Customer Reviews

Money Talks

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

 

 

Beyond Old School. This is the essence of late 70's funk. The title track is the most mainstream cut; however, it serves only as an appertif for what follows. The two versions of Holy Ghost are sheer percussive joy held together with prtotypical starchild Stratocaster work. If it doesn't shake you, a full physical with bloodwork may be in order. Feelin' Alright is an awesome Memphis-Soul take on the standard. Monster seems like a high energy soundtrack to any Quinn Martin action production. Sure, it's a short disc, but it hits all the right chords and truly provides a glimpse of what kept us all so funky back in the day.

Funky horn-driven soul from the masters. This is a short album, but it doesn't disappoint - from the subversive strutting on the title track to the low-down beaten-dog crying on "Mean Mistreater," the Bar-Kays show off their talents at arranging and performing complex orchestrations of party funk. Check out the originals.

First off this cd is SHORT!! Total time is 35 minutes. I rarely give 5 stars to short cds. Tracks 2 thru 5 are all pretty good and enjoyable but not worth the price of the cd. The key is tracks 1 & 6. The "HOLY GHOST" tracks! These are the definition of funk and are worth the price of the cd!!! Track 6 is a more uptempo and longer version. About 6 minutes. Track 1 is the deep funk version with the killer base part! It's about 4 minutes. The vocals by Larry Dodson are incredible and what true funk singing is all about!

I wasn't sure about this purchase when I first ordered it but "Holy Ghost" hits so hard that I'm totally pleased!! This is
"Divine Funk!"

The Bar Kays formed as Otis Redding's back-up band... all but two of the original line up perished in the plane crash that also took Redding's life... The band was reformed by trumpeter James Cauley and bassist James Alexander, and like BOOKER T and the MGs, soon became the STAX house rhythm band, rising to particular fame as Issac Hayes's HOT BUTTERED SOUL rhythm section.

As for this recording, the truth was that STAX was in its final days, and the group had moved on to MERCURY and were hitting hard on the DISCO/R&B scene by then... As an effort to cash in on the group's success, STAX dug down into the vaults... The great news is that they were able to come up with an album that was anything but throwaway material. The album managed to Chart as high as #21 on the Billboard charts by 1979, and HOLY GHOST was a hit (a #9 single) and to boot was consistent... There are two very with the times booty shakers (Holy Ghost and Money Talks), the Jazzy MONSTER, Mean Mistreater is a sultry slow Jam, and there's a cover of FEELING ALRIGHT.

All in all, I'd have to say that of the albums that are currently in issue from their heavy funk/disco funk era, this is up there though it would be hard not to recommend TOO HOT TO STOP, which is available as a 2 for 1 with FLYING HIGH ON YOUR LOVE.

So I hear these guys are funky. I buy Soul Finger. Good, much more Memphis soul than funky though. Not giving up, I buy Injoy, which was a little too close to the 80s era of electronic, cheese ball funk. Realizing I'd over shot, I jumped back to an older album, Do You See What I See? which was good, but more rock than funk. Pretty much giving up I throw this album on my wish list and get it for Christmas. I didn't even decide to listen to it till just a couple weeks ago. However, it's been in constant rotation since. This is super stanky, can't-stop-movin-ur-shoulders pure funk at it's best. With the exception of one track, it's a near perfect funk album. If you're looking for The Bar-Kays at their funky finest, this is where to start. Now I know what people mean when they say The Bar-Kays are funky.

While The Length of this Disc Hurts the Music is Pumping from start to finish the title cut and Especially The Funky Jam Holy Ghost that cut alone will rock any Party any Year Period.that is a Gem.The Bar-Kays have always been Tight.always given up the Goods of Funk.