Early Babyface Is Heard on Deele’s ‘Eyes’ : ** 1/2, THE DEELE, “Eyes of a Stranger”; Solar/The Right Stuff

One listen to 1987’s “Two Occasions,” which was the first Top 10 pop hit for this R&B; group, and you realize how little Babyface’s sound has changed since he and LaFace Records co-owner L.A. Reid were part of the Deele.

Many of the hallmarks of the pair’s multi-platinum sound can be found in that and other tunes on the album: the processed electronic drum patterns and striking synthesizer tones that contain hints of a hip-hop influence. But their sound was softer and more elegant than what was found in hip-hop generally at the time and together they--along with rival Teddy Riley--set the parameters for New Jack Swing.

The music in this 1987 collection--the last and best of the group’s three albums--makes a strong case for those critics who have long complained (at least until the imaginative “Waiting to Exhale”) that Babyface wrote the same song over and over. Indeed, specific tracks here could, with minor revisions, serve as the framework for new Babyface productions or recordings.

Stylistically, other ‘80s R&B; groups (notably the Time) or production teams (Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) took more chances and recorded more varied, satisfying albums. Babyface’s strength in the Deele--and in his subsequent work--wasn’t always tied to his daring or songwriting content, but the stylish way he brought together various pop and R&B; elements, from memorable melodies to exquisite musical shading, in warm, heartfelt recordings.

Few of the songs on this album can stand alongside Babyface’s later work. “Can-U-Dance” and “She Wanted” suffer from pop cliches.

The two songs still worth hearing--the gentle “Two Occasions” and the funny “Shoot ‘em Up Movies”--are gems that are drenched in syrupy sentiment, but still win the listener with their easy-going charm. Those songs demonstrate a maturity and purpose that are the precursor to tunes--such as “Don’t Be Cruel”--that would make a superstar out of Bobby Brown and give the songwriting-production team of Babyface and Reid the credibility and financial power to create LaFace Records.

*

*** 1/2 Aretha Franklin, “The Early Years,” Columbia/Legacy. Though overshadowed commercially and critically for years by her astounding work at Atlantic Records in the ‘60s, the best of Franklin’s earlier jazz recordings on Columbia are far stronger than you might have read. In fact, the best of those recordings--which have been collected here--are masterful.

Franklin’s voice on these sessions proves incredibly powerful, yet skillfully refined. Listening to her is akin to watching a youthful Muhammad Ali dancing around Sonny Liston in the boxing ring, floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.

Her jaw-dropping renditions of “This Bitter Earth,” “Skylark” and “Drinking Again” make it hard to believe that Franklin would ever leave the jazz tradition, but it’s her stripped-down, evocative rendition of the pop standard “Walk On By” that readily demonstrates what Jerry Wexler saw in her when he lured her to Atlantic Records.

Franklin could inject even a simple popcorn melody with a depth of emotional resonance that was remarkable. It’s a quality that separates the lounge singers from the divas--and Aretha Franklin from everyone else.

* Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).