by Amy Hanson
Following grandly in the style of their 1981 smash &Let It Whip,& the Dazz Band laid down another excellent set of contemporary funk, shot through with a heavily synthesized dance groove -- their trademark, and a winning combination. Although the advent of CDs would make a mockery of their ambition, the Dazz Band programmed the album for two very separate moods -- side one, for the most part, heaves with pounding funkers, side two takes the tempo way down for a clutch of sweet ballads. Both sides, of course, have their devotees. With a Parliament-esque style that broke in waves across the opening &Party Right Here,& side one is a n whipping, the party sliding gleefully into &Cheek to Cheek& and, from there, the effusive, &On the One for Fun.& The biggest charting hit of the three, the song seems perpetually on the verge of slipping into &Let It Whip& -- which was probably the intention. That it reached number nine on the R&B charts is no great surprise. &A Love Song& slows down somewhat, but with its vibe wrapped around a jazzy horn-driven, up-tempo smooth talker, it never quite immerses itself in balladic waters. That is, indeed, left to side two, where only &Nice Girls& shakes things up with a fistful of funk.