Natural High

Editors’ Notes Lionel Richie’s ballad “Three Times a Lady” became a massive crossover hit for the Commodores, overshadowing everything else on 1978’s Natural High. That’s too bad, because while “Three Times a Lady” opened a new chapter in the band’s story (one could even say it is the beginning of Richie’s solo career), the rest of the album shows how well the band worked as an integrated unit. “Fire Girl” and “I Like What You Do” are ideal fusions of Richie’s pop songwriting and the rest of the group’s sharp-edged playing. “Flying High” is even better — with underpinnings of jazz and acoustic folk, the swift-moving song is reminiscent of the Isley Brothers and the Doobie Brothers, yet it remains patently Commodores. The band’s scorching grooves are here reduced to a simmer for maximum potency. “X-Rated Movie” is a sweltering riff on par with anything by Johnny “Guitar” Watson, but the real gems are “Visions,” and especially, “Say Yeah.” The songs give Richie the opportunity to show off his delicate side, and when the party-hearty band slows its funk riffs to a crawl the results are intoxicating.