Rance Allen Group, The - Smile *** 1979

An oft-overlooked album that Rance and group recorded during a return to Stax after their record on Capitol with Larry Mizell. The groove here is more tightly produced than on their earlier Stax LPs, with more of a modern soul sound, and more of an orientation towards a dancefloor beat -- but the core of the music is still in the group's gospel-drenched soul style of the early years. Rance's voice is in beautiful form (as always), and his rich baritone sings out loud and clear on tracks like "I'm Thankful", "Smile", "Going Home", and "Where Have All Your Friends Gone".