Donald Byrd – Live: Cookin' With Blue Note At Montreux (2022)

MIZELL BROTHERS MONTH (APRIL 2026)

Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland, July 5, 1973. While the Mizell Brothers didn't produce this particular Byrd album, they were in the band on that date. Also in the band were four of Byrd's students who would go on to form the Blackbyrds.

From the Blue Note website:

In July 1973, Blue Note Records headed to Montreux, Switzerland to showcase several of the label’s stars at the Montreux Jazz Festival. That summer, Byrd was fresh off the release of his hit crossover fusion album Black Byrd, the first of his innovative and incredibly successful studio collaborations with producer Larry Mizell. But in a live setting the band had a rawer, harder edge, as this searing set attests. Live: Cookin’ with Blue Note at Montreux is released on what would have been the legendary trumpeter’s 90th birthday — December 9, 2022.

Even though Black Byrd had just been released, the band only plays the title track from that album here. The remainder of the album sounds like the whole band had been listening only to In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew for months because the arrangements on this live date greatly resemble those pioneered by Miles & Company a few years earlier. Not as slick as the Byrd/Mizell studio albums and the rougher live edge is just gritty enough to enjoy. I dig the whole album and am hypnotized into a fusion trance while listening. I'd love to read a first-hand account of what that show was like. Other performers at the festival that night included Alphonse Mouzon, Bobbi Humphrey, Bobby Hutcherson, Marlena Shaw, and Ronnie Foster. What a line up!

CD liner notes from Larry Mizell and Don Was, the president of Blue Note Records.

Byrd – trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals
Fonce Mizell – trumpet, vocals
Allan Barnes – tenor saxophone, flute
Nathan Davis – tenor and soprano saxophone
Kevin Toney – electric piano
Larry Mizell – synthesizers
Barney Perry – electric guitar
Henry Franklin – electric bass
Keith Killgo – drums and vocals
Ray Armando – congas and percussion

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: The album kicks off with the funky Black Byrd, followed by a stellar cover of Stevie Wonder's You've Got It Bad Girl, then three otherwise unrecorded Byrd originals: The East, Kwame, and Poco-Mania. Kwame has an annoying start with some unnecessarily strident synth sounds, but eventually settles into a more relaxed groove. As with the Miles Davis albums mentioned above, just hit the play button and let it cook. 

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Love Byrd (1981)	Street Lady (1974)
Caricatures (1976)	Black Byrd (1973)
Stepping Into Tomorrow (1975)	A New Perspective (1964)

Donald Byrd - Black Byrd (1973)

MIZELL BROTHERS MONTH (APRIL 2026)

This album marks the first collaboration between Donald Byrd and the Mizells. In 1973, after years of more traditional hard bop and post-bop jazz, Byrd, who by then was teaching at Howard University, decided to reinvent himself. The collaborative took the current commercial trends in soul & funk music and used those grooves with jazz instrumentation. It wasn't quite 'Dylan goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival' but it was quite a departure. I'm forever grateful for Byrd's pivot here because I deeply dig this groove-first, hook-driven music built around electric piano and rhythm section with a smattering of familiar jazz tropes. This initial album has quite a bit of Byrd's playing and singing; those particular contributions seemed to become less and less prevalent as the Byrd/Mizell collaboration continued. The album is more about creating an environment than showing off technical skills and I am certainly mighty comfy in such environs.

There's quite a few familiar names among the session players, including some Crusaders:

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the now-defunct category of Best R&B Instrumental Performance. It was best-selling album of all time on the Blue Note label until surpassed by Come Away With Me by Norah Jones.

Original liner notes by noted syndicated columnist Gertrude Gipson.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "melodically flowing and perfect for grooving at home"
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #36
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• Billboard R&B: #2
• Record World Jazz: #1

All tracks written or co-written, produced, and arranged by Larry Mizell. Ranked in order of personal preference:

1. Flight Time
2. Sky High
3. Love's So Far Away
4. Black Byrd (#19 R&B, #88 pop) I'm guessing this was chosen for a single release because of its similarity to the 1971 smash hit, Theme From Shaft.
5. Mr. Thomas
6. Where Are We Going?
7. Slop Jar Blues

Yes, I generally prefer the tracks that have very few or no vocals. At least I'm consistent.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Love Byrd (1981)
Stepping Into Tomorrow (1975)
Street Lady (1974)
A New Perspective (1964)

Various Artists - Soul Hits of the '70s: Didn't It Blow Your Mind, Vol. 16 (1995)

Volume 16 of a 20 volume Rhino series. I had no plans to collect all 20 CDs, but they keep appearing in used bins and I simply can't help myself so we'll have to wait and see where this leads. From what I can ascertain, the later volumes released in 1995 are getting harder to find which normally translates to higher price tags, so I'm lucky I happened across this one in 2024 even though it came with a $19.99 price tag (I'm not saying that's what I paid, simply stating what the price sticker read).

