Customer Reviews

Studio One Funk

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

 

 

I bought this cd because the cover said "studio one funk"; and Jamaican funk is something I wanted to hear, as it is so rare. They had better called it "Some Studio One Funk and Lots of Plain Reggae". No that it's not good, but be warned. Okay, the tunes - "Shaft" is an instrumental remake of the classic Isaac Hayes tune; very good; "African Descendants" has nothing to do with funk, but is a very solid chant like cut with great backing vocals; "Poco Tempo" is the best track - a very mysterious sounding Augustus Pablo take on the Woman of the Ghetto/Sidewalk Doctor rhythm (which can maybe be described as "funky reggae") ; "Reggae Feet" is a hybrid between funk and reggae with Lloyd Williams shouting things like "Lord have mercy" and stuff; "Hang Em High" is pure early seventies funk, with the great organ sound of Jackie Mittoo; "Idleberg" is a solid saxophone instrumental over Horace Andy's "Skylarking" rhythm (again not much to do with funk, though it is "funky"); "Beat Down Babylon" is an early dj tune; "Now" is funk - reggae from the early seventies or late sixties, instrumental; "007" is an instrumental ska tune; "See A Man's Face" is a dj take on the Horace Andy tune; "Love Jah" is more reggae than funk; "Do Your Thing" is Leroy Sibbles' impersonation of US soul; good tune; "Music Answer" is a dub tune from the late seventies, not so great sound quality but a nice bassline; "Melting Pot" is almost identical to the Booker T & MG's track; "You Found Heaven" is reggae with soulful vocals; "Steady Beat" a rocksteady instrumental; "It's A Shame" is a cover of I think an old motown tune; "Another Thing" is two minutes long and not funk; "Funky Broadway" is a not so good cover of Stevie Wonder's "Uptight"
Only about 3 or 4 tracks that could be described as funk; and a lot of filler, in my opinion.
I wouldn't recommend this album . I just bought "Studio One Discomixes" and that's a much better compilation.

I wasn't looking for funk, per se. I was looking for some funky reggae music, and boy did it it pay off. These killer numbers are funken groovin tunes with great horns, organ, piano, drumming, vocals, and most importantly to me- good melodies. This music has great movement, and very unique in the influences that are played in a reggae format, be they jazz, funk, rock, or whatever- I would say that the forms don't matter compared to the ESSENCE of musical creativity of the players and singers. Great production sound from '69-'72.