D-Train - Something's on Your Mind [Remastered] (1984/1992)

Released in 1984, Something's on Your Mind was the last of three albums that singer/composer James "D-Train" Williams and producer/keyboardist/composer Hubert Eaves III -- together known as D Train -- recorded for Prelude. In 1985, Williams and Eaves left the small New York-based label (which subsequently went out of business) and, although they continued to work together, Williams signed with Columbia as a solo artist in 1986. Something's on Your Mind isn't quite as essential as D Train's self-titled debut album of 1982, but it's still impressive. The moody yet funky title song became a major hit, and the duo is equally captivating on funk/dance offerings like "I'll Do Anything" and "Hustle and Bustle of the City" (which should have been released as a single). To its credit, the duo isn't afraid to try different things -- "Thank You" finds Williams and Eaves detouring into reggae, while a brief performance of Carole King's "So Far Away" combines R&B with adult contemporary/soft rock elements. Eaves' keyboards played a prominent role on most of the duo's Prelude recordings, but on "So Far Away" Williams accompanies himself on acoustic guitar. Again, 1982's D Train is the group's most essential album, but this LP is also rewarding and is well worth having.