My favorite record from my favorite band. I don’t even really know what to say. This record speaks to me in a way no other piece of recorded music ever has. It’s heavy and gentle, totally hardcore and psychedelic, wasted, yet totally on point, defeated yet triumphant. It’s all these little contradictions that make it so profoundly cool to me. They “nailed it” like no other band. In the artwork, the guitar sound, the rhythm section and even the track order. –Richard
It takes about 20 seconds for you to realise that this is one heavy record. The opening keys and vocals on the reverential opener “He’s a Superstar” just kill it and the music doesn’t let up too much on the rest of the LP. So many great moments from Roy and Harry Whitaker here. I mean “We Live In Brooklyn Baby” is as good as it gets and “Sweet Tears” is one of those Roy Ayers jams designed to get you moving. In the 70’s this pairing had a formula down and worked it to the maximum without ever sounding tired or, amazingly for that matter, repetetive. One of the great songwriting partnerships in music. There are so many great Ubiquity LP’s from this period and you cannot go wrong with any of the classics as they all contain a killer track or two. I would say that this and the less heralded Virgo Red are the pick though. –Jon
The Rascals “Peaceful World” is a surprising first listen owing more to Sly Stone, War and Tower of Power than the blue-eyed Young Rascals who gave us the sixties hit “Groovin.’” The album is a soulful blend of rock, jazz and world music featuring jazz legends Joe Farrell, Hubert Laws, Alice Coltrane and Ron Carter. The funky “Love Me,” the cosmic “Sky Trane” and the mellow, twenty-minute title track, are just three of my favorites here. Fortunately this is LP is still pretty easy to find and usually under $15 making it a peaceful world we can all visit. –David
Donald Byrd made the transition from Bop trumpeter to jazz funk artist seemlessly and in the mid seventies he teamed up with the hottest producers in the genre, the Mizell brothers. This is the peak of their work together and is a jazz funk classic. Some traditional jazz critics never forgave Byrd for the switch accusing him of selling out. Nonsense and a narrow minded approach. Sure this is not jazz music but it doesn’t pretend to be either. It is simply fantastic jazz funk with the signature Mizell sound. As with all Mizell productions it is essentially their show and the sound is as familiar as ever. Characteristic vocal harmonies and well placed horn and string arrangements all feature heavily. What makes this Mizell LP stand out though is Byrd’s work on the trumpet. He had fully embraced this new genre by now and was the perfect player for this session. There are too many classics here to discuss but special mention must go to the opening two cuts “Dominoes” and “Change (makes You Want To Hustle).” –Jon
For the curious: This is the greatest jazz album ever recorded. For those in the know: This is not the greatest jazz album ever recorded. For Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill, Charlie Mingus, and Miles: You know I love you guys, but… the curious might be on to something… –Will
Quite simply one of the greatest records ever made. I cannot believe that it does not get greater attention. It really is the perfect marriage of soul and folk. Callier’s songs are at times joyous and at others surreal and almost sad. They are all delivered in one of the most gentle yet expressive voices there is. Another major part of this album is the production and arrangement of Charles Stepney who was the producer at Chess/Cadet records at the time. He has a wonderful sound that has influenced the likes of 4 Hero heavily in todays age. He is also heard producing the Rotary Connection classics from the same label. –Jon
A hugely important record that saw Krautrock outfit Kraftwerk switch direction and ditch the sound of the time for the sound of the future. It was to prove a great move as some of the records that followed this landmark LP were stunning. But what of Autobahn? Well it is always going to be talked about for the title track which was like nothing else of its time. Taking up the whole side of an LP but totally removed from most music coming out of the Krautrock scene and relying on a simple groove and trance-like quality to keep the attention. It’s still too long in my opinion and could have done with ten minutes shaving off but it is a classic for sure. This is of course the LP where the electronics start to take over and side 2 sees Hutter and Shneider really starting to experiment with mixed results. It is almost as they are learning about their new sounds and toys while in the studio. It doesn’t really work that well to be honest but does lay the foundation for the likes of The Man Machine & Computer World. –Jon
I have to admit I hated this record the first time I heard it. Thankfully I’ve since come around! Weird, manic, loud and completely addictive glam rock with insanely over-the-top production: welcome to the world of Sparks! If you haven’t listened to them, start with this great LP (just give it a few listens). I guarantee it’s like nothing else you’ve heard come through your speakers! –David
Gene Clark’s “No Other” deserves its near mythical status today. A sprawling, ambitious work that brings elements of country, folk, jazz, gospel, blues, and rock together to reflects the mid-’70s better than anything from that time, yet sounds hauntingly timely even now. This album’s commercial failure in 1974 remains one of life’s great mysteries. –David
The Soul Searchers were a large funk outfit from Washinton DC that were held in high regard in the seventies despite their limited output. This LP is perhaps their best known as it has been plundered heavily by hip hop artists such as Eric B & Rakim, Ice Cube, LL Cool J and Public Enemy. It is this use of the material that makes many of the tracks sound extremely familiar on first listen. The uptempo funkier tracks such as “Blow Your Whistle” and “Ashley’s Roachclip” highlight what a great horn section the band had and are the pick of the cuts. Things slip a little on the ballads which do sound a little dated. The exception is the strangely compelling cover of Bacharach’s “Close to You.” –Jon
Some of our favorite albums were discovered in the 99¢ bin and “Abandoned Luncheonette” is one of them! Philly soul meets FM rock perfectly on this early Hall & Oates album. I know some of you are skeptical, but seriously, give this one a listen! –JT
“Daryl Hall and John Oates’ second album remains, even after thirty-plus years, their masterpiece. Here they created a masterpiece of blue-eyed soul which captured a sense of innocence, wistfulness and nostalgia.” -allmusic.com
