"Barry White," of the distinctive deep voice some have labelled "Barrytone," is back with another 10 songs that seem to be written for one reason: to get people into the mood for a long night of passion. Okay, there are a few introspective songs on this album, but the majority of songs could get anyone but Lilith from "Frasier" in the mood. His latest offering is titled "Staying Power," and with the album, he is determined to prove he possesses it. As soon as the new millenium rolls around, Barry will have been in the music business for 40 years. For much of this time, he has been cranking out his patented, sultry, soul/funk compositions. There doesn't seem to be a lot of growth and expansion in his songwriting, so his albums at times seem formulaic. However, since his last album went triple-platinum, it is definitely a formula that works. Barry steals a page out of the Jim Steinman book of songwriting on this CD. The shortest song on the album, a cover of "Lowrider," clocks in at over five minutes. However, when you have the seething funk of "Staying Power," the album's opening and title track, you don't mind the songs running a little long. (Is it just me, or is there a possible tie-in with Viagra here?)

After the deep, sensual grooves of the second track, "Don't Play Games," Barry does something a bit unusual - he offers the same song twice, once as the third track and once as a bonus track. In what is possibly an effort to reach several generations of fans, he does a duet called "The Longer We Make Love," first with Chaka Khan, and later with Lisa Stansfield. I'm probably dating myself when I say I prefer the Chaka Khan version, but I feel she does a better job of capturing the sultry feel of the song.

Vintage Barry follows with the song "I Get Off On You." I hardly need to do more by way of explanation than give that song title, but I will say that Gerald Albright's saxophone, and a trio of female back-up singers, Glodean White, Brenda Holloway, and Bridget White-Hancock, add substance to an already stylish song.

Later, he gets nasty on the half-sung/half-spoken "Get Up," where he urges the listener to "Get your ass up," before warning that the only thing that comes to people who do nothing is "Not a damn thing." That song and the uptempo song that follows, "Sometimes," are the closest things to preachy songs on the album, providing words of wisdom from someone who has been there, done that.

He throws in two cover songs on the album, "Low Rider" and "Thank You," an updated version of Sly and the Family Stone's hit "Thank You For Talkin' To Me Africa," both of which fit nicely in the spirit of the album. He then closes out with the Lisa Stansfield duet.

This is a fun album. It is pretty much more of what we have come to know and expect from "Barry White." He is the master at soulful mood music, and even if he doesn't vary what he does a great deal, as long as it continues to work he'll still have a niche in the music world.