Customer Reviews

Warmer Communications / Benny & Us

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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What ealse can you say. AWB does it again. Mature Funk at its best. Not the best work, but classic anyway you shape it.

Hard to beat, getting two for the price of one, but in this case, you're getting three. Don't forget Ben E King.
"Warmer Communication" it might take a bit listening on this AWB classic. First you gotta get past "one look over your shoulder" at least that's what happen to me. I played it too death. "your love is a miracle", "daddys all gone" and "same felling different song" that's that average white band you've learned to love. We're not through yet, now they hook up with RB legend Ben E King. "Benny and Us" Why do I feel it's more like it's Bennys album, and our guys are just singing the background. Oh well, all I know is, it works. "star in the ghetto", that's my repeat mode, love that song, and love the story. Donny Hathaways "someday we'll all be free" that will always be a great song, nobody can mess that song up. I think they probably made the most money off of "get it up for love", good dance tune for that era, and I'm guess that's pretty much what sold that album. Maybe not the best stuff they've done, but the thing about "average white band" fans, we don't want to turn our heads...we think we might miss something.

When R & B went the route of souless over-production and synthesizers along came a bunch of white guys from Scotland who revered the masters of this genre and wrote and performed some of the greatest soul music of the '70s and '80's. This 2 CD compilation contains 2 of their best efforts. Despite the absence of hit singles the music here is top-notch. Warmer Communications is one of their last Atlantic albums and contains such classics as "Your Love Is A Miracle" - a slow funk burner with killer wah-wah bass solo and their trademark horns. Hamish Stuart shines on "She Was a Dream" a latin tinged homage to obessesive love. There's also an extra live "marathon" treatment of their hit "Pick Up the Pieces" with a killer arrangement by Arif Mardin and solos by what I believe to be the giants of jazz in attendance at the Montreux Jazz Fest that year. The 2nd disc contains their partnership with Ben E. King which is a wonderful testament to how in tune these guys were with King's musical background and style. Highlights include soulful treatment of John Lennon's "Imagine" and Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All be Free" an overlooked positive but not preachy, civil rights anthem. AWB are truly masters of this music.

some years ago (over 25), i had in my posession the lp of this group but along the way it got misplaced, etc. i had been looking for it for some time when i searched on amazon.com. lo and behold, there it was! i quickly made my order and received in a very timely manner. this cd is worth buying and listening to as the wonderful voice of ben e king comes together with average white band. when i listen to "imagine" which is my favorite - oh so wonderful. "star in the ghetto" is very beautiful and "get it up for love" - oh wow! a lot of people were not aware that awb did projects with other folks but people - i tell you, do get this one and just sit back and relax.

BEN E KING IS GOOD WITH AWB. "A STAR IN THE GHETTO" IS MY FAVORITE ON THE BENNIE AND US CD.

A giant of a collaboration between R & B Titans. Ben E. King on lead vocal adds texture to the great AWB sound. A must for fans of both artists