Out from under the wings of Stevie Wonder, Rufus now features Chaka Khan's sexy persona as its selling point. Her logo lips and Hiawatha leather outfits may seem inviting on the album's cover, but between the grooves she's thin.

Khan dominates the album, and though her histrionic vocals have calmed down recently, there is very little emotion in her voice to replace her wailing screams. The material is also less frantic, evenly divided between party cuts ("Have a Good Time" and "Dance wit Me") and sluggish funk tunes ("Everybody Hasan Aura" and "Circles"). An instrumental, "On Time," plods in the standard funk groove, and their cover version of the Bee Gees' "Jive Talkin'" sounds like roller-rink muzak. (RS 205)

TOM VICKERS