So Soon We Change

About

David Ruffin could have sung the <i>The Muppet Show</i> theme, and it would’ve been alight with power and beauty. His voice didn’t age as much as reveal his own life’s missteps and failures. Sure, cocaine eventually ravaged his vocal range and tone, but it’s that hold-a-note-despite-the-odds quality that made Ruffin one of the greatest soul singers to draw a breath. After a handful of appealing yet scarcely promoted Motown solo albums, this 1979 Warner Brothers debut saw underrated producer and songwriter Don Davis (Johnnie Taylor, Dramatics) smooth out Ruffin’s delivery while backing him up with horns, dance beats, and funked-out riffs (many provided by Funk Brother guitarist Dennis Coffey). Ruffin is the dance-floor priest on “Let Your Love Rain Down on Me,” “Sexy Dancer,” and “Chain on the Brain,” while “Break My Heart” shows he’s still a balladeer worthy his '60s Temptations sides. On “Morning Sun Looks Blue” and the Davis-penned “Let’s Stay Together,” you can actually hear Ruffin on his best behavior.

via Apple Music