Tracks, with Billboard chart peaks:

1. Patches - Clarence Carter (1970, #4 pop, #2 R&B)
   I dig the building pre-chorus, but not so much the spoken word verse. And it's such a depressing song. Nevertheless, it won the 1971 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song.
2. Betcha By Golly, Wow - The Stylistics (1972, #3 pop, #2 R&B, #7 AC)
   From the mind of Thom Bell comes this classic, oft covered tune. So dadgum smooth it could glide on sandpaper.
3. You're Still A Young Man - Tower Of Power (1972, #29 pop, #24 R&B)
   Love this waltz with its screaming trumpets and doo-wop vocals. I don't care much for the abbreviated single edit included on the compilation.
4. Misdemeanor - Foster Sylvers (1973, #22 pop, #7 R&B)
   11 year old Foster does his best Michael Jackson imitation and sounds almost exactly like him. Unfortunately, the backing group isn't up to the standards of the Funk Brothers or The Corporation. That's Foster in the CD's cover photo. A couple of years later, he'd contract a bad case of boogie fever.
5. Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out - Bobby Womack (1973, #29 pop, #2 R&B)
   In which a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer takes an old blues tune, completely deconstructs it, and makes it his own.
6. Cheaper To Keep Her - Johnnie Taylor (1973, #15 pop, #2 R&B)
   Part bluesy jazz tune, part Stax groove, all good.
7. Put Your Hands Together - The O'Jays (1974, #10 pop, #2 R&B)
   Another cut on this compilation performed by members of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Written and produced by the legendary Gamble & Huff team, containing the same formula - both musically and lyrically - as the group's 1972 hit Love Train. What a joyful chorus!
8. Trying To Hold On To My Woman - Lamont Dozier (1974, #15 pop, #4 R&B)
   Also a member of the Rock Hall. This song is a pleading slow burn and was Dozier's biggest hit as a solo artist.
9. Sexy Mama - The Moments (1974, #17 pop, #3 R&B)
   Take a smooth groove, add some strings plus a little pillow talk and you've got a sexy stew goin'.
10. Touch A Hand, Make A Friend - The Staple Singers (1974, #23 pop, #3 R&B, #27 AC)
    The Staple Singers (Rock Hall 1999) recorded tunes that were so basic they immediately hooked you, lyrics so positive they immediately uplifted you, and arrangements so perfect they always gave you something new. This track is no exception. 
11. Skin Tight - Ohio Players (1974, #13 pop, #2 R&B)
    A sweet chunk of polished funk from the boys from Dayton. Between the bass line, the horn licks, and the immediately identifiable "well, well, well" from Sugarfoot, I can't decide which I like more.
12. Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy) - Al Green (1974, #7 pop, #2 R&B, #28 disco)
    They literally saved the best for last. What a legend. Of course the Rev. Green is in many Halls of Fame, including Rock, Grammy, Gospel Music, Songwriters, Memphis Music, etc. And here's a picture from the time I saw him in concert in Austin, April 2012.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Volume 2	Volume 13
Volume 5	Volume 14
Volume 6	Volume 15
Volume 12	Volume 18

The Vince Guaraldi Quintet - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973/2023)

Originally recorded for the 1973 CBS special of the same name, this soundtrack didn't receive an official release until 2023. The show itself is quite bizarre when viewed through an adult lens but I certainly enjoyed watching it every year as a child. Plus, the show won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children’s Programming. Sadly, it left broadcast television after its 2019 airing on ABC and is currently streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. Now on to the music presented in this "50th Anniversary Special Edition" package.

Don't come around looking for A Charlie Brown Christmas Part 2. This offering adds a horn section, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and a Clavinet to Guaraldi's traditional piano trio instrumentation. The difference is a 'modernizing' of the Peanuts sound. The music is definitely of its time and that's fine with me. The only downside is that, to fill out the album, the label chose to include all the alternate takes, brief cues, and other studio shenanigans. Nevertheless, the album is worth the price, especially the first half.

Liner notes written by Sean Mendelson, son of Lee Mendelson, the executive producer of many of the Peanuts animated specials.

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Kids: #1
• Billboard Traditional Jazz: #6
• Billboard Jazz: #6
• Billboard Tastemakers: #13 (since rebranded as "Indie Store Album Sales")
• Billboard Soundtrack: #19
• Billboard Top Album Sales:#34 (pure album sales)
• Billboard Top Current Album Sales: #26 (same chart as Top Album Sales, with catalog titles removed)

Tracks:

I just love the Thanksgiving Theme, a fantastic jazz waltz plus the electric piano adds a nice touch. Track 4, Peppermint Patty, starts off nice enough, but it really takes off at about the 1:45 mark with a different groove and flute solo. It seems as if Guaraldi was asked to write a modern pop tune for as a theme for the Woodstock character and he listened to a few Blood, Sweat & Tears records before coming up with Little Birdie, another highlight of the album. Finally, the take on the Linus & Lucy theme is fantastic, updating the familiar tune with some syncopated rhythms, new harmonies, and adding horns (including a tasty trumpet solo) to the arrangement.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None with this particular CD, but I always liked watching a Charlie Brown TV special during the Guaraldi years (1965-1976) because that was one of the few times jazz music was heard on broadcast TV, especially in children's programming. Tragically, 47-year-old Guaraldi died suddenly of a heart attack on February 6, 1976, several hours after completing the soundtrack for the 15th Peanuts TV special, It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown.

Maybe I need to host my own Friendsgiving meal this week and soundtrack it with this CD. The menu? Popcorn, pretzels, jellybeans, and toast, of course. And now I'm craving Zingers for some reason.

