Modern Musings – Grooves from the Modern Side with Mark Randle – April 2004
Previous reviews here : - Summer 2003 modernmusings October 2003 modernmusingsoct January 2004 modernmusingsjan
(These reviews appear
first in Soul Up North, available from Howard Earnshaw, 19 Rectory Drive,
Kirkheaton 44 1484 535999 £2 per issue – email soulupnorthhfe@aol.com – web www.soulupnorth.org - Big thanks to
Howard and all at Soul Up North for letting me feature this)
As we move into 2004 we reflect on 2003 from a
musical perspective, and review what few new releases are around as the music
industry kick-starts itself back to life for a new year. It’s just as well that we have the
year-end charts to look back on, and fill some of those column inches, whilst
giving you the chance to see what did it for me over the last twelve
months. As usual, it’s
Artist/Title/Label, and I hope you find this informative and that it helps you
to obtain those last few choons you may have forgotten about. Let’s hope this year is as musically
fulfilling as last.
Kashif Superfly/So
Emotional/Crazy Luv etc + debut album cuts (US
Brooklyn Boy CD “Music From My Mind”)
As
that great crooner (?) Max Bygraves once said……….”I wanna tell you a
story”. Back in 1983 when I were a
lad, Kashif’s debut set for Arista was responsible for opening my ears to a
whole new world of music, at a time when I misguidedly, and with complete
bigotry, thought that soul music recorded after 1973 was to be avoided like the
plague! My excuse then was age and
peer pressure. I’m too old to use
those excuses now, and in more recent years have done my best to be completely
open-minded about soulful black music.
I hope you will agree that the column bears out that attitude. Anyway, what’s the point of all this I
hear you ask? Well, this is
actually a double CD with CD1 containing mainly new material (with the
exception of a couple of cuts from his last offering on Expansion) and CD2
contains those cuts from the debut Arista set. Of the new material, “So Emotional” seems to be garnering
most attention, and it’s easy to see why, but I particularly like the mid-tempo
catchy groove of “Superfly” with it’s great harmony BV’s. “Crazy Luv” is a great mid-tempo swayer
with a nice sentiment…..hell, it’s –5C outside and this cut has warmed me up a
treat. “Sexy Girl” & “I’m
Down”, although perhaps not to everyone’s taste on the modern scene, inject an
urban feel to vary the appeal of the set.
The track listing is all over the place, but that aside the whole CD is
pretty strong. Anyway, back to
those 80’s cuts, and yes, they do sound dated, but in an acceptable way. Indeed, “I Just Gotta Have You (Lover
Turn Me On)” and “Help Yourself To My Love” still get regular plays “out”, but
just listen to “Stone Love”, “Don’t Stop My Love”, “Say Something Love” and the
one that started it all for me via spins from Adam at Leicester all niter circa
’83, “Rumors”, and you’ll realise you’re in the presence of brilliance
here!! He’s a top fella that
Kashif and one of life’s big disappointments was his no-show at Fleetwood some
years ago.
Simon Grey presents Abby Joyce Prophecy (EU
Purple Music 12”)
Ignore the image of the Ali G look-alike on the
cover of this, because this is a stunning cut that blew me away immediately on
first hearing. I seem to recall Mr
Grey resides in Australia, and this cut comes out of the Purple Music stable in
Switzerland…..we’ve commented before in this column on the size of the net
needed to bag some of these quality choons. Anyway, this has everything, a tremendous popping bass,
keyboard work kind of reminiscent of those 80’s productions (don’t let this put
you off!), cow-bells and 70’s styled string stabs……..yes, there’s a lot going
on here. To top this off we have a
great male vocal performance. You
know something?……I paid £6 for this slice of prime vinyl, and after listening
to it in home, went on the internet to see a cyber-conversation about £300 70’s
7” records, and my immediate reaction was…….why when there are records like
this around for a measly few quid?
Of course, I know the answers to that rhetorical question, but it did
make me think. An essential
purchase and one that SHOULD see plenty of dance floor action at the more
open-minded venues.
Felicia Adams No
One Else/Share My Love/Save Your Love (US
Lady Boss CD “Read My Lips”)
A direct purchase from the internet this, with
the customs form of the package filled out by Felicia herself! Now, I know it’s been done to death,
but there’s no doubt that the killer cut will be the “Night’s Over Egypt” based
“No One Else”. Utilising that
groove, I need say no more than this is set to fill floors the length and
breadth of the country as we head into spring. However, “Share My Love” should not be ignored, being a bass
heavy mid-paced number with excellent BV’s…..perhaps one for the more
discerning floors methinks. “Save
Your Love” has a nice sassy feel, but as with many of these indie offerings, is
that bass line distorted or is it just me? “Don’t Take Your Love” is a more than worthy pleading,
emotion drenched beat-ballad, building in the vocal stakes as it
goes…….nice. One or two of the
other cuts get a little too “jiggy wit it” for these ears, but I’m being a
little picky and all told, this is a solid album. I believe this is being touted for a UK release. Quality stuff.
Big Moses Deep
Inside (US
Big Moe 12”)
Moise Laporte (Big Moses) returns with the first
cut for his own Big Moe label, and a real winner it is too. Despite the somewhat monotone vocal
performance, there is something really quite engaging about this cut. Obviously set at an uptempo beat,
though it’s the strummed guitar that somehow seems to drive this along. This has a nice jazzy feel to it with
some lovely deep horn stabs on the hook and nice keyboard work along the
way. Get it bought!
Willie Clayton Whipped/Keep
Steppin’/Love Zone (US
Endzone CD ”Changing Tha Game”)
Willie Clayton returns with album number 1,379
(just jesting…….he’s pretty prolific though) and this is his best effort for
some time. It’s almost pointless
singling out individual cuts as it’s a pretty solid album if you ignore the
throw away opening cut and similarly awful final cut. Sure, it’s not exclusively real instruments, but the electronic
instrumentation is pretty tastefully done in the main. The thing is though, Willie Clayton is
just such a great vocalist. I just
love the rolling “Whipped”, a great radio-friendly cut, and the clipped percussive
“Love Zone” floats along nicely too.
I think he had been listening to R Kelly’s “Step In The Name Of Love”
when he wrote “Keep Steppin’”.
It’s fair to say that this piece of feel good soul music could be a bit
of an anthem in the vein of the aforementioned “Step…” or “Up & Outta
Here”. Hell, even his stab at “I
Want You” is not a bad effort, certainly worthy in the vocal stakes, but it’s
one of the few cuts let down by the electronics. Ignore the material of one Mr Willie Clayton at your
peril. Great album.
En Vogue Ooh
Boy (US
33rd Street CD “Soul Flower”)
This is a bit of a stop-press job as I haven’t had time to digest this CD in its entirety and time’s running out on me. That matters not because all you need to know is that track 3 “Ooh Boy” is essential, and is set to become a floor-filler in the coming months. Borrowing heavily from Lucy Pearls “Don’t Mess With My Man”, this cut strides along with a great bass-line propelling it all the way. This is as instant as they come and another essential purchase.
Cheers Mark (Feb 2004)
50 Soul 2 check 4
|
|
1.
Barrington Makin’
Love (Ugobo Ent.) 2.
The Chestnut Brothers Travellin’
On (Abdent) 3.
Sirius B Project With
You (Café de Soul) 4.
Tiffany Laing The
Return (12 Tribes) 5.
Willie Clayton Tell
Me (Endzone) 6.
Marlon Saunders Love
Serenade (Black Honey) 7.
Howard
Johnson/Regis Branson Really
Doesn’t Matter (Soul Japan)
8.
Marc Vanclaggett I
Want You (Marlex) 9.
Deborah Bond Always
In My Dreams (Deborah Bond) 10. Anthony
Hamilton
My First Love (So So Def) 11. Miles
Jaye Should’ve
Been Strong (Black Tree) 12. Tony
Love Unconditional
Love (Tony Love) 13. Chardavoine Illusions
(CM) 14. Israel
& The New Breed Real
(Epic) 15. Mary
J Blige Willing
& Waiting (Geffen) 16. Kelli
Sae Can’t
Wait (OGW
Ent.) 17. Jeff
Hendrick Fine
(Late Nite Hang) (Bout Time) 18.
Earth, Wind & Fire Suppose
You Like Me (Kalimba) 19. Sara
Devine Take
Me Home (Columbia) 20. Unified
Tribe Love
Destiny (Magic Muzik) 21. Ellis
Taylor Last
Night I Cried (Lookalive) 22. Darwin
Hobbs Unexplainable
(EMI Gospel) 23. Kindred
& The Family Soul Far
Away (Hidden Beach) 24. Dwele Find
A Way (Virgin) 25.
