Help From Her Friends

ONCE, CHAKA KHAN sang lead for a band called Rufus. Now, winding through an adventurous debut solo album, she continues to display her special technique of fusing her voice with loud instruments, but this time there is something solid and infinitely dynamic happening too.

Khan is not an ace songwriter. In fact, all but one of the songs are the products of someone else's pen. What Khan can do is sing, and she sings in three highly distinctive flavors: pulsating, playful and relaxed--each one palatable.

"I'm Every Woman," a livid example of her pulsating style, is a vibrant track complete with a voice soaring for an almost flawless sound. Almost. The music here is for dancing, not for understanding the muffled lyrics. It's not the album's best, but it's good.

There are some really high quality melodies suited for those who prefer using their ears instead of their feet. With playful tunes like "Love Has Fallen On me" Khan has an assured grasp of the lyrics and tone. Her relaxed side shows her talents at their best, and distinguishes her from disco queens like Donna Summer. "Roll Me Through the Rushes" is a huskily sensitive song, healthy and rich in instrumentals and backup vocals, which Khan does wonders with.

It wouldn't be fair to call Khan's first effort without Rufus completely solo. She receives some help from producer-arranger Arif Mardin and most notably from the Brecker Brothers and George Benson--a highly impressive solo gathering.

FOR SOME ARTISTS, the need for such aid on a solo album would be considered poor. But it's all right here; Khan is not overshadowed. The album's vocals, arrangements, instruments, and lyrics all unite towards one aim--to give insight into the feelings and attitude of an artist who likes to sing.

This gathering of friends is like a celebration of a big event, when everyone around wants to make it memorable and special. The writing team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, authors of "I'm Every Woman," even sang the backup vocals with Khan on Quincy Jones's "Stuff Like That." And the event The emergence of Khan doing things her way, but not alone.

The album itself is not a string of musical commentaries, nor is it dedicated to selling a million-plus copies. "A Woman In a Man's World" and "I Was Made To Love Him" are not titles you would expect to find on albums designed to keep up with current opinions on relations between sexes. But this is simply a Chaka Khan-oriented album, with room for anyone else who agrees with her. And the agreement is very important. For Khan's last album with Rufus, Streetplayer, the group operated under one management and Khan had another. The split widened and Khan struck out on her own. The songs she has assembled with the aid of her friends reflect her comfort and security with the new arrangement.

"Sleep On It" is the procrastinator's favorite. Rhythmic, joyous, easy to listen or dance to, the song has a soothing sound that invites you to delay whatever you should be doing.

Khan's writing talent shows in her one song "Some Love," an ear-catching number if only for the French horns and strings in the backup. This orchestration is a popular and innovative arrangement for current disco beats and Khan doesn't let the powerful effect slide by. "The Message In the Middle of The Bottom" combines the acoustic sounds of cellos, congas and a trumpet in an interesting, if not melodic way.

Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made To Love Him" just doesn't sound the same with Khan improvising the vocals and instruments. The new beat and word changes sound weak and artificial, and to someone who doesn't remember Wonder's original version, it's a sad reflection on a brilliant song-writer.

Khan has established her freedom and shown her potential with this collection. She manages to zero in on a range of styles that suit her own directions and tastes. The result is so positive and complete, that the only question is, why did she wait so long?