Just about every other pop singer these days, it seems, harbors a secret
(or not-so-secret) desire to break into the acting biz. Comic-turned-actor Eddie Murphy, on the other hand, obviously hankers for recognition as a pop singer. So, with some vocal and/or instrumental and songwriting help from such pals as Rick James and Stevie Wonder, Murphy has recorded a debut album that shapes up as par for the course as far as most of these efforts go: It`s competent, but hardly inspired or memorable.
The mood is lightweight soul/pop, with Murphy`s soft, high singing voice often taking a back seat to the instrumental arrangements. Three of the cuts are duets, with Murphy joined by Rick James, Daryl Murphy and Crystal Blake at various times. The biggest surprise–given Murphy`s raucous, indigo blue stand-up comedy routines and well-known penchant for profanity–is how many of his own songs call on God and Jesus for help or otherwise espouse Christian tenets.
The sentiments of brotherhood are hard to argue with, but Murphy`s talents as a lyricist leave something to be desired. ”Some people didn`t appreciate what they knew, And off the brothers heads they blew,” he writes in a reference to Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and John and Robert Kennedy in ”My God Is Color Blind.” Murphy may be on comedy`s fast track–which is no doubt why he landed a record deal to try his luck as a vocalist–but as a pop singer, he has yet to rise above the pedestrian.
