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Anita
Baker
Rapture
By Carla Robinson
What to say about a record that changed the face of a musical genre? R&B
enthusiasts divide the’80s into two periods: before Rapture and after Rapture and
rightfully so. One of the most complete recordings ever made, each of its eight songs is a
testament to the unlimited possibilities of Soul and Anita’s interpretations remain
the epitome of sultry. Bursting on the scene in 1986, when the word subtle was pretty much
anathema to music (lest we forget, this is the year Eddie Murphy had a hit with
“Party All The Time”), Rapture set the standard for Quiet Storm, becoming to
R&B what Sade would to pop.
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The sextuple platinum Rapture earned Anita two Grammys,
one for Best R&B Female Performance and the other, Best R&B Song for the simmering
“Sweet Love.” Anita penned the set’s first single, “Watch Your
Step” along with “Been So Long” while contributing to “Sweet
Love.” In a move both rare and somewhat controversial at the time, she also executive
produced the record. One can only suppose that her experience with The Songstress lead her
to fight for creative control of her follow-up and it’s a good thing she did. Rapture
is a love affair with love, embracing every phase of this most sung-about emotion with a
freshness that remains today. From the harmonious strains of new love on
“Rapture”: “When we met, I always knew/I would feel the magic of you”
to the driving notes of betrayal on “Watch Your Step,” Rapture is a resplendent
classic. M
February 2001
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