Maze featuring Frankie Beverly - Maze featuring Frankie Beverly (Reissue, 2004)

At a time when disco reigned supreme, Maze and Frankie Beverly took the R&B charts by storm with a smooth yet gritty soul/funk approach that rejected the disco beat entirely. Growing up in the soul hotbed of Philadelphia had a definite impact on Maze's distinctive sound, which owed as much to Marvin Gaye as it did to Philly soul. Classics like "While I'm Alone," "Lady of Magic," "You," and the hit "Happy Feelin's" earned Maze an intensely devoted bunch of followers, who will tell you in a minute that the charismatic Beverly is the very essence of a soul singer. Though it wasn't a single, one of the best offerings on the album is "Colorblind," a jewel expressing Beverly's frustration over the racial polarization that plagued the U.S. in 1977 and remained alive and well years later. This outstanding debut album didn't do much in the pop market, but thanks to enthusiastic support from the R&B market, it went gold.