Back Stabbers

The O’Jays responded to a new era of political consciousness with Back Stabbers, in which burning emotions are couched in a highly sophisticated musical backdrop. The arranged harmonies of the title song and “Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People” transform tales of vengeance and betrayal into contagious pop pleasures. “(They Call Me) Mr. Lucky” is an R&B anthem for street-smart hustlers, but the album’s crown jewel is “Love Train,” one of the most unabashedly optimistic songs—both musically and thematically—ever set to tape.