FAMILY REUNION

The O'Jays: Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, William Powell. The once monolithic Motown Sound had begun to fragment in the early '70s, and into the breach stepped Philadelphia International, the label run by genius producers/songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Their stable of artists basically ruled the radio and the nation's dance floors in the middle of the decade. The O'Jays were probably their classiest act. This 1975 album is typical of the group's work with Gamble and Huff, a life-affirming effort ("Remember, the family that prays together stays together," Gamble avers in the liner notes), proving that socially conscious music such as "Unity," the title tune, could co-exist with appeals to the feet like "Livin' For the Weekend" and "I Love Music."

• Genre: Pop
• Format: CD
• Released: 02/01/2008