Customer Reviews

Lamont

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Lamont Dozier is in my view, an unnamed architect of r and b music. From his days as a studio musician and part of the heralded Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting trio, he helped establish Motown as truly "The Sound of Young America." After his split from Motown, he produced a few solo hits, most notably "Fish Ain't Bitin'," "Trying To Hold On To My Woman," and "Why Can't We Be Lovers."
In 1974 he dropped his signature lp. and one of the decades best (though unheralded), "Black Bach." Following that were a series of lesser known works, including "Peddlin' Music On the Side," the appropriately named "Bittersweet," and "Working On You." But in 1981, working with a new and smaller label (M & M Records), Dozier hit with "Lamont," a synthesizer-heavy lp that due to budget constraints, was missing the usual strings and orchestration Dozier is noted for.
Like "Black Bach," this album is a gem, from the opening track "You Ought to Be In Pictrures," to the final cut "Help Is On The Way." Though Dozier's solo work has always been cluttered with cliches--and this album is no exception--the musicianship and smooth vocals are what matters. Another stand out tune is the mellifluous ballad "I See You."
There's also some funk--"The Pressure Is On," and the lone single from the lp, "Shout About It." There is not one "filler" song on the lp--a rarity, in the era of "remixes" and padded "reissues."
For hardcore Doazier fans (and there are plenty), this album is a must; for the casual listener, here is the chance to learn about r and b history from one of the Great Masters (Brown, Barry W., Berry G., C. Mayfield, et al) and enjoy your schooling along the way.

This CD is an overlooked treasure. It is on a label that nobody ever heard of and recorded by an artist that people never cared about. It seems that Lamont Dozier tried to work within a low budget to record these tunes which explains the extensive use of synthesizers instead of real strings and horns. The songs and the music are on the money. "I See You", "Ain't No Way", and "I Ain't Playing" are the standout tunes. I still say that Lamont Dozier is the REAL King of Soul because of his writing, his singing, and his extensive string of hits that he produced for other artists.