Steve Cole Tonight
It’s On (Warner Bros.) |
26. Kelly
Price Back
In The Day (Def Soul) 27. The
Isley Brothers
Prize Possession (Dreamworks) 28. Luther
Vandross
Think About You (J Records) 29. Omar
Cunningham Half
(On Top) 30. Marvin
Gaye Project
Music Feel The Soul (Choonz Inc) 31. Tower
Of Power
Nothing Like It (SPV) 32. Lil’
Jimmie Hold
On (Butlers) 33. Jimmy
Sommers What
Am I Gonna Do
(Higher Octave) 34. Rue
Davis Lay
Me Down (Knock On Wood) 35. Walter
Thomas Open
Up Your Heart (Walter Thomas) 36. Walter
McCarty
Heaven (Ice Storm) 37. Maya
Azucena Like
No Other (Nu Media) 38. Aretha
Franklin
Holdin’ On (Arista) 39. Gary
Des Etages No
Compromise (FER) 40. Seek
Something Real (Dome) 41. John
Stoddart
Falling For You (Reprise) 42. Erykah
Badu
Back In The Day (Motown) 43. A.
Ray Fuller/Phil Perry Work To Do
(A Ray Artists Music) 44. Al
Green I
Can’t Stop (Blue Note) 45. Bill
Coday It
Was A House…… (Ecko) 46. Alicia
Keys You
Don’t Know My Name (J Records) 47. Antoinique
Phenomenon (X Records) 48. Jagged
Edge
Walked Outta Heaven (Columbia) 49. Musiq
Forthenight (Def Soul) 50.
Impromp2
Without You (Big 3) |
Soul & Jazz Dance 100 |
|
1.
Hardsoul feat. Ron Carroll Back Together (Soulfuric) 2.
Kenny Carvajal feat. John
Pierce My
Words (Phuture
Soul) 3.
Afro-Mystik Natural
(Part 2) (OM) 4.
Frankie Feliciano Living
Proof (Nitegrooves) 5.
Louie Vega pres. Anane Nos
Vida (Vega ) 6.
Jay Da’Mour Gamble
(Subliminal Soul) 7.
Owusu & Green Nevermore
(Naked Music) 8.
Disciples Of Funk I
Want It Right (Catch 22) 9.
Don Carlos feat. Michelle Weeks Take Me Higher
(Irma Unlimited) 10.
Miss Me feat Jiney & Mizzy Surprise
Me (Brique Rouge) 11.
D Tarik & Intense/A
Flanagan I
Am (83 West) 12.
Barbara Mendez Got
To Be In Love (Wave) 13.
Nikos feat. Tracy Carter Bread Of Heaven
(Under My Skin) 14.
Dennis Ferrer feat. Aaron Pearson It’s A Beautiful Life
(Sfere) 15.
Soul Central pres. Christopher
Hall My Vow (Kenlou) 16.
A.M. feat. Sky Choose
To Believe (Mahogani) 17.
The Society feat. Ovasoul 7 How’s
Life? (Nitegrooves) 18.
Handcrafted Sol feat. Kemdi You’ve
Got It (Coco Soul) 19.
Loosefingers Deep
Inside (Alleviated) 20.
Duron Tarik feat. Children
Speak Not
Over (Space Kat) 21.
Lady Alma Proj. feat. Lady Alma Dreams
(King Street) 22.
Ja’Nel My
Groove (Jellybean) 23.
Blaze We
Are One (King Street) 24.
Dihann Moore True
To Myself (Slaag) 25.
Rasmus Faber Ever
After (Farplane) 26.
Jasper Street Co. Joy
(God’s House) 27.
Soulstation You
(West End) 28.
Louis Vega feat. Raul Midon Cerca
De Mi (Vega) 29.
Barbara Walker Saved
Me (Soulshine) 30.
Soul Providers feat. Robin Rush Let
The Sunshine In (Elan) 31.
Working Underneath
Speak To Me (
Phuture Sole) 32.
Groove Junkies pres. Indeya Oh
Lord (More House) 33.
Reel People feat. Dyanna Fearon Butterflies (Papa) 34.
DJ Spinna feat. Shaun Escoffrey Music In
Me (Blaze Remix) (Wonderwax) 35.
Miguel Migs feat. Ledisi City
People (Transport) 36.
Artofdisco feat. Carolyn Harding Strength
(Yellow) 37.
Harley & Muscle/Nicole
Graham Just
Breath (Soulstar) 38.
J-Jay feat. Latrice Barnett Summertime (Loveslap) 39.
One Track Minds feat. Lisa Millet Late
At Night (Soulfuric) 40.
Larry Heard Tell
Me What It Is (Track Mode) 41.
Funk La Planet You
Gave Me Love (Funk La Planet) 42.
