Consumer Guide Album

Joan Armatrading: The Shouting Stage [A&M, 1988]
Some faithful decry the bows to pop fashion from lounge to CHR, others hear her fulfilling her destiny. Haven't her fans learned after all these years that beyond raw tunecraft her music is irrelevant? With that proud, brawny voice, she's incapable of pop ingratiation--anything she does is her, and most folks are always gonna think she's weird. P.S.: This time the tunecraft's about average. B