Big City Funk: Original Old School Breaks & Heavy Guitar Soul

Dennis Coffey | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 26, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vampi Soul
• ASIN: B000K2Q86S
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #197,003 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Son Of Scorpio

2. Guitar Big Band

3. Enter The Dragon

4. Chicano

5. Lonely Moon Chile

6. Impressions Of

7. Ride Sally Ride

8. Taurus

9. Scorpio

10. Getting It On

11. Big City Funk

12. Whole Lot Of Love

13. Garden Of The Moon

14. Capricorn's Thing

15. Outrageous (The Mind Excursion)

Editorial Reviews

Dennis Coffey is an American guitarist, notable as a prominent studio musician for many Soul and R&B recordings. Coffey recorded 'Scorpio' which was a million selling single and in 1972 'Taurus', both with The Detroit Guitar Band. Since then, he has recorded several solo albums. In the early '70s, Dennis Coffey, Motown ''Funk Brother'' and super-session guitar man, seemed determined to write soundtracks even if he wasn't commissioned by a Hollywood studio. Indeed, the four studio albums he cut for the Sussex label between 1971 and 1974, from which this compilation is culled, are like a big personal advertisement for potential film score work. Coffey's raw, compressed guitar style - his Big City Breakbeat Funk - certainly evokes a tough, urban landscape inhabited by tough, urban gangsters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detroit"s White Son of Funk, March 3, 2007

By 

Juan Mobili (Valley Cottage, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big City Funk: Original Old School Breaks & Heavy Guitar Soul (Audio CD)

Biographically speaking, I have little to add to what the item description already states besides making sure you know that his being called "Funk brother" is--other than just being obvious by the groove coming of his guitar anywhere in this collection--because he was a permanent and deserving member of the Motown's stunning back-up band the Funk Brothers, between the late 60's and early 70's. By the way, it is his guitar licks you hear in The Temptations' "Cloud Nine."

This collection gathers tracks from his four solo albums for Sussex, between 1971 and 1974, and I believe also proves the worth and importance of Coffey's contribution to 70's Funk. From the opener and hit single "Scorpio" that just forces you to endless rewind, or the War-on-speed of Chicano and the bass groove on the "Theme of Enter The Dragon", to the obligatory slow-down, quasi Psych vibe "Lonely Moon Child" and "Garden Of The Moon" or the Starkey & Hutch ways of "Aide Sally Ride" ... this is sheer old Funk joy.

This music will grow on you like vine. Although not for everybody, as they say, and much more than a document of a certain time and place in music, this anthology rocks and grooves impressively. I'd bet even James Brown own a couple of his albums.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Little Ain't Enough, May 14, 2007

By 

William H. Haines "The Info Dude" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big City Funk: Original Old School Breaks & Heavy Guitar Soul (Audio CD)

OK, so I'm glad that some of Dennis' Sussex material is FINALLY available on CD. But all four of those albums were pure gold. Why, oh WHY didn't they just release a 2CD set with all four albums in thier entirety? They certainly would have all fit. I'm guessing that is the eventual plan, but they want to double dip by making us pay for this, and then later pay for the more complete package when it finally materializes. Why not make the two versions available at the same time and let us have the choice?? I'm gonna buy this (my albums are rice krispies as hell) just to have the music, and like I said, I'm glad it's finally out there again, but c'mon guys!! Let us have 'em all!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An official release?, August 23, 2008

By 

Eckhard Voelker (Germany) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Big City Funk: Original Old School Breaks & Heavy Guitar Soul (Audio CD)

I'm almost sure that this is no official release. First of all the overall sound quality lacks the brilliance and transparency of my old German and UK vinyl releases, which clearly speaks against the use of original tapes. I suppose this Best of collection has been transferred from (sometimes inferior) vinyl. I listened with my headphones on, several tracks reveal audible signs of vinyl, the source used for the last track (Outrageous) seems to have been quite wavy, you can clearly hear the needle pass the specific point of the wave. Other tracks, for example Ride Sally Ride, make me believe the vinyl should have been cleaned more thoroughly. Some cracks on various tracks are additional proof.
Secondly, at least the tracks from "Evolution", "Going For Myself" and "Electric Coffey" have been speeded up by at least one half-tone (reference: my original vinyl plus the "Scorpio" - track that was released on some Rhino CD compilations years ago).
I do have to say that I regret having bought this disc.
All collectors and admirers of Dennis Coffey's guitar playing should contact either him or record companies and say how desperately they are waiting for official reissues of his Sussex albums.