By the time
Pockets recorded its third and final album
So Delicious, Columbia was feeling frustrated -- a band that was supposed to be "the next
Earth, Wind & Fire" had never made it any higher than number 17 on Billboard's R&B singles chart and had yet to enjoy a real blockbuster smash. Although
Pockets had a small following, supergroup status eluded the Baltimore residents.
Pockets' admirers hoped that
So Delicious would be the group's big commercial breakthrough, but the LP was only a modest seller. While
Come Go With Me remains
Pockets' best and most essential release,
So Delicious is generally decent -- not mind-blowing, but decent.
EWF's Verdine White (a brother of
Maurice White) produced
So Delicious with Robert Wright, which is why the strong
EWF influence on "How Do You Think It Feels," "Your Heart's in Trouble," and the single "Catch Me" (which hints at "Boogie Wonderland") should come as no surprise. Even on a cover of
the Delfonics' "La La (Means I Love You),"
EWF's influence asserts itself. But it isn't like
Pockets is going out of its way to emulate
EWF; rather, the
EWF influence is only one element of the band's overall sound. So
Pockets didn't suffer from a lack of originality -- that wasn't the problem.
Pockets' problem was the lack of a major hit, and when this LP didn't sell, the band ended up calling it quits. ~ Alex Henderson