R&B
Ick’s Pick: Jesse Johnson’s Verbal Penetration
Dec 3rd
As a Prince-obsessed maniac since the age of Purple Rain, I’ve always been interested in following those he helped spawn back in the day. The Time were obviously the most talented of the bunch, and a sizable contributor to the feel and sound of the band – along with Prince, Morris Day, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – was guitarist Jesse Johnson.
After the success of Ice Cream Castle (which featured “The Bird” and “Jungle Love”, tunes co-written by Jesse), he left the group for a solo deal with A&M Records. His body of work has always ranked up there as my favorite – his first two albums, Jesse Johnson’s Revue and Shockadelica, are classic Minneapolis synth-funk. Also solid were his other two studio efforts: 1988’s Every Shade of Love and 1996’s Bare My Naked Soul.
Except for a 2000 greatest hits collection, Jesse has been quiet all these years… that is, until Verbal Penetration came along. I know, I know, the album title is pretty cringe-worthy at first glance. But after picking it up earlier this week, I’m here to tell you – this is a fantastic collection of neosoul, retro-funk and R&B. It’s 29 tracks spanning two discs, and clocks in at almost two hours, and you quickly succumb to the verbal penetration ride that Jesse wants to take you on.
At the forefront is Jesse’s prolific guitar work. It’s been 13 years since his last studio album, and this album burns with a funky ferocity that feels like Jesse’s been bottling up this energy all these years, and he’s finally been uncorked. Case in point is the instrumental “Merciful” [mp3] – where a smooth, simmering groove sets the backdrop for a jaw-dropping guitar solo that kicks off 25 seconds into the song, and doesn’t let up until the song finishes at almost 5 minutes.
There are so many highlights, and I’m just a few listens in… Check out “Sheila Rae” [mp3], a dose of warm and sunny pop/funk with synth horns and some catchy female backing vocals (which show up a lot on this album).
“1000 Watts of Funky” is old school – you guess it – funk, paying obvious homage to Sly & the Family Stone.
There’s “Ali vs. Frasier”, where Jesse puts on his Wes Montgomery hat and kills with some jazz guitar.
“Letter From a Soldier (Reprise)” and “Love Letters” mashup classic Curtis Mayfield vibes with smooth neosoul grooves.
Even the strange ones are captivating. There’s “Redemption for the Soul, Enlightenment for the Earhole”, a tale set in the far future where music is banned. It is the “Days of the Deafening Quiet”, after the “Great Last War left the Nurennus Realm in control”. It’s narrated by French-Norwegian artist Jezabella Kipp-Messmer, and her accent will confuse, possibly annoy, and probably mesmerize you. What’s truly mesmerizing is the funky sounds backing up the story.
Verbal Penetration is a welcome surprise from a familiar old friend. It sizes up well against Prince’s post-2000 output, and even far exceeds it at points. Jesse’s hiatus hasn’t diminished his talent and potency in any way whatsoever. If you have a little purple in you, do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Buy: Verbal Penetration
Visit: JesseJohnson.com
New Tunes: Rob Murat
Aug 27th
Rob Murat is a singer/songwriter/producer who just dropped his first album, So Much To Say. I like the soul revival feel of this one. Sort of sounds like something Amy Winehouse would sing (only with “fuckery” and “Blake incarcerated” added to the lyrics). Blake, what on earth did you do to that girl? You look like you spent 5 years face down on a puke-stained floor of the South Kensington tube station – you must really hold sway in the sack, you dog.
You can check out Rob’s Official Site for every link you need…
Rob Murat - Ready To Love (mp3)
Ick’s Pick (Week XI): Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
Mar 19th
This week’s new releases were a pretty blah bunch as far as I was concerned. I lost my focus listening to Old Californio’s new album over and over. But alas, I committed to listening to one new album every week of this year. So week 11 (xi), here we go.
It’s SXSW week, and as much as I try to ignore the mountain of e-mails and Tweets and coverage everywhere I turn, the fact is I’m jealous, and I’d drink a gallon of hot sauce to be in Austin right now. I’m shooting for next year as my 1st SXSW experience.
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears are from Austin, and they’re playing around town this week in support of their brand new album, ‘Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!‘
This release stuck out from the rest as something I clearly needed to hear: Black Joe Lewis channels his inner James Brown, Wilson Pickett, and Otis Redding for some soul revival craziness. This album clocks in at 30 minutes, and is filled with Lewis’s spirited, good humored (and sometimes explicit) hootin’ and hollerin, tasty retro (60’s) soul grooves, and a great horn section courtesy of some members of Austin’s Grupo Fantasma.
