Dennis Edwards - Don't Look Any Further (Expanded Edition) (1984)

Don't Look Any Further is the first released solo album from Dennis Edwards, the sometime Temptations lead vocalist. Edwards first made a solo recording in 1977, but had nothing to show for it but an unreleased album. He returned stronger than ever, but then again left in the middle of the sessions for Back to Basics. For Don't Look Any Further, Edwards teamed with producer Dennis Lambert, who was behind the boards for 1983's Temptations effort Surface Thrills. This effort skillfully merged the loveman persona reminiscent of Teddy Pendergrass with the confident early-'80s Al Jarreau-style pop. With Edwards in great voice and spirits, Don't Look Any Further is a thoroughly enjoyable listen. The big hit here, the reggae-tinged title track, was supposed to be a duet with Chaka Khan. Siedah Garrett, who did the demo, appears instead and displays great chemistry with Edwards. The slow-burning "(You're My) Aphrodisiac" soon has Edwards screaming the paint off the walls. What's remarkable about Don't Look Any Further is how is continues to succeed in light of potentially album-stalling premises and sometime so-so production. The breakdancing-ready style of "Shake Hands (Come Out Dancing)" suits Edwards' bluster quite well. The album's biggest surprise, the sweet ballad "Just Like You" has Edwards singing with surprising emotion. Don't Look Any Further presents Edwards as a potent solo act and displays the depth and subtlety inherent in his best work.