by Alex Henderson
Lakeside had one of R&B's most exciting live shows of the late '70s and early to mid-'80s, but in the studio, the Dayton, OH band generally didn't go that extra mile. Most of Lakeside's Solar albums were generally decent and had a few gems, but a consistently excellent studio album was something the group never achieved. The closest Lakeside came to a great studio session was Fantastic Voyage, arguably the band's best album. Some of the songs are superb, including the sweaty title track (a major hit), the intoxicating &Your Love Is on the One& and the unapologetically romantic &I Love Everything You Do.& Though best known for hard funk, that and &Say Yes& point to the fact that Lakeside also delivered some memorable soul ballads. Other material falls under the heading of &good but not great& -- a phrase that applied to so much of Lakeside's work. [Sequel reissued the album in 1996.]