Customer Reviews

California Soul

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Seems like (if you're looking in the right places) the marketplace is flooded with rare groove and underground funk compilations. It's hard to even know where to begin. You could do a whole hell of a lot worse than 'California Soul.' Distributed by Ubiquity, who guarantees all their albums - and always live up to the promise in my book - this one is wall to wall sound. Lots of variation too; from laid-back soul to mellow funk to righteous grooves and even a latin dip ("The Wobble Cha"). All culled from the best years of the 70's, the golden age of black music in America. If you dig soul and funk and you stumble on this one somewhere...pick it up and run.

You could dissect soul aesthetically but what would be the point. Everyone who knows their music knows that soul is formula, but when it's on, man is it on.

This was particularly true in the 1970s--get a good writer, good players, cut a 45, and you could turn around very soon and find yourself on the radio.

California Soul has such buried treasure. The California in this title is important--in those days, soul sounded specific to region. Grit grooves in the south, sweet Phillie, and smoother groves on the west coast.

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This set has a great buffet of laid back but funky grooves and more solid funk. Think Kool And The Gang with more spice or a less ornate Earth Wind and Fire.

But next to these grooves, comparison and analysis are not worth a thing. Get this, and the companion, Super Cool California Soul 2, shake that big or small a-s of yours and enjoy. I'll be there in spirit.

An amazing collection of soul and funk music unparalleled in today's music. It's hard to find music this good, and here it is all packaged together for you. I listen to this album over and over again.

I love this CD man - it ROCKS. You are especially gonna love the Carnival (track 11) although of course Orquestra Esencia aren't on top form because when they play the Carnival they play the best of all. They play at wakes and wedding and at all the fancy balls, but they cancelled playing funerals to play the CARNIVAL. You're ALSO gonna love tracks 1 through 14 a.k.a the whole thing. TOP.