Album Review

Amy Hanson [allmusic.com]

Released in 1985, B-Movie Matinee proved a stellar departure from Nile Rodgers' initial solo outing. Leaving behind the more traditional trappings of his R&B-inflected debut, he instead looked to the synthesized future, driving his organic bass and guitars into what amounted to a concept album of sorts, fueled by memories of lazy Saturday B-movie afternoons. Bright, punchy pop punctuates this set. From the quirky sci-fi of ''Plan-9'' and the contemporary urban groove on ''State Your Mind,'' which is one of the album's better tracks, Rodgers fills the space with eminently danceable, if somewhat same-y, songs using synthesizer tricks to thrill. ''Let's Go out Tonight,'' meanwhile, proved the album's hot prospect, dipping into the Top 100, giving Rodgers his only solo chart hit. Rounding things out are the ballad ''Wavelength'' and Rodgers' immaculate instrumentation -- most notably the guitar and bass, which bound through the funky ''Groove Master'' with glee. Perhaps a little too light on substance, B-Movie Matinee still manages to please. Being Nile Rodgers can't be easy, as the mere mention of his name conjures such strong sonic images from his Chic canon, and it's hard to ignore those predispositions when listening to his solo material. But that's no detriment to the fine set he's unleashed here.