This one will be perfect for a weekend barbecue and some cold beer. You may wanna grab a babysitter though, unless you want your kids jumping around to “Get Yo S***”, “Humpin’”, and “Big Booty Woman”. You can thank Black Joe for leaving “Bitch, I Love You”, another one of his songs, off this record (don’t worry, Joe’s no misogynist – even you ladies will be groovin’).
BUY Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!
Links: Official Site | MySpace |Twitter
Take a listen to the horn blasts on “Gunpowder”, the album’s opener…
The Mellowness of the Shug
Jan 12th
Like Michael mentioned in his 100 Words post today, when your music library gets too big, the challenge is to figure out what to even listen to. A lot of great artists and songs seem to go underground for a while, and pop up in a shuffle a few months down the road. One that plopped back on to my radar today was Shuggie Otis and his psychedelifunky 1974 album Inspiration Information.
It’s a mellow Monday, so a couple of laid back joints here. “Island Letter” sounds like a cousin of Prince’s “Crazy You”, if you ask me. And I know you did. I heard you.
Shuggie Otis – Island Letter (mp3)
“Freedom Flight” is thirteen minutes of dream-inducing lite funky jazz and sweet sax & guitar effects. Close your eyes and drift off. But not if you’re at work. NSFW. Definitely NSFW.
Freedom Flight (mp3)
Check out Inspiration Information
The Temps’ Silent Night – Merry Christmas
Dec 24th
I was searching around for some info about when the Temptations version of “Silent Night” was recorded, and stumbled across a very heartfelt 2004 piece from the Washington Post. Writer Neely Tucker describes his relationship with the song – one of joy and sad nostalgia.
Turns out the song was recorded in 1980, with the post- Eddie Kendrick and David Ruffin Temptations lineup : Otis Williams, Richard Street, Melvin Franklin, Glenn Leonard, and Dennis Edwards (who replaced Ruffins as lead vocalist). In the piece, Tucker describes the origin of the tune:
So this is the part in the story when I tell you how the song was recorded at Motown in Detroit, at the tiny “Hitsville USA” studios on West Grand Boulevard on a snowy winter night back in the day, with the Rev. C.L. Franklin (Aretha’s daddy) doing the arrangements, and I would love to, except for the fact that it isn’t true.
The best Christmas song ever put to disc was recorded off Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles in a couple of hours on a sunny day in the summer of 1980, according to Otis Williams, the only surviving original Temptations member.
“Gil Askey had the arrangements there when we went over to his house, so we sat down and worked out the melody line and vocals,” says Williams, speaking from his home in Los Angeles. “Then we went to the studio. I think it took a couple of hours.”
I certainly recommend you click right here and take some time to read Tucker’s piece. You’ll be better for it.
From the House of Ickmusic to wherever you may be, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas…
The Temptations – Silent Night (mp3) – My favorite version of my favorite Christmas song. Ever.
.Looking Back: Cameo
Sep 7th
I know I speak for all middle class suburban white males in their late thirties when I ask: “Where the hell is Larry Blackmon??”
Okay, well maybe not – but I do get nostalgic for the funky old days of Cameo from time to time. They were one of the first live acts I ever saw, back when I was 16 and 17 years old. Most know ‘em only for “Word Up”, and maybe for songs like “Candy”, “Attack Me With Your Love”, or “Single Life”. All great tunes from great albums.
But fact is the boys had been around since the early to mid -70’s, when the Julliard-trained Blackmon formed the New York City Players. In ‘76, they changed their name to Cameo and signed to Casablanca’s Chocolate City label.
Their debut, Cardiac Arrest, was released in ‘77, and gave the world what they never lost: danceable, funky music with a heavy dose of quirkiness.
I’m all about the quirk.
Cameo – Rigor Morti
Cardiac Arrest looks to be wayyy out of print, but you can find “Rigor Mortis” and other classics on the The Best of Cameo…
Hot Video Action
Take a look at this great title track to ’82’s “Alligator Woman”…
Oh and you should really take a look at a live performance of “She’s Strange” and “Single Life”…
Oh, and “Attack Me WIth Your Love” and “Candy”, live…
And of course their crossover smash from 1986…
VIVA EL CAMEO!!!
