Minnie Riperton- Adventures In Paradise (1975)- ****
(I found an old hard drive with about 60 soul, funk and R&B records. I'm guessing this was from my days playing in The Cool Jerks, the band that played old soul, funk and R&B covers. There are some amazing titles here, many rare, and many I have no recollection of hearing before, like this Minnie Riperton record, which is absolutely fantastic. Great arrangements that feel like their own genre. Highly recommended. More to come over the next few days. Might fall into a rabbit hole with this stuff.)
The Exciters- Caviar And Chitlins (1969)- ***1/2
(Only a few years from "Doo Wah Diddy" and "Tell Him" but the Exciters sound like a different band. Good pop/R&B. Solid record.)
Julius Brockington- Sophisticated Funk (1972)- **1/2
(Brockington's an organ player and both he and this record are new to me. It isn't very good. It's subpar R&B and groove music with extended jams by a band that is really sloppy. I gave up about four songs in.)
The Beatles- Magical Mystery Tour (MONO, 1967/2025)-****
(Palate cleanser.)
Coke- S/T (1972)-**
(Another one that is new to me, amateurish Latin funk and soul out of Miami. It's a bit third rate. Made it through three tracks. Originals get good money, and it was reissued in 2025 on the Mr. Bongo label, so they must have a cult following.)
Joe Tex- The Love You Save (1966)- ***
Dave Mason- Let It Flow (1977)- ***
Stanley Clarke- S/T (1974)- ***1/2
(Love Bill Connors guitar playing on "Power" and "Life Suite," as well as Tony Williams' drum solo on "Life Suite!" Great record after the weak opening track.)
Ringo Starr- Long, Long Road (2026)- ***1/2
(He's 86. And a Beatle. And this ain't bad.)
Damn Sam The Miracle Man & The Soul Congregation- S/T (1970)- ***
(Another obscurity that is new to me, with original vinyl copies selling for as much as $1000. It's pretty rollicking funk and R&B, though nothing particularly amazing. Every song has the same tempo and rhythm, like a Fela album, and Damn Sam's vocals are mostly a growl. I listened to al of it, so I suppose that says something. Glad I didn't pay $1000 for it, but I dug these two below.)
Radio Stars- Holiday Album (1978)- ***1/2
The Jam- All Mod Cons (1978)- ****
5 comments:
Question on the Cover of the Day: who is the guy pictured and why isn't it Petula Clark?
It's Tony Hatch. He wrote the song.
Wow, haven't thought about that Minnie Riperton record in ages. I used to own it and Perfect Angel. I saw her live when I was 14 when Rotary Connection opened for Lemon Pipers in Cleveland. Still enjoy Rotary Connection. https://kleaveburg.blogspot.com/2010/04/rotary-connection-black-gold-very-best.html
I have both "Perfect Angel" and Rotary Connection on this weekend's playlist.
Enjoy! I sorta remember liking Adventures in Paradise just as much as Perfect Angel, but they are different.
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