Customer Reviews

Carolina Funk: First In Funk

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2 star:		(1)
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I can't rave enough about this series. All the artists for their contribution, along with the Jazz Man/Now Again label should get a Grammy for this. From the superb reproduction of the original mono sound, from the choice of material, from the muted colors of the photos used, to the color of the graphics, the liner notes, everything was done by people with the sharpest of the sharpest artist's eye. It does not matter which you choose, Midwest, Florida, Carolina or Texas, they are all incredible. My hat off to the label, too, for not issuing this in a cheapo box set. Just buy them all. This music has put me in other worlds. The next best ones are Searching For Soul and Getting It Off.

In recent years there has been a slew of regionally based rare funk compilations...
This particular label has released several... all being great (though this and FLORIDA FUNK really going over the top.)

What makes this particular compilation so great is the fact that while "Carolina" might not automatically come to mind when you think funk, if you think a bit deeper it should... South Carolina, after all, was one of James Brown's own home turfs and its where a lot of his musicians came from... Not surprisingly, a great deal of the groups on this album show a strong JB influence... the catch being two things (which also set this volume above many of the other regional funk compilations) - - There is a distinct sound... at the same time, the tracks don't all sound the same... In fact, it seems a key element in the sounds of the groups on this compilation. Basically, they create their tunes by mixing and mashing together different elements of different tunes... For example, you have one tune that takes FRED IS DEAD, but then goes in a whole new direction with it... another, the DOOBIE's CHINA GROVE, and yet others build off of classic JB grooves (including SOUL POWER, SUPER BAD and others.) - - There is also loads and loads of convincing CLYDE STUBBLEFIELD/JABO STARKS style drum breaks, and some really tight bass playing.

A fave of mine is JUST TAKE YOUR TIME, which takes a classic JB groove, only with some real slick key changes... and at one point I hear a break from BLACK HEAT'S M&M's which leads into a quote from SLY STONE'S I want to take you higher... then by the end of the tune, the band launches into a really wicked mid-70's style FRED WESLEY AND THE JBs type horn vamp (sadly it fades on it even though its when the fun was just started.)

But again, I repeat... while the tunes START with these grooves, they throw so many other elements in the mix, you get a whole different bag... in many ways its sampling before sampling. - - Oh, and while we're at it, expect lot's of great JB style "bantering", with band members talking back and forth as well as singing...

Anyway, I could probably actually write a description of each and every piece on the album...
I'll just mention a few...
The Mandrill-ish KING COBRA, a mean tightened up yet streety version of THEME OF BLACKBIRDS, a mean*ss blue eyed/sweet soul tune called SO VERY HARD TO MAKE IT, the super tight JB sounding FUNKY BROTHER... and the ridiculously tight and rhythmic DOING WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.

All in all, recently there have been a load of compilations, and each one ends up getting labeled as "best yet" in my reviews... well folks... I gotta revise things... put this on the top of the list... I don't think its going to get much better ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

When I listen, I wonder where all these guys are now and how their musical lives were lived. The overall impact is the same as some of the 'less than professional' garage band music of the 60's. There were a couple of very nice tracks but most were mixed badly and balanced badly. Like it was early in each bands history, but still, how did it all turn out? As a listener, I really want to know more about all these guys.