Diamond in the Rough (Reissue)

'Johnson's unique feat lies in his earnest yet sometimes ironic take on love and relationships. Exemplary are "Keeping Down Confusion" with its rolling organ and "Don't Do It," where the singer drives home the ultimate cliché of "I was just doing my job/Working overtime," convincing listeners of wrongfully being accused of cheating on his better half. Singing at the top of his register unintentionally added to Johnson's well-timed delivery and was perfected for Total Explosion's closing track "That's Just My Luck." Not a dry eye in the house as Johnson's seemingly guilty conscious ("What am I doing here/With another man's wife/I'm shaking in fear/But I'm having the time of my life/I'm a fool/To put myself in jeopardy/But I can't help myself/She makes sweet love to me") makes for an adultery song which holds up with the likes of Don Covay's "I Was Checkin' Out She Was Checkin' In." Diamond in the Rough has its own surprises, for instance in the minor R&B chart success of "I Want to Take You Home to See Mama." Initially coming on too joyfully honest for its own good, its credibility easily supersedes Al Green's "Let's Get Married." As ballads like the unfairly overlooked first single "Please Don't Give Up on Me" stand out, the albums best song remains the driving "Stuck in Chicago."' - All Music Guide