Adventures In Paradise

the take

Minnie Riperton is one artist who I only know moreso by name and less by specific songs. That said, soon as I played the opener to her album "Adventures in Paradise", it instantly clicked for me that this could be considered a Black classic album. But while I wouldn't exactly call this a "classic", per se, I still found myself enjoying this like I expected to. Minnie's vocals on here sound like she serenades your heart and soul like she's actually there with you. That's evident in her romantic ballads like the opening track "Baby, This Love I Have" and "Feelin' That Your Feelin's Right". Throughout ten tracks, Minnie takes the listener through the ups and downs of love and romance (the downs as evidenced in "Minnie's Lament"), thus making her come off as vulnerable and open with her thoughts and feelings. The musical soundscape seems to match her vibe on here basically to a T, with soulful production emphasizing Minnie Riperton's songwriting to where it comes off as convincing (and for me, relatable as all get out). While I love "Baby, This Love I Have", it has nothing on the wildly sexually-charged "Inside My Love", which couldn't be any more obvious despite being released in the mid-1970's. Looking into Minnie's discography, I've heard that she has better albums than this. If so, I'm genuinely curious to give those a listen because that means I'm in for a treat, especially after finding Minnie Riperton's "Adventures in Paradise" amazing.