On the heels of last year's Come as You Are, the most fully realized Ashford and Simpson album to date, So So Satisfied has to be considered a disappointment.

Come as You Are was primarily an album of delicate ballads and soft, midtempo material that effectively transmitted their distinctive brand of romantic, secularized gospel music. Not only were the songs a moving vehicle for Ashford and Simpson's own efforts, but much of the material on Come as You Are seemed ready-made for a group like the Dynamic Superiors, who enjoyed Ashford and Simpson's production handiwork on their first two albums.

Even at their best, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson have not been the most compatible of vocal teams. Ashford continues to be a heavy-handed vocalist, despite attempts to refine his style with falsetto and a generally softer approach. But, as So So Satisfied proves, he's simply not the right partner for Simpson, and too often has to struggle to keep up with her.

Both continue to be witty, often brilliant lyricists (witness "Destiny"), but William Eaton's arrangements are perfunctory at best and too often in the album Ashford and Simpson are forced to artificially create tension and drama.

This is their fourth album. None has been more than a qualified success. Perhaps Valerie Simpson will consent to resume her solo recording career and hopefully the duo will continue to write and produce for others. A lot of people could benefit from their talents. (RS 235)

JOE MCEWEN