Previously revisited for the blog:
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
From All Sides (1965)

Various Artists - Soul Hits of the '70s: Didn't It Blow Your Mind, Vol. 12 (1991)

Volume 12 of a 20 volume Rhino series. I had no plans to collect all 20 CDs, but they keep appearing in used bins and I simply can't help myself so we'll have to wait and see where this leads. Singles included on this volume charted in 1973 & 1974 at the dawn of disco, and it is quite possibly the best volume of the series.

Tracks, with my favorites indicated (✔) and Billboard chart peaks:

• Love Train - The O'Jays (#1 pop, #1 R&B) ✔
  In 2006, this single was inducted to the Grammy Hall Of Fame.
• Soul Makossa - Manu Dibango (#35 pop, #21 R&B) ✔
  Originally released in Cameroon in 1972, this single is considered by many (including this humble blogger) to be the first disco record.
• Stoned Out Of My Mind - The Chi-Lites (#30 pop, #2 R&B)
  The group from Chicago ultimately placed 5 tunes in the Top 40; this was their fifth and final pop hit. The group would continue to place singles on the R&B charts thru 1984. I'd like to hear Casey Kasem backsell this one.
• Theme From Cleopatra Jones - Joe Simon With The Mainstreeters (#18 pop, #3 R&B)
  Taken from a "blaxploitation" film which I've seen and wholeheartedly agree with this CD's liner notes when they claim "its most redeeming quality is its music."
• The Love I Lost (Part 1) - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (#7 pop, #1 R&B) ✔
  Originally written by Gamble & Huff as a ballad, the group turned it into a funk-disco tune with Teddy Pendergrass on vocals.
• Show And Tell - Al Wilson (#1 pop, #10 R&B) ✔
  Originally a very minor hit for Johnny Mathis, this version became Wilson's biggest hit of his career. The mid-tempo ballad with its soaring strings also saw action on the adult contemporary chart, peaking at #3.
• Boogie Down - Eddie Kendricks (#2 pop, #1 R&B) ✔
  The second big solo hit from the former member of The Temptations. Nominated for a Grammy in the category Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, ultimately losing to Stevie Wonder's Boogie On Reggae Woman.
• Jungle Boogie - Kool & The Gang (#4 pop, #2 R&B) ✔
  This funky thing contains one of the best horn licks of the early '70s and that's really sayin' something.
• TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) - MFSB Featuring The Three Degrees (#1 pop, #1 R&B) ✔
  More proto-disco goodness from Gamble & Huff, who wrote the tune as the theme for Soul Train and it went on to become the first television theme song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. As if that weren't enough, it won a Grammy award in the category of Best R&B Instrumental Performance.
• Lookin' For A Love - Bobby Womack (#10 pop, #1 R&B)
  Womack originally recorded the tune in 1962 as a member of The Valentinos. This solo remake would become his only top ten pop hit.
• Just Don't Want To Be Lonely - The Main Ingredient (#10 pop, #8 R&B) ✔
  The second of three Top 40 pop hits for the group; it was also a minor hit for Ronnie Dyson a few months prior.
• Be Thankful For What You Got - William DeVaughn (#4 pop, #1 R&B) ✔
  Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  None from the '70s, but my very young sons and I danced to Jungle Boogie a lot back in the late '90s. A lot.

Previously revisited for the blog:

Volume 5	Volume 14
Volume 6	Volume 15
Volume 13

Various Artists - Billboard Top Soft Rock Hits 1973 (1997)

Billboard Top Soft Rock Hits is a series of compilation albums released by Rhino Records in 1997, each featuring ten soft rock hit recordings from a specific year in the 1970s. Five albums in the series were released, one each for the years 1970 through 1974. In addition to the individual availability of each volume, the series was also issued in box set. The Easy Listening chart was renamed Adult Contemporary in 1979 and the latter label is usually the nomenclature we use around here.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

1. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
   Previously heard on The Absolute Best Soft Rock of the 1970's; here's what I wrote then: "A great song...I'm hooked from that immediately recognizable bass line. Who is the song about? I couldn't care less. As a young tot, I never understood why she was singing about "grounds in my coffee." ;-)" Nominated for a Grammy in the categories of Record Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, eventually losing to Killing Me Softly With His Song by Roberta Flack in both categories.
2. The Most Beautiful Girl - Charlie Rich
   Getting jilted never sounded so good. So many hooks in the chorus that the songs starts off with it. I'm not much for country music, but there's no denying this is a stone cold country classic.
3. We May Never Pass This Way (Again) - Seals & Crofts
   The follow-up single to Diamond Girl, the duo writes and delivers another hit. The verse ain't much, but the pre-chorus builds into a sing-along chorus, complete over some high-flying strings. Then there's the bridge that's so white-boy-funky they play it twice. The older I get, the more I relate to the lyrical content.
4. My Maria - B.W. Stevenson
   Previously heard on Greatest Hits of the 70s, Volume One and Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 11 where I wrote that "The liner notes call this single 'likeable but unremarkable.' I concur, but the chorus sure is fun to wail along with."
5. Shambala - Three Dog Night
   A feel-good hippie anthem about a Buddist mythical kingdom - a literal heaven on earth. Love the bass line and, again, the chorus sure is fun to wail along with.
6. Time In A Bottle - Jim Croce
   I didn't appreciate this looping ballad in '73 but it's a whole different thing these days. And when the song switches from minor to major at the chorus -- perfect. Previously heard on Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits.
7. Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend - Lobo
   This one doesn't do much for me. It's not bad, but I don't think it ever gets to where it needs to go. But it did quite well on the charts so what do I know?
8. And I Love You So - Perry Como
   In which a legendary crooner takes on a country-folk song written by Don McLean with full orchestration. My ear is always drawn to the marimba part which shouldn't work but does. Nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, eventually losing to You Are The Sunshine Of My Life by Stevie Wonder.
9. Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) - Helen Reddy
   The follow-up to Delta Dawn mines the same lyrical content as the earlier hit, but there's no doubt that chorus is catchy as hell and I audiated it often back when I was working. Watch below for maximum '70s:
   
