Disco de Lionel Richie: “Can't Slow Down (Deluxe Edition)”

I remember hearing the release on Sept.8th 1983 of "All Night Long" on my FM radio. Thriller was the big album of the day. "Can't Slow Down" was a worthy competitor to "Thriller" and had it share of number one hits and hits in general. I look back at those years of 1983-1984 when "Can't slow Down" was climbing the charts and realize what a creative recording this really was. I had the vinyl lp back in those years and even the "All Night Long" 45 on the blue Motown label.(remember those 45s). David Foster co-produced this landmark Motown recording. David Foster also produced the 1984s 7,500,00O seller Chicago 17. Everything Lionel Richie touched at this time, from music to Pepsi commercials turned to gold. Lionel Richie was at a creative zenith at this time of his career that few music stars or even celebrities even reach, Lionel could do no wrong. Lionel was even selling out big arenas with his music tours. After some marriage problems Lionel Richie lost his magic touch, and really disapeared from the publics eye and recorded and released some more recordings with little fanfare. As of 2004 here in NYC I saw Lionel Richie performing a free concert at Bryant Park which he really enjoyed performing, what a fall from the mountain Lionel was once on top of. The extra demos might be overkill but it gives you some insight to how this 1980s landmark album was created. I enjoyed the intstrumental of "All Night Long". The linear notes are very informative and facinating. Definitly highly recommended listening. "CAN'T SLOW DOWN" is a recording worth a delux cd edition. Regardless of the negatives and naysayers Lionel Richie during the years 1983-1984 reached a peak in his career few musicians or celebrities have and ever will.

"Can't Slow Down" was Lionel Richie's "Thriller",going to #1 and containing five Top Ten smashes like "All Night Long","Hello","Running With The Night","Stuck On You" and "Penny Lover".The album tracks are also very good like the danceable title song,the lengthy but smooth slow jam "Love Will Find A Way" and the lush David Foster-produced ballad "The Only One".This R&B/pop classic got the Deluxe Edition treatment in 2003 with the original album remastered brillantly from the first-generation master tapes by the great Kevin Reeves at Universal Mastering Studios-East plus single/12-inch remixes of "All Night Long","Penny Lover" and "Running With The Night" added on the first disc.The second disc,called "The Ground Floor",is filled with demos,alternates,working masters and session jams.While a couple of them are interesting("Tell Me",which became "Please Hold On",the standout album track on Chicago 17,and an alternate version of "Penny Lover" which contains most of the background vocals on the remixed single),most of them are not worth more than one listen.Aside from that,this is a nice package,especially for the luscious,bassy,smooth-sounding remastering.

this is Long over due to Me.without a doubt this is Lionel's Best Solo Effort to Me.this Compilation Contains Re-Mixes&Bonus Material&Some tight stuff.the Re-Mastering Sounds Really Good.this is the way a Re-mastered Album should be."Love will find a Way" is still the Jam here.Fans of Lionel from the early 80's will enjoy this Double Set.together with James Anothny Carmichael Lionel Richie Created One of the Best Albums from the 80's&this Album still works.

the music on this cd is excellant lionel richie has an excellant voice and is very relaxing to listen to when going to sleep especially at night and makes me feel great when i listen to lionel richie.

So I'll start with the alleged remastering; you'd think that at least the main course should sound better than the appetizers but that isn't the case here. The volume levels are so low and the voice levels are so soft you can hardly hear Lionel above the music. The sound quality is also very patchy with some tracks sounding a lot better than others but what really gets me is that the bonus remixes added on to disc one sound a lot better than the main album which is criminal.

Secondly, there are only so many versions of "All Night Long" I can stand on one album before I get really sick of the song and we have 3 of them here. Disc 2 is totally redundant and is full of fillers. The only redeeming track is "Tell Me" for me and only because it shows me what the great track "Please Hold On" written by David Foster and performed so brilliantly by Chicago on their album "17" sounded like as a rough idea that was demo-ed by Lionel Richie. Listen to "Please Hold On" by Chicago and you'll know what I mean about how much better the final product is that started out as the skeleton track "Tell Me".

Save your money folks because Disc 2 is truly forgettable and unnecessary unless you have money to burn. I really hope they remaster this album again properly without the bonus fillers and perhaps package it in a mini-lp sleeve on one disc; that's the only way they will do justice to this otherwise classic album and by far Lionel Richie's best solo work.

Final recommendation: not worth the money; get the normal one disc version that's out there.