Jay J & Chris Lum/Shawn Benson Stronger
(Beneditti Remix) (83 West) 43.
Soul Planet Jazz
Ensemble/Xavior Sugar,
Baby, Darlin’ (Soulplanet) 44.
II Deep All-Stars/James Preston Nature
Boy (Nitegrooves) 45.
Jody Watley Whenever (Peace
Bisquit) 46.
Soul Switch feat. Melissa Morgan Don’t
Say Love (West End) 47.
DJ Pope I’ll
Be There For You/L.O.V.E (Poji) 48.
Brent Laurence/Reggie Watts Closer
(Beneditti Remix) (Soulshine) 49.
Glenn Underground Flu
Bug (Shelter) 50.
Next Evidence Morning
Breeze (Dimitri Mix) (Capitol) |
51.
Kerri Chandler Behold
The Sun (King St) 52.
Kurt Lykes Yes
Lord (Under My Skin) 53.
Michelle Weeks Movin’
On (KIF) 54.
TriSpirit feat. Tonni Smith Rejoice
(Soundmen On Wax) 55.
Rufuss Higher
Together (Qalo Mota) 56.
Legacy feat. Mikkhiel Sexy
Love Song (Needs) 57.
Glenn Underground Look
Inside (Shelter) 58.
Jasper St. Co. Another
Day (Basement Boys) 59.
Cassio Ware Happy
Birthday Baby (Black House) 60.
Reel People feat. Angela Johnson Can’t
Stop (Papa) 61.
DJ Jorj feat. Gary
Pinto Only You (Blaze Mix) (Distant) 62.
Michelle Weeks & Dawn Tallman Joyful
Noise (Equal) 63.
Brothers Of Peace/L Jordan Praise
Him 2 Nite (Soundmen On Wax) 64.
DJ Jorj Do
You Feel ? (Knee Deep) 65.
Umblu feat. Cassio Ware Angel (JULM) 66.
Yass feat. Jay Give
Me A Sign (SSOH) 67.
Loftis IV You
Are All I Need (Loftwerk) 68.
Incognito On
The Road (Krivit re-edit) (Ibadan) 69.
John Beltran Kissed
By The Sun (Ubiquity) 70.
Jovonn Don’t
Waste Your Time (Track Mode) 71.
Markus Enochson/J
Matheieu Feeling Fine (MAW) 72.
Stacey Mallory/D.C. Washington People Of The World
(Phuture Soul) 73.
Lefunken feat. Tyrah Do
Right (Eclectic) 74.
Ruben Mancias/Michelle Weeks Peace
(Devotion) 75.
DJ Oji feat. Sande Happiness
(Poji) 76.
Latrice Barnett Without
Love (Moulton Studios) 77.
Todd Gardner/Kimara Lovelace Luv
Me Rite (Distance) 78.
Carlos Sanchez/Lorenzo Tyler Spirit
Of The Dance (Slaag) 79.
Needs Inner
Glow (Needs) 80.
Kerri Chandler Let
Him In (King
St) 81.
Dino & Terry feat. Rayon Peace
Of Mind (Crash) 82.
Alison David Dreams
Come True (Goya) 83.
East West Connection/Sandy Mill We’re Movin’ On (Chilli Funk) 84.
Directions Have
You Felt This Way? (Diaspora) 85.
The Latin Project Lei
Lo Lai (Electric Monkey) 86.
Nathan Haines A
Mistereo (Chilli Funk) 87.
Ananda Project Kiss,
Kiss, Kiss (King Street) 88.
Ambrosia That’s
How Much I Love You (Shelter) 89.
Lisa Millet Closer
(Look At You) 90.
Georg Levin In
Your Car (Sonar Kollektiv) 91.
Jay-J Fantasy
(Large) 92.
Blvd. East feat. K.T. Brooks It’s
Your Life (Soulshine) 93.
Rufuss & Qalomota Gotta
Make A Move On U (Qalomota) 94.
Moments Of Soul Celebrate
Life (Wave) 95.
Sun Orchestra/Karl The Voice Love
Symphony (Straight Up) 96.
Wikka Man feat. Jacqui Williams Just That Way
(Knee Deep) 97.
Underground Dance/Joi Cardwell Be Yourself (King St) 98.
Lisa Millet It’s
Alright (Purple) 99.
Roy Davis Jr feat. Ayro I Know What
You’re Thinking(Ubiquity) 100.
DJ MFR & D’Lanya Just
Because (Go Go) |
Visitors: