Calloway - Greatest Hits (CD)

All Music Guide

Not long after leaving Midnight Star in 1986, the brothers Calloway were back on the charts -- first at the helm of massive pop hits by LeVert, Natalie Cole, and Gladys Knight the Pips, then, by 1990, with their own chart entries. Veterans of the music industry, Calloway knew well how to make a splash with their first single; "I Wanna Be Rich" had been written (but not recorded) during a Midnight Star session back in 1983, but made it to number two on the pop charts. A pleasant piece of pop singalong fluff, the track launched their debut album All the Way and helped propel the title track into the pop charts as well. Though the pair only recorded two albums, by the time a decade had lapsed Calloway earned a second hits compilation, the 14-track Greatest Hits. Opening with an extended mix of "I Wanna Be Rich," the rest of the disc proves only that casual listeners shouldn't pursue any more than that single. As songwriters, producers, and performers, Reggie and Vincent Calloway rarely r...ose above the pedestrian with these solo recordings, except for a hard New Jack track called "Freaks Compete" and an interesting hip-hop take on Sly Stone's "Family Affair." Since Calloway recorded only four hits -- only two of which reached the pop charts -- even the title of Greatest Hits is a misnomer. - John Bush, All Music Guide Read more Less