   
10. Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell
    Previously heard on Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day, Vol. 11; here's what I wrote then: "To be fair, this isn't a bad little bluegrass tune and it is performed expertly. Because of its use in the movie Deliverance, it has been overplayed and mocked so much that it has become a parody of itself." Winner of a Grammy award in the category of Best Country Instrumental Performance.

Charts, we got charts:

Song	Hot 100	AC	Country
You're So Vain	1	1
The Most Beautiful Girl	1	1	1
We May Never Pass This Way (Again)	21	2
My Maria	9	1
Shambala	3	3
Time In A Bottle	1	1
Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend	8	1
And I Love You So	29	1
Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)	3	1
Dueling Banjos	2	1	5

In 1973, a total of 26 singles topped the Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary charts; a listing of those 26 are available over at Wikipedia.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I have no designs on trying to complete the 5 disc set, but if they just keep popping up in used bins, we'll see what happens. Please, no wagering.

Roberta Flack - Original Album Series (2012)

A repackaged reissue that includes five of Flack's first seven albums released on the Atlantic label, 1969-1977. The two albums not included in this set are Chapter Two (1970) and Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (1972). Despite those omissions, getting five great albums for $18.87 makes for a fantastic deal and at least one happy customer. Probably more than one, actually - these albums were at home on the R&B, pop, and jazz charts. Beautiful music from a beautiful soul.

The box set takes the listener through the evolution of Flack's sound during the decade. Headphones recommended. Also recommended, the episode of American Masters dedicated to Flack's career.

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FIRST TAKE (1969)
8 tracks, 46 minutes

A wonderful introduction to a wonderful talent. The album is a compilation of slow-burning tracks - most are about 6 minutes in length. The music is intentionally sparse and unrushed. There's space to hear all the notes. Lots of perfectly arranged ballads performed by Flack alongside names like Ron Carter on bass and John Pizzarelli on guitar.

Liner notes by Les McCann.

Press of the time:

• Record World: "a new great taking her bittersweet time"
• High Fidelity: "For lonely winter's eves"
• Billboard: "Her soft, sustained vocal style gently skirts the lyrics and hypnotizes with its creamy evenness."
• Rolling Stone: "You feel the world differently after listening to it"
• Stereo Review: "Run to your nearest record outlet and buy not one, but two, maybe three"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #1
• Billboard R&B: #1
• Billboard Jazz: #3
• CashBox: #1
• Record World Jazz: #15

In 2017, it was ranked at #148 on Pitchfork's list of the 200 Best Albums of the 1960s.

Tracks: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was a massive hit in 1972 once Clint Eastwood used it in his movie Play Misty For Me. That spurred the single to Grammy Awards for Record of the Year as well as Song of the Year. Billboard ranked it as the number one Hot 100 single of the year for 1972. To be honest, I didn't think much of it when I was a tot - too boring! I wanna dance! - but I started warming up to it in the '80s when I bought Volume 6 of the Atlantic Rhythm and Blues 1947-1974 set. Now I'm all in. It's the best tune on the album, followed closely by the other 7 tracks.

The single released in 1969 was the album opener, an upbeat take on Compared To What, which, oddly, is unlike any other track on the album (but I still dig!). As far as the other tracks, I'm hard-pressed to decide which is the most powerful: Angelitos Negros, I Told Jesus, Tryin' Times (that acoustic bass line!), or Ballad Of The Sad Young Men.

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QUIET FIRE (1971)
8 tracks, 42 minutes

More of the same. And that's a good thing. Mostly carefully selected covers plus one Flack original, all performed by a great supporting cast (full playing and writing credits here).

Press of the time:

• Billboard: "The title spells out the flavor and feel of this easy and yet sometimes penetrating commercial package."
• Record World: "ever-quiet, ever-exciting"
• Rolling Stone: "an exercise in lifeless sophistication and dramatic understatement carried to its unfortunate extreme: emptiness"
• Stereo Review: "Roberta Flack is a special kind of multi-talented musician, but her appeal is wide"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #18
• Billboard R&B: #4
• Billboard Jazz: #5
• CashBox: #20
• Record World Jazz: #1

Tracks: The single released from this album was a cover of Will You Love Me Tomorrow which only managed to peak at #76 pop and #38 R&B. As one might expect, the tempo is slowed considerably and is performed by only Flack on piano and Ron Carter on bass floating above the occasional string arrangement. The better pieces to my ear are the original Go Up Moses and Flack's take on Bridge Over Troubled Water.

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KILLING ME SOFTLY (1973)
8 tracks, 41 minutes

In which Roberta Flack becomes a full-fledged soft rock icon. Heck, with this release, CashBox magazine declared Flack "THE top female artist of the decade." And this album certainly helps that argument. For the most part, Flack's arrangements are slightly more uptempo and fuller than the earlier two albums in this set.

The album's title track won three 1974 Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. The album itself was nominated for the Album of the Year award, losing to Innervisions. 

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "a total masterpiece"
• Record World: "Ms. Flack's finest recording to date."
• Billboard: "delicate, introspective work."
• Rolling Stone: "It's too calculated, too restrained for my taste...but god knows it has its appeal."
• High Fidelity: "my favorite Roberta Flack so far."
• Stereo Review: "the Ella Fitzgerald of the Seventies."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #3
• Billboard R&B: #2
• CashBox: #1
• Record World Jazz: #1

Tracks: While the title cut is an undeniable classic, my favorite tunes here are the upbeat No Tears (In The End) and gospelish track, River. Leonard Cohen's Suzanne is mesmerizing with an almost sadistic, driving high-hat figure. The cover of Janis Ian's Jesse (#30 pop, #19 R&B) is quite tasteful.

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FEEL LIKE MAKIN' LOVE (1975)
9 tracks, 47 minutes

Flack starts producing her own records and things just get better and better. I'll simply say this is my favorite album included in this box set.

Press of the time:

• CashBox: "No doubt that this is top 10 material"
• Record World: "The Flack feel flows as it mellows the soul through her flawless synthesis of sounds."
• Rolling Stone: "Flack's least satisfactory album to date"
• Billboard: "this set should mark her as one of the landmark performers of the '70s"
• Stereo Review: "the combined effect of her lustrous technique and superior material is downright stunning"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #24
• Billboard R&B: #5
• Billboard Jazz: #11
• CashBox: #17

Tracks: I can't decide if the title track is my all-time Flack cut (the only other single in the running is Where Is The Love with Donny Hathaway), but needless to say, it's the best thing on this album. Also good is the lead track, Feelin' That Glow (#76 pop, #25 R&B). In fact, there's not a stinker to be found and that includes a Stevie Wonder tune which morphs into fusionish instrumental piece, I Can See The Sun In Late September.

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BLUE LIGHTS IN THE BASEMENT (1977)
10 tracks, 41 minutes

By 1977, Flack's sound had changed quite about since her 1969 debut and the style that once got her attention from the jazz crowd had developed into 3 or 4 minute pop stylings aimed at the adult contemporary folks. As someone who considers himself a member of both populations, that sort of movement is fine with me. The problem here isn't Flack or the other performers, it's a lack of quality material, which is often uninteresting or oddly arranged. I like it fine; it just doesn't hold up to its predecessor.

Press of the time:

• Stereo Review: "very disappointing"
• CashBox: "Flack is in her element here and sounds as good as ever."
• Billboard: "lacking the drama of her previous hits"
• Record World: "she has lost none of her vocal magic"
• Rolling Stone: "contains no surprises, but it's a very satisfying record."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard Top 200: #8
• Billboard R&B: #5
• CashBox: #11

Tracks: The lead track, Why Don't You Move In With Me, is a straight-up disco tune and a dang catchy one, at that. But then comes the hit duet with Donny Hathaway, The Closer I Get To You (#1 R&B, #2 pop, #3 AC) and I'm immediately swept back to 6th grade trying to come to terms with suddenly wanting to be around girls. That song is the best cut on this album, but I also dig This Time I'll Be Sweeter, 25th of Last December, and After You, presented as a well-sequenced three-fer in the middle of the disc.

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Personal Memory Associated with these CDs: None apart from hearing the singles on the radio during my youth.

Various Artists - Soul Hits of the '70s: Didn't It Blow Your Mind, Vol. 13 (1991)

Today marks the 13th anniversary of this blog, so we're celebrating by spinning volume 13 of this 20 volume Rhino series, released in the early '90s. The series is now out-of-print and these volumes are sometimes difficult to find and obtain. However, as more and more people foolishly cast away/sell their CD collections in favor of streaming, CDs in this series are now hitting the secondary markets at reasonable prices (which is a wonderful development in my world).

Tracks:

• Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation: Peaked at #1 pop, #2 R&B in 1974.
  A disco classic, full of soulful vocals over a syncopated bass line that drives everything forward. When this song hit, I thought the lyrics were about an actual boat. Apparently, metaphors are lost on 8 year old boys.
• Rock Your Baby - George McCrae: Peaked at #1 pop, #1 R&B in 1974.
  Now ain't that some clever sequencing? There's really not much to the thing - just some rhythm guitar scratching over an organ pad. So why is it so damn catchy??
• Hollywood Swinging - Kool & The Gang: Peaked at #6 pop, #1 R&B in 1974.
  I've always loved this tune and my youngest son had the nickname "Hollywood" up until he was about 9, but God help me, I can't hear this song now without thinking of this:
  
  
  
  
• Love's Theme - The Love Unlimited Orchestra: Peaked at #1 pop, #10 R&B in 1974.
  If my memory can be trusted, this was the first disco song I ever fell in love with. I was 8. All these years later, it still sounds as sweet as it did in '74. If the strings and wah-wah guitar don't get ya, those soaring French Horn parts certainly should.
• Sideshow - Blue Magic: Peaked at #8 pop, #1 R&B in 1974.
  This would almost be a novelty single if it wasn't so daggum smooth. Outstanding falsetto lead supported by characteristic Philly Soul harmonies.
• Hurts So Good - Millie Jackson: Peaked at #24 pop, #3 R&B in 1973.
  Well butter my biscuits that's some good ol' Southern soul with its laid back electric piano and an arrangement straight off Dusty In Memphis (or was it the other way around?). Spectacular vocals. I'm not sure, but this thing just had to be recorded in Muscle Shoals, right?
• Finally For Myself Together (I'm A Changed Man) - The Impressions: Peaked at #17 pop, #1 R&B in 1974.
  This song was recorded after Curtis Mayfield left the group, but it is tasty nonetheless. A slow build and worth the wait.
• Tell Me Something Good - Rufus: Peaked at #3 pop, #3 R&B in 1974.
  Written by Stevie Wonder, sung by Chaka Khan. Best cut on this compilation and that's really saying something.
• Hang On In There Baby - Johnny Bristol: Peaked at #8 pop, #2 R&B in 1974.
  You can almost hear the record executive proclaim, "Get me a song that sounds exactly like that Love Unlimited tune! Now!"
• Nothing From Nothing - Billy Preston: Peaked at #1 pop, #8 R&B in 1974.
  The incomparable, underrated Billy Preston. (Is it possible for a Hall of Famer to be underrated? Discuss amongst yourselves while I enjoy this funky track.) Bonus trivia: Preston performed this tune on Saturday Night Live on the show's premiere episode (October 11, 1975), making it the first musical performance ever on the show.
• Express - B.T. Express: Peaked at #4 pop, #1 R&B in 1975.
  Mislabeled on the CD packaging as (Do It) 'Til You're Satisfied. Express was that single's follow-up and it is all about the horn arrangements. One can hear its influence on the Brooklyn disco sound prevalent in Saturday Night Fever.
• Everlasting Love - Carl Carlton: Peaked at #6 pop, #11 R&B in 1974.
  This is such a happy, uplifting song that I'm just gonna sit back and float away on the waves of positivity.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Volume 5
Volume 14
Volume 15

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First post, 2010: Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
1st anniversary, 2011 (post #378): Electric Light Orchestra - Time (1981)
2nd anniversary, 2012 (post #694): Seal (1994)
3rd anniversary, 2013 (post #948): Fun Boy Three - Really Saying Something: The Best of Fun Boy Three (1997)
4th anniversary, 2014 (post #1127): Ultravox - Quartet (1982)
5th anniversary, 2015 (post #1231): Soul Hits of the '70s: Didn't It Blow Your Mind, Vol. 5 (1991)
6th anniversary, 2016: no post
7th anniversary, 2017: no post
8th anniversary, 2018 (post #1461): Pat Metheny - Watercolors (1977)
9th anniversary, 2019 (post #1524): Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever (1989)
10th anniversary, 2020 (post #1594): Various Artists - Windham Hill - The First Ten Years (1990)
11th anniversary, 2021: no post
12th anniversary, 2022 (post #1800): Talk Talk - 12 x 12 Original Remixes (1999)

Today's post is #1901.

Ramsey Lewis - Funky Serenity/Golden Hits (1973)/Solar Wind/Sun Goddess (1974)

UK Import

2018 compilation of four albums by Ramsey Lewis. I bought the set because, at the time, it was the cheapest way to get Sun Goddess on CD. Plus bonus Ramsey can't be a bad thing, right? Well...the other three albums turn out to be hit-or-miss, but, overall, not a terrible way to spend $20.

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FUNKY SERENITY (1973)
9 tracks, 46 minutes

Not all the Top 40 covers are winners, but that's balanced by some funky originals. The trio (Cleveland Eaton - bass, Morris Jennings - drums) is joined by violinist Ed Green on a couple of tracks.

Reviews/ratings:

• Downbeat (★★★★★): "enough to commercially and artistically satisfy everyone."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #117
• Billboard Jazz: #4
• Record World Jazz: #6

Tracks: The best covers are Betcha By Golly Wow! and Where Is The Love. The aforementioned funky originals are Kufanya Mapenzi (Making Love), What it Is!, and the laid-back Serene Funk. For a little variety, there's a tasty mid-tempo original from Green titled My Love For You. I avoid track 7, Dreams, and the cover of Nights In White Satin.

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GOLDEN HITS (1973)
9 tracks, 35 minutes

Full title: Ramsey Lewis' Newly Recorded All-Time Non-Stop Golden Hits

After he moved to Columbia Records in 1972, Ramsey and the rest of his trio made this album of 'modernized' remakes of Lewis' earlier, successful recordings on the Argo and Cadet labels. It's good, not great, but probably should have sold better than it did. However, the cover with small print of the full title make the release look like a greatest hits package instead of a new album re-imagined versions. Heck, even Allmusic mistakenly called it a "budget sampler of pop cuts."

Reviews/ratings:

• Downbeat (★★★★): "It isn't as 'non-stop' as proclaimed, nor all that 'golden' - but the verve is the same, rocking on."
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #198
• Billboard Jazz: #32
• Billboard R&B: #50
• Record World Jazz: #25

Tracks:

Song	Original Lewis version appeared on
Hang On Sloopy	Hang On Ramsey! (1965)
Blues For The Night Owl	More Music From The Soil (1961)
Hi-Heel Sneakers	1966 single
Carmen	Ramsey Lewis And His Gentle-men Of Swing (1956)
(Song Of) Delilah	Ramsey Lewis And His Gentle-men Of Jazz (1958)
Wade In The Water	Wade In The Water (1966)
Slipping Into Darkness	Upendo Ni Pamoja (1972)
Something You Got	The Ramsey Lewis Trio At The Bohemian Caverns (1964)
The "In" Crowd	The In Crowd (1965)

The better cuts are the clavinet-heavy remake of Hang On Sloopy (winner of the Grammy award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance) as well as (Song Of) Delilah, Slipping Into Darkness, and The "In" Crowd. 

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SOLAR WIND (1974)
9 tracks, 44 minutes

Lewis expands the instrumentation a bit, even bringing in legendary STAX guitarist Steve Cropper to write and produce three of the nine tracks. Other cuts come from Elton John, Seals & Crofts, Paul Simon, and Sonny Rollins.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "Lewis' distinctive blend of melodic jazz ideas with insistent rhythmic funk has survived the transition to electric piano beautifully"
• Downbeat (★★★½): "continues to tread lightly on those delicate lines separating pop, r&b and jazz."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: Did not chart
• Billboard Jazz: #29
• Record World Jazz: #20

Tracks: My picks for original cuts are Sweet And Tender and Jamaican Marketplace, while my picks for covers are The Everywhere Calypso and Summer Breeze. 

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SUN GODDESS (1974)
7 tracks, 37 minutes

You wouldn't know it based on the critics' ratings below, but they saved the best for last. One of Ramsey's biggest albums and one that would change the trajectory of his career for least the next decade. Lewis reunited with his former drummer Maurice White, who contacted Lewis about a song he had written. White brought the song to Chicago along with half of his new band, Earth Wind & Fire, and they cut Hot Dawgit (track 14 on this CD) in three days then wrote the title track, Sun Goddess. Add in a Stevie Wonder cover and four Lewis originals plus production from Teo Macero and the result is irresistible.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "one very listenable record"
• Downbeat (★★½): "This is best judged as slick background music, a kind of hip Muzak."
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #12
• Billboard Jazz: #1
• Billboard R&B: #1
• CashBox: #13
• Record World Jazz: #1

Tracks: It's easy to call Sun Goddess (#44 pop, #20 R&B, #5 dance) and Hot Dawgit (#50 pop, #61 R&B) the stand-out cuts, but then you'd be missing out on the driving cover of Living In The City, and some fantastic original works from Lewis: Love Song and the funky Tambura.

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Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Fantasy (1985)
Tequila Mockingbird (1977)
Hang On Ramsey! (1965)/Wade In The Water (1966)

Billy Joel - Piano Man (1973)

Note: the CD I listened to was not the 2011 "Legacy edition" reissue.

Trying something different today: even though I consider myself to be a big Billy Joel fan from 1977 on, I've never heard this particular album complete. So when I recently saw this CD in the clearance bin for $3, I couldn't pass up the opportunity, despite the frightening cover art. Admittedly, I'm familiar with a few tunes from their inclusion on Songs in the Attic, and the title track (#25 pop, #4 AC) is an Irish bar singalong waltz classic, but I'm counting 6 of the 10 tracks that might be new to me. On first blush:

• Travelin' Prayer (pop #77) ✘
• Ain't No Crime
• Worse Comes to Worst (pop #80) - music isn't bad, but the lyrics may be Joel's worst, pun intended
• Stop in Nevada ✔
• If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You) ✔
• Somewhere Along the Line ✘

Initial take: the sound of a songwriter still finding his style. He picked the correct songs for inclusion on Songs In The Attic. No liner notes included, so how am I to know that Larry Carlton played on this?

Press of the time:

• Rolling Stone: "his ten new tunes also introduce a more mature, less frantic musician."
• Robert Christgau (C): "he poses as the Irving Berlin of narcissistic alienation, puffing up and condescending to the fantasies of fans who spend their lives by the stereo feeling sensitive."
• Billboard: "Joel has a fine shot at establishing himself as consistent quality AM artist"
• CashBox: "Billy's piano playing has never been better"
• Record World: "should become a major act on the strength of his first Columbia album"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #27
• CashBox: #33

Tracks: see above

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None, obviously

Previously revisited for the blog:

My Lives (2005)	The Nylon Curtain (1982)
2000 Years: The Millennium Concert (2000)	Songs in the Attic (1981)
To Make You Feel My Love (1997)	Glass Houses (1980)
Storm Front (1989)	52nd Street (1978)
The Bridge (1986)	The Stranger (1977)
An Innocent Man (1983)	Turnstiles (1976)

Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (1973)

It didn't get much better than Stevie Wonder in the '70s.

Exhibit A: Music Of My Mind
Exhibit B: Talking Book
Exhibit C: Innervisions

I could go on and enter Fulfillingness' First Finale and Songs In The Key Of Life into evidence, but I think I've made my prima facie case. Res ipsa loquitur.

Social commentary never got so funky. Stevie plays darn near every instrument, but it's mainly electric piano, Moog bass and Stevie's passionate voice. And while he's preaching for social justice, you get the feeling that Stevie truly believes there's no problem that can't be fixed with love. Stevie's been preaching the gospel of love since the get-go and it's a theme throughout his career's work.

3 Grammy Awards: Album of the Year, Best Engineered Recording Non-Classical, Best Rhythm & Blues Song for Living For The City. Update: In its 2020 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone ranked Innvervisions at #34.

Press of the time:

• Record World: "Extraordinary"
• Robert Christgau (A): "This is music that makes you believe in faith"
• Billboard: "a major force in expanding the sound of modern pop music"
• Stereo Review: "a stunning album"
• CashBox: "definitely the end result of a true genius at work. Don't pass it up."
• Rolling Stone: "one of the vital forces in contemporary music"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #4
• Billboard R&B: #1 (2 weeks)

Tracks:  Don't skip anything, but I'm always drawn to the hits on this one - Living For The City (#8 pop, #1 R&B), Higher Ground (#4 pop, #1 R&B, #41 AC), and Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (#16 pop, #2 R&B, #9 AC). I'm also digging the beautiful ballad Visions and the funky Jesus Children Of America.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I'm trying to pick one out, but when an artist is a huge part of the soundtrack of your life, that task can prove to be difficult. But it does suggest that when I was 7, I was the funkiest kid in the neighborhood:

Heading for "Higher Ground" in '73

My wife is suggesting that my ringtone on her phone should be He's Mistra Know-It-All. Such a kidder, that one.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Song Review: A Greatest Hits Collection (1996)
In Square Circle (1985)
Songs In The Key Of Life (1976)
Talking Book (1972)
Music Of My Mind (1972)
Someday At Christmas (1967)

Various Artists - 41 Original Hits From The Soundtrack of American Graffiti (1973)

Here at the CD Project, any and all donations of CDs are welcome (our unofficial motto: "If it's free, I'll take three!"). This donated compilation arrived here at corporate headquarters just the other day. The official 1973 soundtrack album of the film American Graffiti, it has been certified triple platinum in the U.S. Stupidly, it's probably not something I'd have bought for myself, but it's a welcome addition to my collection. I'm in full agreement with critic Richie Unterberger when he writes:

The soundtrack to the George Lucas film about teenage life in a small California town in the early '60s was probably the best thing about the movie, featuring several dozen outstanding early rock & roll hits. There's nothing terribly obscure here -- in fact, most of these were big smashes -- but it's a good survey of rock's early days, ranging from superstars like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and the Beach Boys to great one-shots like the Monotones, the Tempos, and Buster Brown. Drawbacks: Wolfman Jack talks over the intros of a few songs, and there are a couple tracks by early-'70s Sha Na Na-type revivalists Flash Cadillac.

It's all good fun; my top tracks are marked with a ✔

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #10

Tracks:

Disc 1:

Artist	Title	Year
Bill Haley and His Comets	(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock	1952	✔
The Crests	Sixteen Candles	1958
Del Shannon	Runaway	1961	✔
Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers	Why Do Fools Fall in Love	1956
Buddy Holly	That'll Be The Day	1957	✔
Buster Brown	Fanny Mae	1959
Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids	At The Hop	1973
Flash Cadillac & The Continental Kids	She's So Fine	1973
The Diamonds	The Stroll	1957
The Tempos	See You in September	1959	✔
The Beach Boys	Surfin' Safari	1962	✔
The Fleetwoods	(He's) The Great Imposter	1961
Chuck Berry	Almost Grown	1959
The Platters	Smoke Gets in Your Eyes	1959	✔
The Diamonds	Little Darlin'	1957
Joey Dee & The Starlighters	Peppermint Twist	1961
The Regents	Barbara Ann	1961
The Monotones	The Book of Love	1958	✔
Buddy Holly	Maybe Baby	1958
Lee Dorsey	Ya Ya	1961	✔
The Platters	The Great Pretender	1955

Disc 2:

Artist	Title	Year
Fats Domino	Ain't That a Shame	1955	✔
Chuck Berry	Johnny B. Goode	1958	✔
The Flamingos	I Only Have Eyes For You	1959	✔
The Silhouettes	Get a Job	1958
The Five Satins	To the Aisle	1957
Bobby Freeman	Do You Wanna Dance?	1958
Buddy Knox	Party Doll	1957
The Del-Vikings	Come Go With Me	1957	✔
Johnny Burnette	You're Sixteen	1960
The Clovers	Love Potion No. 9	1959	✔
The Skyliners	Since I Don't Have You	1958	✔
The Big Bopper	Chantilly Lace	1958
Mark Dinning	Teen Angel	1960
Sonny Till & The Orioles	Crying in the Chapel	1953
The Heartbeats	A Thousand Miles Away	1957
The Cleftones	Heart and Soul	1961
Booker T. & The MG's	Green Onions	1962	✔
The Platters	Only You (And You Alone)	1954	✔
The Spaniels	Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite	1953	✔
The Beach Boys	All Summer Long	1964	✔

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None