Album Recommendation: The Second Adventure by Dynasty
Dynasty was SOLAR’s clearest house band, built for the dancefloor without losing soul. The Second Adventure is the moment Leon Sylvers III steps into the lineup and puts his name on the front.
In the late 1970s through the 1980s, the Los Angeles label SOLAR hit a peak, putting out releases by artists like Lakeside, The Whispers, and Shalamar. Among them, Dynasty—handpicked and driven by Leon Sylvers III—may have been the group that most fully embodied the label’s identity.
Up through their second album, Adventures In the Land of Music, Leon’s official role was still “producer.” With this third album, The Second Adventure, he formally joins the group, taking a confident center spot on the cover as well. With Dynasty now Leon’s group in both name and reality, the album is stuffed with crisp, feel-good SOLAR dance cuts, enough to make a strong case for it as their signature statement.
“Here I Am” is a modern, fresh soul dancer. “Pain, Got a Hold On Me” is boogie-funk driven by a hard, tightly locked bass line, while “A Man in Love” leans into a bittersweet mid-tempo ballad feel. “Give Your Love to Me” is pure SOLAR, pure Leon Sylvers funk-dancer energy, and “You’re My Angel” moves in a clean, breezy mellow-ballad lane.
“Love In the Fast Lane” is urbane and stylish as a dance track. “Revenge” pushes the beat forward in a boogie-funk pocket, and “Give It Up for Love” is a mid-tempo cut where a rough, growling bass supports a pop-leaning melody and a floating chorus. “High Time (I Left You Baby)” builds a solid groove from minimal guitar cutting, and the closer “That Lovin’ Feeling” rides out on sharp, slapping mid-funk bass.