Will to Power

Album Review

In 1988, the Florida dance outfit Will to Power infiltrated dancefloors with their freestyle/dance hits "Dreamin'" and "Say It's Gonna Rain," which, superficially, may have resembled the music and production styles of acts such as Exposé and the Cover Girls, but in reality were more street and aggressive. Then, out of left field, came their unlikely and ultimately massive medley/remake of Peter Frampton's "Baby I Love Your Way" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird." The song, titled "Baby I Love Your Way/Free Bird Medley (Free Baby)," infuriated rock purists but delighted the record-buying public. The well-produced ballad, which was a lush, thumping track augmented by gloriously rich vocals, rocketed all the way to number one and became one of the year's biggest hits and an enduring 1980s classic. Will to Power managed to score with a fourth hit from the album, the dramatic and urgent "Fading Away," which, to this day, can still pack a dancefloor. The rest of the tracks on this set, some a bit tinny and lightweight, don't really hold up to the singles, but on the strength of the singles alone, Will to Power winds up being a near-great album, and a must for fans of late-'80s dance-pop. ~ Jose F. Promis, Rovi