Ship Ahoy [Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

O'Jays | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 15, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 1973
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00008WT4P
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,947 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Love, relationships, money and power-those were the themes of this 1973 LP, a classic O'Jays blend of funky soul and social commentary. Their R&B smashes Put Your Hands Together (the #2 hit and a bonus live version) and For the Love of Money (#3 hit) join This Air I Breathe; People Keep Tellin' Me; Don't Call Me Brother , and more! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get On Board, June 6, 2003

By 

Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ship Ahoy (Audio CD)

R&B isn't generally thought of music with a message. It's supposed to make you get up and dance, not comment on social issues. Marvin Gaye proved that R&B artists could make great protest records and Gamble & Huff constantly made songs that were socially aware. The team's main mouthpieces were the O'Jays and together on Ship Ahoy they created an album that tackled subjects from the ecology, to greed to slavery. "Put Your Hands Together" is a plea for people to pray for and help those less fortunate. "For The Love Of Money" is a about the lengths people will go to get money. "This Air I Breathe" is about pollution and "You Got Your Hooks In Me" is about obession. The title song is a 10:00 opus about a subject rarely broached in music, slavery. Including the sounds of waves breaking on the ocean, the song takes us aboard a slave ship. Even though the album takes on tough subjects, the Philly Soul Sound makes the album immensly listenable. As always with Gamble & Huff, the album contains alot of stiring strings and you won't find a heavier bass line anywhere than on "Money". The O'Jay's are in fine vocal form and 27 years later, the messages, unfortunately, are still releveant.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ship Ahoy, January 14, 2002

By 

WILLIE A YOUNG II "willow" (Houston, TX.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ship Ahoy (Audio CD)

The title track of this stunning 1973 album is revolutionary simply because it exists, I mean think, how many other popular recording groups at the height of thier fame, the top of thier game and pretty much holding the public in the palms of thier hands have ever released a song about the passage of slaves from Africa to the America's? None, which is why the song and the album it's taken from are still so powerful 29 years later. As usual, Gamble & Huff's production is top notch and still sounds as fresh and vibrant now as it did the day these tracks were recorded. Listening to "Ship Ahoy", "Don't Call Me Brother", "For The Love Of Money" and the other great songs here makes one long for the days when soul music was topical AND entertaining without slipping into parody and preachiness.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Ship Ahoy' Is Pretty Much Undisputed, May 23, 2007

By 

Andre S. Grindle "Andre' Grindle" (Brewer Maine) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ship Ahoy (Audio CD)

This album has the indignity of being made in an era where the word "classic" seemed to be applied to every album that came out.But as everyone knowns it's time and longjevity that truly makes a classic.Luckilly for everyone 'Ship Ahoy' has aged with the same quality and great taste of a fine French wine.In terms of O'Jay history this album is linked strongly with their first masterpience album Back Stabbers and they do seem like logical extensions;both came during the O'Jays creative and commercial peak and their cultural influece was beyond intense.On EVERY one of the songs Eddie LeVert's operatic gospel shouting will still turn the ears of everyone they touch-especially on the title track.That is a musical and cultural "period" song about the events of an ancient slave ship,sung by LeVert and the O'Jays harmonies with a dry eye-I just know I couldn't have done that-singing what they did on that song would've made me either angry or sad.But in the O'Jays hands their vocals communicate,subjectively.Another aspect of 'Ship Ahoy' as opposed to the previous album is the Philly slickness of even the funkiest songs-on "Put Your Hands Together","People Keep Tellin' Me" and even the environmental please "This Air I Breath" the peppiness of the music with it's happy Philly orchestration make one not even notice Eddie's line about "the air not staying in his mouth".And what can be said about "For The Love Of Money"?Nothing that hasn't been said;O'Jays at their funkiest,hands down.During this time The O'Jays were more then just a great singing trio-they were a musical movement.Like The Isley Brothers,The Blue Notes and The Spinners were musical movements.And the fact that all three of these movements co existed in their classic period all around the same is more then enough to make albums like 'Ship Ahoy' seem overwelming.But it really isn't.But truth be told;you just cannot listen to music like this and not have some kind of excited reaction.