by Andrew Hamilton
Two of Ike's best disco takes -- &Zeke the Freak,& with its ultra-funky bassline, and the ear-buzzing &Shaft II& -- act as adrenaline for the slower tracks here; also upbeat is the inspiring &If We Ever Needed Love.& The rest of the songs are slow, romantic items, with Ike's traditional raps inserted in just the right spots. He tacks a rap onto the beginning of Billy Joel's &Just the Way You Are,& slows it to a rush-hour crawl, and drains it for every drop of emotion he can; he uses the same technique on &Believe in Me& and the best performance -- a slow, heartfelt rendition of James Taylor's &Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight.& This is the best album from Ike in some time.