Felix Cavaliere - Castles In The Air (Reissue) (1979/2005)

Felix Cavaliere's third solo album is a superb piece of soulful soft rock, the former Rascals singer ably supported by Luther Vandross, Randy Brecker, et al., with Cavaliere doubling as his own producer. The material -- which includes a lean, stripped-down recut version of "People Got to Be Free" -- is a great showcase for Cavaliere's range, while the arrangements and accompaniments make the pieces soar in his hands. The effect is sort of like what one imagines the Rascals might have sounded like (not surprising with Annie Sutton present as well) had they endured into the disco era, and Cavaliere's voice is so seductive in its textures and timbre that even listeners who wish for more ballads will be satisfied by this album. The 1990s Japanese Epic CD reissue features superb sound, incidentally, and might be easier to find than a domestic vinyl LP from the '70s.