The anthemic soul of I’m Every Woman and 1984’s chart-topper I Feel For You clearly identify the rallying R&B spirit of much of Khan’s solo work, but there are longtime fans who maintain a fondness for her jazz-funk recordings with Rufus. There’s little of that here, though, bringing in to question the use of the word “essential” in the collection’s title.
Only three Rufus tracks make the cut, none of which are especially representative of the band’s core sound; the hit single Ain’t Nobody makes broad concessions to mainstream dance music, while their version of the standard Don’t Go To Strangers remains faithful to the song’s torch ballad roots. There are, however, lingering signs of Khan’s old band’s hard grooves on selections from her 1979 solo debut Chaka (The Message In The Middle Of The Bottom, Life Is A Dance).
Khan’s late 80s and 90s recordings were fairly erratic in quality, though 1992’s The Woman I Am was a high watermark, notably the wronged woman ferocity of You Can Make The Story Right and the slinky Love You All My Lifetime. Yet even when the songs themselves border on the mediocre, they’re lifted to a higher plain by that magnificent voice.
