Heroes is the eighth studio album by the Commodores, released in June 1980 by Motown Records. It has been certified platinum in the US by the RIAA.[1][2]
With a 9 out of 10 rating, Bev Hillier of Smash Hits called Heroes "a highly polished, versatile album."[4]Phyl Garland of Stereo Review praised the album, writing: "On it they explore a broad range of subjects and show a willingness to tackle material that is not so obviously tailored to ride the charts. Furthermore, they have gone beyond the simplistic boy -loves -girl and dance -dance -dance lyrics that are the formula staples of contemporary soul music. The album offers plenty of the kind of soul funk we have come to expect of the Commodores, performed with stunning precision, but there are also some interesting variations."[6]Robert Christgau of The Village Voice gave a B, describing Heroes as "an improvement. For one thing, most of the brotherhood anthems--which avoid the gender-specific, actually, with lots of "people," "folks," and "y'all"--have a somewhat more rousing beat than "Three Times a Lady." And on the fond "Old-Fashion Love" and the cold-hearted "Sorry to Say," the brothers remind Lionel that this is still supposed to be a funk band."[5]
Record World said of the title track that "Lionel Ritchie sings with loving sincerity."[8]Record World said of "Old-Fashion Love" that "Multi-octave vocal carousing and a funky percussion backdrop provide the setting on this plea for some premium love."[9]Record World called the single "Jesus Is Love" an "inspirational ballad."[10]
