Generally, people think of Lionel Richie as the purveyor of a different kind of smooth…the kind that veers dangerously close to “oily”. 1977’s “Easy” comes from a time when Richie (and the Commodores, the group he was a co-lead singer, pianist and saxophonist for) had not yet crossed over into Lite-FM territory (with songs like “Three Times a Lady” and “Oh No”). It’s mellow, but it’s still funky. It’s got a killer guitar solo, a melody that’s singable without being […]