In 1982,
Cerrone was determined to forge ahead; and, for the Paris native, that meant paying a lot less attention to the type of Eurodisco that had endeared him to European audiences in the late 1970s. You won't find a lot of Eurodisco on 1982's
Back Track; instead, this vinyl LP emphasizes sleek, sophisticated R&B/pop and is often quite mindful of the sounds that urban contemporary stations were playing at the time. Memorable items like "Stop on By," "Strollin' on Sunday," and the title track (which enjoyed some urban contemporary airplay on the East Coast) don't sound anything like "Love in C Minor" or "Take Me," but they have a lot in common with the material that
Kashif and his allies were producing and writing for
Evelyn "Champagne" King in 1981 and 1982. However,
Cerrone acknowledges his past with an interesting remake of "Supernature," which features singer
Nanette Workman and is more R&B-minded than the original version. And "Trippin' on the Moon" has a European dance-pop flavor. But
Back Track is an R&B album first and foremost, and while it isn't among
Cerrone's essential releases, it's solid and respectable. ~ Alex Henderson