Customer Reviews

Funky Broadway: Very Best of

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Its kind of exasperating when you hear and remember all the hits these guys had (and that's still played on so called "oldies" radio) yet how they're not exactly a household name these days. Somewhere between Jr. Walker and the All Stars and JB, you just knew if this group hit the radio, there was going to be some heavy dancing going on, and so many of their hits were later recorded and made bigger by other groups.

If you're into the Stax and Memphis Soul, you'll really love this. This group is genuinely fun to listen to. All of there songs may have sounded virtually the same after a while... but who cared... they knew how to get you dancing and do the Funky whatever. You'll probably want to sandwich this somewhere in between some Archie Bell and The Drells, Joe Quarterman and Rufus Thomas CDs. This is definitely Saturday night party music.

"Sisters and my brothers/day is comin'"

That line alone, and its accompanying track, are enough to make me believe in a brighter day. You read music reviews and sometimes have to wonder, what happened to the rest of the country? There is life outside New Orleans, Nashville, Austin, New York, and Los Angeles. This proves, in spades, that all over the country funk was happenin'. The resurgence in "digging" for obscure funk tracks has inspired folks to look for, and find, great music where you'd least expect it.

Dyke was hiding out in Phoneix, Arizona and, thankfully, hasn't been lost to history. "Funky Walk" starts with a guitar riff that's as tough as anything recorded. If that doesn't make you smile, you're a stiff in a pine box. "City Dump" is straight-up, down-and-dirty blues, and it couldn't have happened to a better subject (hanging out in the city dump).

My favorite is track, though, is 14 -- listed as "My Sister's and Brother's Day Is Comin'". If I had a small country (or a large country) and I needed a national anthem, this would be it. In the same vein I also highly recommend a Meters track that only appeared as a single, called "Stretch Your Rubber Band". Put 'em together, and you've got a one-two funk-soul punch that'll knock em' dead every time.

I was impressed to have enjoyed all the songs on this album. More often than not it seems I only get a couple good songs on a single album.

these guys are vastly underated, this collection includes the original(and better) version of "FUNKY BROADWAY". other standouts are "LET A WOMAN BE A WOMAN" "FUNKY WALK" and 'WE GOT MORE SOUL". the latter name drops some of the famous r&b stars of the era and is definative. a must have.

Such a tragic terrible ending that happened to Dyke in 1971 when he was fatally shot on the streets in Pheonix. Although he is gone, his "FUNKY" hits will live on. This is "TRULY" the very best of Dyke & The Blazers indeed. R.I.P. Dyke. Dyke & The Blazers were the best !!

Nothin to say but Wiggle your hips, now shake,shake,shake.Great tracks funky rhythms,another must have to your collection.

What a great compilation. After collecting a number of the Original Sound singles over the years and wondering why music so great was not being played over and over again on the local soul oldies station, I picked up this CD. Why in the [world] is this music not in every oldies-radio-rotation in the nation? You tell me. Arlester Chastain was as vital an artist as Wilson Pickett and countless other gut-bucket instigators. This music is important, damn it. He may have recorded in Phoenix, but he burned as bright and meaningful as the best of the genre. If anything, Dyke and the Blazers were groundbreaking innovators who were ripped off by big label big name imitators who made more money and got more recognition. This is the original "FUNKY BROADWAY." How many of you knew that? Check out "So Sharp" and every other cut on this compilation. This stuff cooks and burns and coalesces again and ignites once more and keeps on smoking. This band is one of the great lost relics of early soul. Sort of like the lost continent of Atlantis, but this is real, dudes. I'm the Big Oh and I said so.

Great old school funk. I thought it was from the 70's but it's older - from the Motown era. Great tunes.

oh i got on to dyke after hearing his version of FUNKY BROADWAY on and independant radio station. this, the original, of course, is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better than wilson picket's version (although his version is great in its own right). love FUNKY WALK and LET A WOMAN BE A WOMAN, LET A MAN BE A MAN (word to stetsasonic..............right SALLY?) WE GOT MORE SOUL slams too as well as FUNKY BULL. you will not sit still. i guarentee you that now. i hate that he was killed in a fight. i wonder how funky he really would've gotten had that unfortunate incident not happened. one can only imagine it in one's mind.