]", the songs on side one especially update Robinson's "concise, smoldering romanticism with a flair that seemed lost to him years ago".<ref>{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|authorlink=Robert Christgau|date=February 25, 1980|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv2-80.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|___location=New York|accessdate=August 7, 2013}}</ref> ''[[Stereo Review]]'' magazine's Phil Garland commended him for remaining an unadorned composer and producer, and cleverly underplaying several tracks' "disco flavor". He found the songs pleasurable and consistent, and remarked that, although it may not be a milestone in Robinson's career, ''Where There's Smoke'' is "solid, ingratiating music that should wear well."<ref>{{cite journal|journal=[[Stereo Review]]|page=516|volume=43|title=Smokey Robinson: Where There's Smoke...|year=1979|month=July|last=Garland|first=Phil}}</ref> [[Dave Marsh]] did view it as a turning point and "genuine creative breakthrough" for Robinson, who finally modernizes his style of [[soul music]] without "being compromised." Marsh also felt that he has matured as a vocalist, because of how he immerses his voice around rhythms and tries [[phrase (music)|phrasings]] that were less evident in his early music.<ref>{{cite book|last=Marsh|first=Dave|authorlink=Dave Marsh|year=1985|page=284|title=Fortunate Son: Criticism and Journalism by America's Best-Known Rock Writer|publisher=[[Random House]]|isbn=0394721195}}</ref> Red Starr, writing in ''[[Smash Hits]]'', gave the album a mixed review and described it as "pleasant if tame and unremarkable stuff".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Starr|first=Red|title=Albums|journal=[[Smash Hits]]|issue=Sept 6–19 1979|page=25}}</ref>
In a retrospective review, [[Allmusic]]'s William Ruhlmann gave it three out of five stars and said that it may be inconsistent and slightly too "disco-ish in places," even though it restored Robinson's commercial viability.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ruhlmann|first=William|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/where-theres-smoke-mw0000198670|title=Where There's Smoke... – Smokey Robinson|publisher=[[Allmusic]]|accessdate=August 7, 2013}}</ref> ''[[The Mojo Collection]]'' (2007) was more enthusiastic and wrote that Robinson had "hit a new vein of excellence" with ''Where There's Smoke...'', "the most vibrant album he'd yet made, climaxing with the gorgeous hit, 'Cruisin'{{'}}."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Agarwal|first1=Manish|last2=Alexander|first2=Phil|last3=Aston|first3=Martin|last4=Barnes|first4=Mike|last5=Batey|first5=Agnus|last6=Black|first6=Johnny|last7=Bradley|first7=Lloyd|title=[[The Mojo Collection]]|edition=4th|publisher=[[Canongate Books]]|year=2007|isbn=184767643X|display-authors=1|page=443}}</ref>
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