AMG Review of Quiet Storm

Richie Unterberger
All Music Guide

Be cautioned that this 20-track retrospective of material spanning the late '60s to the mid-'70s is not a best of, although it does include some of the Main Ingredient's biggest hits ("Just Don't Want to Be Lonely," "Everybody Plays the Fool"). As the title indicates, this focuses on the mellow and romantic side of the group. As the Main Ingredient largely specialized in mellow and romantic songs, this ends up being close to something of a best-of anyway. The relentless soft-pillow ambience of the tracks can become wearisome; in this context, the easygoing "Everybody Plays the Fool" sounds more like a blitzkrieg than a "quiet storm."