Where There's Smoke... is a 1979 album by Smokey Robinson, released on Motown Records' Tamla label. It contains his Billboard Top ten pop hit single "Cruisin'".
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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 songs on side one especially update Robinson's "concise, smoldering romanticism with a flair that seemed lost to him years ago".[1] 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.[2] 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''."[3]
Track listing
All tracks composed by Smokey Robinson, except where noted.
- Side one
- "It's a Good Night" - 5:46
- "I Love the Nearness of You" (Robinson, Stevie Wonder) - 4:30
- "Hurt's on You" (Lawrence Hanks, Rodney Massey) - 4:16
- "Ever Had a Dream" (Robinson, James Bradford) - 3:47
- Side two
- "Get Ready" - 5:46
- "Share It" - 4:58
- "Cruisin'" (Robinson, Marv Tarplin) - 5:53
Charts
| Year | Album | Chart positions[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| 1980 | Where There's Smoke... | 17 | 8 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[5] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Dance | ||
| 1979 | "Cruisin'" | 4 (1980) | 4 | - |
References
- ^ Christgau, Robert (February 25, 1980). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Where There's Smoke... – Smokey Robinson". Allmusic. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ Agarwal, Manish; et al. (2007). The Mojo Collection (4th ed.). Canongate Books. p. 443. ISBN 184767643X.
- ^ "Smokey Robinson US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
- ^ "Smokey Robinson US singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
External links
- Where There's Smoke... at Discogs (list of releases)