An interesting, if uneven, release. Thelma Houston teamed with the band Pressure Cooker in the mid-’70s, doing a fusion/instrumental pop/R&B/soul work for Sheffield Lab. That affiliation ensured that it would be brilliantly engineered, and it sounded spectacular, especially for a mid-’70s release. Unfortunately, much of the musical output didn’t match the mastering brilliance, despite an energetic effort from Houston. But her voice was too much for what was basically a warmup-caliber backing group. It would have been great to hear Houston doing these songs supported by the Tower of Power. – Ron Wynn