Customer Reviews

Your Wish Is My Command

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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Lakeside are another one of those rather understated but widely acknowledged giants of 80's funk and soul who were serious .. correction .. very serious MUSICIANS in every respect.

If the reader is unfamiliar with Lakeside then perhaps "Magic Moments" and "Special" may be worthwhile samples to audition, or if cool is more your thing, then perhaps "Urban Man".

Lakeside's "Your wish is my command" is the very first album - err . record .. I ever bought - and what a proud day that was. What a joy to see it digitally remastered onto CD

I first heard the title track "Your wish is my command" on the radio and took notice of the excellent bassline, the superb drums and rhythm and figured I would have no objections to hearing what else was on the album. It must have been a whole week later before I heard "Special" and decided I had heard enough. It was time to buy me a record!

A dilemma shortly ensued. I had enough cash for just one record (hey! I was still at school) and there was a shortlist to choose from which included Skyy. A close friend advised me to sample "Magic moments" at the record shop before I made up my mind. I was blown away and there could only be one winner after that for me.

"Magic Moments" has remained one of my all time 80's favourites and the track upholds the "timeless" reputation of these 80's gems. Amazing sound stage when you use high quality headphones!

"Urban man" and "I wanna hold your hand" were the perfect icing for when it made it sense to give the dancing shoes a break.

And now for the jury ..

Pros: Excellent compositions! Magic Moments, Special, Your Wish is My command are timeless classics that would not be out of place in any serious collectors portfolio.

Cons: CD quite rare and a little on the expensive side. A track or two still to do that "grow on you" thing for me.

Verdict: No regrets! Great album!

Lakeside was one of the few funk groups that did not have that "wild" or eccentric image. This CD is tremendous. "Your Wish" is typical of Lakeside's funky side. The remake of the Beatle's "I Want to Hold Your Hand", into a ballad, is (to steal a Heatwave term) mind-blowing. Otis Stokes' performance (vocals) on that tune is memorable. The other gem, and perhaps my favorite, is "Something About That Woman". The combination of light guitar, heavy bass, and passionate vocals, makes this one of the hidden treasures of the early 1980's.

The title song is too tough! Lakeside is one of my favorite groups. Get funky with Lakeside!

The title song is too tough! Lakeside is one of my favorite groups. Get funky with Lakeside!

As 1981 was about to commence, Lakeside releases their best album ever, especially when Solar records released their poorly produced Keep on Movin' Straight Ahead in the summer of that year. Once again, Lakeside funkdefied the dancefloors and nationwide R&B radio stations with the title track and hit single, "Something About That Woman." "Magic Moments" and "Urban Man" were playful fillers. My personal favorites from this album is the Beatles hit remake "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and the album closer, "Songwriter." Not as much known for the ballads, "I Want To Hold Your Hand " was released as a single and it peaked at number 5 on the R&B charts in early 1982. Unlike their previous releases, Lakeside threw in more ballads while their label mates, The Whispers were marketed more for the grooves than before(listen to Love is Where You Find It lp). By 1983, both bands return to their usual musical format. Unfortunatley, Your Wish Is My Command didn't meet or bypass the success of Fantastic Voyage partly due to SOLAR's main focus on Shalamar (in a few short months, Shalamar release their most successful lp, Friends). I guess Lakeside never had a desire to crossover as long as they kept touring, making some great music for themselves and some of their labelmates. I admire Lakeside for keep doing their thing and sticking to what they know.

While not one of their strongest efforts, they still delivered with their own unique brand of funk & soul. Not to knock what we have now in the current r&b scene, but Lakeside maintained it's strength by using actual vocals to sing (no hardcore rap with these guys). While sometimes overshadowed by other equally talented groups like Con Funk Shun, One Way, Midnight Star, Switch, FatBack, Lakeside was still able to hold their own. Your Wish Is My Command does just that.It gives us listeners of old school our wish;just good 'ol plain funk & soul without getting violent or nasty !...