Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie will never surprise you. His triumph has been his ability to turn conservative
dependability into a commercial, and at times even an aesthetic, virtue. If he's rarely
galvanizing, he's never less than accomplished, and Dancing on the Ceiling sets an
impressive standard for mainstream pop craft in the Eighties. Following the massively
successful formula defined by 1983's Can't Slow Down, Dancing on the Ceiling as... More >

Though it's customary to situate Richie square in the middle of the pop mainstream, in fact he's more austere than that, and more distinctive--his placidity and simplicity yield a lulling, almost mantralike entertainment that recalls Sade or J.J. Cale. Granted, his clichéd verse isn't always as transparent as he hopes--mawk like "Ballerina Girl" is all too noticeable. And sometimes he doesn't put his heart into the semi-fast ones. But he compensates with a knack for tune that puts him over the fine line between lulling and boring--a knack that Sade or Cale would go metal for. (Grade: B+)