Mass Production

Because 1978's Three Miles High was uneven and inconsistent, one greeted Mass Production's next album, In the Purest Form, with a bit of apprehension. But creatively, the Richmond band bounced back on this generally excellent 1979 LP, which contains the #4 R&B hit "Firecracker." A funk classic that boasts a truly addictive groove, "Firecracker" became Mass Production's biggest hit and is the song that the band is best remembered for. Thankfully, the rest of the album is also quite strong. "Can't You See I'm Fired Up" and "Eyeballin'" (not to be confused with the Heatwave song, which also came out in 1979) are addictive funk-disco jams, and Agnes "Tiny" Kelly (one of the lead vocalists) has a memorable spot on the smooth soul ballad "With Pleasure." Mass Production was never famous for playing ballads; up-tempo funk-disco dominated its albums. Nonetheless, all of these albums did contain at least one ballad or slow jam. For those who viewed Three Miles High as the work of a band that was going downhill creatively, In the Purest Form was a very pleasant surprise. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide