AMG Review of Take No Prisoners

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

In the wake of his ascension into the pop Top Ten with the ballad "If Ever You're in My Arms Again," Peabo Bryson might have been expected to try to consolidate that success with his follow-up record. And indeed, Take No Prisoners, produced by such crossover veterans as Arif Mardin and Tommy LiPuma and featuring such pop songwriters as Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Tom Snow, may have seemed like a try for that. But Elektra led off its singles releases with the light, up-tempo title track, and followed with another, "There's Nothin' out There," apparently in a move to solidify Bryson's R&B base. Neither of those songs found much success, however, and the potential crossover ballads, such as "Love Always Finds a Way" and "She's Over Me," never got off side two and onto the airwaves. As a result, the album represented a missed opportunity for Bryson, even though he sang with his usual assurance, the material was of good quality, and the production was sympathetic.