Just The Way You Like It

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The S.O.S. Band’s breakout collaboration with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis—1983’s <i>On the Rise</i>—sometimes overshadows its sequel, 1984’s <i>Just the Way You Like It</i>. Yet this later album is actually a fuller and more intricate iteration of this team’s pioneering sound design. Simply put, no one at this time was better than Jam & Lewis when it came to integrating keyboard technology into the fabric of pop music. Where some artists were just learning their way around drum machines, The S.O.S. Band were using synths and drum programming to add detailed atmosphere and sonic depth to simmering R&B tunes like “Weekend Girl,” “Just the Way You Like It,” and “I Don’t Want Nobody Else.” While most of the songs surpass the six-minute mark, that still seems at times too short for such a luxurious sonic experience. If one had to choose a single masterwork symbolic of the album’s innovations, it would have to be “No One’s Gonna Love You.” It's hard to think of a song that's as menacing and sultry at the same time. If it ran for 60 minutes, you’d still be left wanting more.

via Apple Music

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