George Benson's 20/20 at 40: A Quick Look Back
The record was met with mixed reviews when it was released. 40 years on, do they hold up?
Good Morning!
Today we’re taking a quick look at George Benson’s 20/20 as it turns 40.
Someone would invariably give my dad a record on every birthday and Christmas. And as sure as the sun will shine tomorrow, he’d take the still-wrapped present, hold it up, and joke that it “must be a basketball!” It was the quintessential dad joke, and you just came to expect it as part of the show.
This was one of the last records he got.
Benson’s 20/20 turns 40 today, and it's not a stretch to say it was met with mixed reviews. This is the last record in a string that saw Benson exploring a pop sound. He’d been slowly trending that way for a while. You can already see the trend line by listening to a record like 1968’s The Shape of Things to Come and then 1979’s Livin’ Inside Your Love. Starting with the 1980s Give Me the Night, it takes the shape of a hockey stick, keeps going with In Your Eyes, and hits its saccharine peak with this record.
But hear me out here: taken in context, this is a good record.
20/20 was his 6th record for Warner Brothers, and if you’re a fan of the man, it’s got plenty of what you like. Do you love it when he scats? It’s got that. How about a duet with Roberta Flack? You bet. There are tracks written by Gerry Goffin and Michael Sembello (yes, that Michael Sembello). Steve Lukather’s got a credit on here because, of course, he does. Were there any records made in the mid-80s that he wasn't in the studio for?
Russ Titleman was behind the boards, and it’s clear that in some respect, he’s trying to emulate Quincy Jones and make a George Benson version of Thriller. It was 1984; who could blame him? Other detractors note that Benson didn't write a word on the record, which, okay, that’s a fair point. That said, he surrounded himself with an army of talent. The journey to get this from the drawing board to the Tower Records rack took 17 stops at various studios.
Benson is a guitarist, but synthesizers and sequencers rule the day here. In fact, that’s one of the usual knocks on the record, that by going digital, it somehow lacks soul; one reviewer took it further, saying that staying 20/20 “is poor adult Muzak. Music for elevators and airport lounges. Music for Long Beach Pools and investment bank yuppies.”
Oof.
Another noted that most of it… embodies a lot of what is wrong with 80s pop and the emotional emptiness of mainstream music.
I get that people want substance from music, but there’s also value in escapism. Vaporwave & House aren’t popular because they make you stop and ponder life. Not everything you put on the turntable has to be emotionally fraught. It doesn’t always have to be Nick Drake, ya know?
This is a determinedly upbeat record, and in that regard, it hits all the marks. Is some of it dated? Sure. But so is that Members Only jacket in the back of your closet. That doesn't mean the songs can't be enjoyed for what they are. I think a lot of the pushback on the record arose from it not meeting the expectations people had of Benson. Even though he’d been inching increasingly toward pop and quiet storm, many still expected a pure jazz LP.
For me, that’s all part of the bargain with his discography. It’s extensive enough that there’s something for whatever you might be in the mood for, be it Flamenco, Big Band, or his spin on Abbey Road. A dance track featuring Kashif? Believe it.
That variety is a feature, not a bug.
“No One Emotion” kicks things off, and even if I had told you what year it was from, it would have given you a bazillion contextual clues to choose from. Play it anyway. It’ll pair well with your morning coffee…or annoy that obnoxious coworker in the next cubicle—dealer’s choice.
It’s not all neon BMWs and big shoulder pads; the “old” Benson appears in an elegant, big-band take of “Beyond the Sea” that closes out Side 1. “New Day” has a nice, chill vibe, if a bit over the top. The record closes with “You Are the Love of My Life”- his duet with Flack. Say what you will about this being off-brand for the man— it wouldn't be a George Benson record without a schmaltzy torch song.
But before all of that is “Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love For You,” a track that went nowhere for him but became a hit a few years later. Written by Michael Masser & Gerry Goffin, Glenn Medeiros took it into the top 20 in 1987.
It's a shame no one at Warner saw any potential in it at the time—it wasn't even released as a single.
But you know what they say about hindsight.
Listen:
George Benson | 20/20, 1985
Click the record to listen on the platform of your choice.
What are your thoughts on this record? Do you have any favorite tracks or memories associated with it? Where does it land on your list of Benson’s albums? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Thanks for being here,
Kevin—
I heard of George Benson because I heard he originally recorded "Greatest Love of All."
I'll check out this album.
I like this record and interestingly I didn’t know about all the bad rep it had got. I agree with you that, while it may not be his best work, some of the critics were too harsh. Is it the best record of the decade? Probably not, but it’s certainly not the worst. Thanks for the great read as always!