Love for Sale

Boney M.'s follow-up to their 1976 success Take the Heat Off Me closely adheres to the formula established by that album: a combination of original songs and offbeat cover versions done in a style that marries bubblegum pop hooks to a disco beat. Like its predecessor, Love for Sale also scored some notable international hits: "Ma Baker" is a colorful gangster story that boasts a stuttered vocal hook guaranteed to stick in the listener's head, and "Belfast" is an up-tempo dancefloor stormer that works some surprisingly heavy sounding power chords into the group's slick dancefloor sound. Frank Farian's slick, lush production ensures that the album is a slick piece of ear candy from start to finish. However, the album tracks are not as consistent this time out: the cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" benefits from an effective rhythm guitar hook but the up-tempo arrangement robs the song of its emotional power, and "Gloria Can You Waddle," while catchy, i