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Leon Ware - Musical Massage - EXCDM9

Leon I guess is best known as a background person, writer, producer and probably most well known as producer to Marvin Gaye's I want you album. But he has recorded as a front man and this package, including previously unreleased tracks, from 1976 Motown is highly commended.

Most of this album as I understand it was being cut just after I want you - because Marvin took most of the cuts that Leon was putting down for that album - so it was an extremely productive time for Leon, and there are elements of the same kind of groove on both albums.

This album is well produced, as you'd expect from a Motown production, and certainly grows on you the more you play it. It's not a concept album as such but it has that kind of feel.

Learning how to love you is melodic and you float on the groove. Instant love features Minnie Ripperton on backing vocals. Body Heat is a re recorded version of the song done for Quincy Jones album of that name.

Holiday (not that good a track in my view) and Musical Message (which is the title track and much better) feature Bobby Womack.

The first added track is an epic Comfort, again with Minnie Ripperton. You always wonder why tracks of this quality get missed out.

All in all an excellent album and good to see it on the shelves again in this format