This record would be worth it for the cover alone. Tight picture of Muhammed Ali. Would stand alone as a poster. The fact that it comes with 12 tracks of hard to find funk is a nice bonus.
Funk forced to fit onto the confines of the 45 is possibly my favorite form of music. You cut out the chance of 12 minute prog-fusion jams and bring it right down to its gritty essence.
Starts out with Gus "the groove" Lewis and if you like James Brown, you will like him. Makes sure Larry the bass player gets his moment in the sun.
Alvin Cash and Archie Bell are the big names on this comp, but the lesser known artists bring it. In fact Archie Bell's track sounds like a funkadelic trippy leftover that probably shouldn't have seen the light of day. Earl Foster drops "jodine's walk" which is a nice hammond workout with a rock feel to it. Ricky Williams brings "discoteque soul part 2" to the table and unlike the former Miami Dolphin, I don't think anyone was drug testing this Ricky because there's just one thing he wants you to do "PARTY!" Nice breakdown with congas or bongos or something. slight afro-funk groove. Instrumental "sophisticated funk" brings us home. By my count that's 4 out of 6 on side one as bangers that you will want to replay.
Side 2 opens up with Moody Sec working it out on "00-43 GM", bass line seems to bite Ina gadda da vida pretty effectively. This is the B-Side to a 45 with marva hodge and brighter lights than me consider it a "dutch mod dancer" and "dancefloor killer". The Wah Wah Pedal rears its head next on John Phillips Soul and His Stone Marching Band. With a name like that you can guess what you are getting "Soul Line" a little more psych. Nice drum break opens up "they say" by Ray Pereira. Nice funky instrumental.
Closes with "big brown drums" by drum set which for all the drums in the title and name wasn't has percusso-centric as you would think with a nice guitar lead. 4/6 killer on side 2 nets you 8/12 killer and only one track that made me want to skip it. This comp earns the right to have Ali on the cover.
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