Playlist

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, for all the versatility and skill he's shown as a performer and producer, has rarely ventured much beyond the general sphere of R&B. That changes on Playlist, a collection of eight covers and two originals that centers almost exclusively on '60s and '70s pop/rock. Babyface has briefly touched on singer/songwriter balladry before, in his 1996 collaboration with Eric Clapton, "Change the World." And that song's crisp and breezy sort of pop/rock is an obvious reference point for most of these takes. But in the end the sound was Clapton facing R&B more than Babyface embracing old AM radio. The difference here, a subtle one in our ears, is that Babyface has no intention of laying his own musical history onto the songs; these are largely faithful covers with aspects of R&B grace, not a case of a musician out to "prove" good melodies transcend genre.

There are still decisions to be made, though, and Edmonds' lengthy experience as a producer seems to have left him well equipped for them. The record opens with an irresistible coupling of old James Taylor tunes, "Shower The People" and "Fire And Rain" -- two very different songs that ask for different accents. "Shower," an almost utopian bit of '70s soft rock, is forever upping the euphoria with giddy key modulations. By contrast, "Fire," Taylor's aching ode to a lost friend, is handled gently, even tactfully. Clean acoustic guitar and resilient piano chart the chords, and Babyface's trademark croon brings it all into balance, just as Taylor's once did. It's a deceptively tricky tune that only certain vocalists can pull off: he's one of them.

Tracks like the Dan Fogelberg dreamer "Longer" and the Dave Loggins rumination "Please Come to Boston" will be thrills for devotees of '70s pop; the former, on which Edmonds' sweet verses do recall his R&B material, should satisfy his own fans, too. But for the more casual listener, his take on enduring hits like Jim Croce's "Time In A Bottle" and Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" will likely have the most appeal. On "Time," a ramping up of the classic Spanish-inflected guitar lick makes the song more mystical -- certainly just what Croce was going for. And "Heaven's Door" is more interesting still, especially given that the song is often seen as archetypal for '60s pop/rock. Heard here, with gospel-tinged backup singing on the famous singalongs, it seems intuitive that an R&B man give it a go.