Prince hips me to Janelle Monáe
Aug 20th
(Photo from Nastassia A. Davis’s Flickr photostream.)
There’s lots of ways to hear about a new artist. Find a cool blog posting. Hear it on the radio. Have a friend tell you about it. Or in this case, have one of your favorite artists wait outside of the Viper Room for the artist’s gig to end so he can talk to her.
Prince drove down the hill to the Sunset Strip last night to meet with Atlanta-based, futuristic R&B singer Janelle Monáe after her gig. E Online found it newsworthy enough to write about it, and I apparently find it newsworthy enough to repeat it here. It’s just that I often wonder what my purple friend is up to. The man still doesn’t have a functional official web site, which is stupefying to me. For all the fuss he makes about people posting his images, songs, and videos on the internet, you’d think that he would have something to offer us. But nope, still zilch on the internet front.
But on to Janelle. The music is unique, fresh, funky, and you can hear influences from Prince to Outkast to smooth singers like Shirley Bassey (she sang some of the James Bond themes). Janelle was recently signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, which is okay as long as he keeps his paws off. I don’t feel like hearing his “yeah”s and “uh”s in her songs.
Janelle’s well on her way to establishing herself as the next best thing on the scene. As usual, I’m a little behind. So thanks Mr. Nelson for swinging by the Viper Room last night. I owe you. No, not actual money. Man, that Prince… always looking for a payday!
Janelle Monáe – Sincerely, Jane (mp3)
Buy her new EP, Metropolis: the Chase Suite:
The DIY site is a week old and it’s waiting for YOU
Jul 28th
At one week old, Ickmusic DIY is off to a great start. We have a Cristina post with some mp3’s, a Grace Jones video that will terrify your kids, links to brand new Pretenders tracks, and a look at Barack Obama’s iPod.
I encourage anyone with a passion for music to sign up and contribute! I’ve already learned a lot already, just a few posts in. So go on over and check it out.
Go on and do it, do it, do it ’til you’re satisfied – whatever it is…
B.T. Express - Do It Til You’re Satisfied (mp3)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Buy The Best of B.T. Express
Old School Friday
Jul 11th
My geeky music life just got geekier. You know the new iPhone came out today. Well, those of us with “old” iPhone get the 2.0 upgrade gratis, which includes the App Store – which includes a ton of free apps made exclusively for iPhone. The coolest, in my humble opinion? Remote!
By downloading the free Remote app, I can now control my iTunes from anywhere in the house. I’ve had the Airport Express, which lets me stream my iTunes to any stereo inside or outside my house. So how does Remote enhance the experience? It means when I’m out washing my car in the driveway, and Manilow’s “Mandy” comes blasting through the speakers, I can coyly hit the “Next” button.
Sweet.
But that was now and this was then…
George Clinton – “Do Fries Go With That Shake?”
The System – “Don’t Disturb This Groove”
Beastie Boys – “Hey Ladies
Wattstax
Jun 1st
I watched Wattstax today for the very first time. Now, I’m burying myself in Stax music, and totally in a 70’s funk / soul / R&B frame of mind. What a film!
Wattstax was a music festival that took place at the L.A. Coliseum in August of 1972. Organized by the Memphis-based Stax record label to commemorate the 7th anniversary of the Watts riots, it featured Stax artists like Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, the Bar-Kays, the Staples Singers, Luther Ingram, and a lot of others.
The film features music footage interspersed with interviews of Watts residents, a pre-’Love Boat’ Ted Lange (Issac!), and Richard Prior, who all talk frankly about being Black in 1972 America.
By far the highlights for me were this Rufus Thomas performance of “Do the Funky Chicken”, and this, the Bar-Kays’ “Son of Shaft”. You just have to love the style of the times. And just check out how the Bar-Kays hit the stage. Now that’s showmanship! I guess the band wanted to come on to the field in a chariot, but that was rejected at the last minute. Well, the outfits stayed. S-t-y-l-e.
It really doesn’t get any better than this….
If you want a new (or renewed) appreciation for 70’s soul & the Stax label, as well as a fascinating document of the early 1970’s L.A. Black community, check out this film.
Thanks Gonzo for the recommendation!
By the way, if anyone can recommend any other good films / concert videos that document this era of 70’s soul, funk, and R&B, please drop a comment below. I want more!
Recent Comments