During his eight-year stint with Hi Records, Syl Johnson was in the shadows of both Al Green and Ann Peebles. As this album‰۪s predecessors had Johnson vacillating between being a romantic and a wretch, ‰Û÷Total Explosion‰۪ explores his unrepentant side with good results. The album‰۪s biggest single was Johnson‰۪s slowed- down take on Green‰۪s ‰Û÷Take Me To The River‰۪. Although the religious / sexual imagery is lost in the translation, Johnson does a good job with it. The best track, the brilliantly arranged ‰Û÷Watch What You Do To Me‰۪ has Johnson playing the role of cuckold and as he sings ‰ÛÏI carry my piece, everywhere I go,‰۝ it certainly made him more of a menace than a romantic balladeer.‰Û÷Total Explosion‰۪ was Johnson‰۪s most successful album at Hi Records and was one of the best in the label‰۪s catalogue.åÊ
