What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977) [Original recording remastered]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 3, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Rhino
• ASIN: B000GIWS4W
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,435 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Too many reissue compilations are content to merely slice 'n' dice familiar catalog choices in not particularly original ways. But this four-disc, 91-track trove of obscure '70s R&B and funk from Warner-distributed labels great and small argues there's still treasure to be gleaned from studio vaults--a five-hour groove-fest that's as interested in shaking booty as in opening ears. Even the genre's groundbreaking usual suspects (Wilson Pickett, the Bar-Kays, Curtis Mayfield, Earth, Wind & Fire, et al) are represented by selections that aren't immediately familiar, while Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin serves up a radically different, previously unreleased take of "Rock Steady." Still other stars contribute their sonic touches to some of the lesser-known cuts, as witnessed by the patent trippiness of Sly Stone alter-egos 6ix and Stanga on "I'm Just Like You" and "Little Sister," respectively; the stark, party-not-so-hearty contrast of the Mayfield-written-and-produced "Hard Times" by Baby Huey & Baby Sisters; and the Meters' version of "Tampin'," released under the moniker of the Rhine Oaks.

Sequenced in rough chronological order, it's a savvy window into a musical evolution as well, with the rhythmic guitars, organ swells, and horn flourishes of traditional '60s R&B giving way to sinewy synths and increasingly chunky bass lines as the decade grooves on. While savvy hip-hoppers will note that many of the rarities here have already been repurposed by shrewd mixers, it's a revelation to hear them in their original form. A compelling deconstruction of an often clichéd and too-narrowly-defined genre, this is an anthology that showcases music that has influenced such contemporary artists as Tupac, the Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, and Kanye West, annotated by many of the original musicians who set the dance floor in motion. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

Funk emerged in the 1960s, a scorching sound that amped up the legacy of R&B and doo-wop in spirit and sonic intensity, and became the precursor of hip-hop which in fact revived funk for a new generation via sampling. While major artists topped the charts with funk hits throughout the '60 s & '70s, there were, hundreds of smaller songs, notes music journalist Oliver Wang in his liners, for whom `airplay' rarely got better than hissing out of a rusted jukebox or crackling through the static on AM radio.WHAT IT IS! celebrates this heady, groove-heavy strain of gut bucket funk that remains a major force in American music. A 4-disccompendium that would take incalculable hours to collect in dusty bins at disappearing record shops, this box is culled mostly from the treasure-filled vaults of Atlantic, Atco, and Warner Bros. Records. It's an unprecedented shadow history of funk, pulling together rare sides from well-known artists and definitive funk grooves from lesser-known but supremely gifted masters of the art form alike.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good stuff, but could be better, January 2, 2007

By 

Moses Gunn "BadAzzzzzz!!" (way over yonder) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977) (Audio CD)

So, I was pretty excited about this box set, but I must admit, I'm a little disappointed, mainly with some horrible edits. I guess you run this risk with most box sets, but some of the edits just broke my heart. The worst of them all was the chop job they did with Curtis' "Don't Worry...". I don't really consider this song a "rare groove," considering it's the lead song on his greatest hits cd, which is very easy to find. The edit of Eddie Hazel's "California Dreamin'" was pretty bad too; "Games, Dames and Guitar Thangs" has been rereleased, pick it up. Please. Also, "Funky Nassau, pt. 2"? Why? It's not even 2 minutes long, and pales in comparison to Part 1. Not a good representation of Beginning of the End's work.

All right, enough of my griping. I just love long, drawn-out jams, and absolutely loathe edits. But this box set does have some really awesome stuff going for it. Faze-O's "Riding High" is superb, as is "Stepping Stones" by Johnny Harris. "Cosmic Sea" by the Mystic Moods is really great too. I'll admit that I've never heard of 90% of this stuff, and most of it is reall good. I just have to skip over those edits...

But in my own opinion, if you want more bang for your buck, go with the Superfly Soul series. You can get all 3 2-cd sets for less than you'll pay for this 4-cd set, and I think the music choice is superior. And they actually have some rare, unedited Curtis, like "Billy Jack" and "Big Mac."

32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT IT IS ?.....NOTHING BUT A NON STOP PARTY!, February 9, 2007

By 

Patrick Frierson - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977) (Audio CD)

This set right here could very well be the holy grail of rare and hard to find grooves. This box set is funkier than a high school locker room! Every track on here is certified stank(aka funky). The most amazing thing about these tracks is that they capture the spirit of the times better than a lot of their more popular comtemporaries(at least in my opinion). "What it is" feels like an audio documentary of underdogs making the funkiest music and having a great time doing it. If you listen to how these tracks are sequenced, you'll feel like a story is being told - rather than just listening to another compliamation of vintage r&b music.

I'm only 25 years old. Every time I play this set, I feel like I'm at a 70's block party, chillin' in a long black cadillac fleetwood and scoping out some foxy mamas with hot pants and thigh high leather boots
(that's how good the music sounds). With 20 plus tracks each per disc, you can't help but be amazed with the consistent quality of the music.

All I gotta say is buy this set and let the funk be your guide to love, happiness, and your rites of passage to throw it on down and dance your
a-- off!!! If you ain't diggin on this, you're diggin a hole for yourself!

Long live the funk baby!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now THIS is what I'm talkin' about!!!, December 22, 2006

By 

Katherine McCarthy "kath e. miller" (Forest Hills, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977) (Audio CD)

I counted - I had heard 5 of these songs previously. A couple, "Keep On Dancing" and "Sookie, Sookie" I'd heard as covers by garage bands. Many of the performers catalog I thought I knew. WRONG! This collection bubbles and percolates and keeps on keepin' on for the duration. If you love funky soul music, or music period, this is a very worthy collection. I fully intend on having the Curtis Mayfield song about seeing you in Hell played at my funeral. I know all my friends will be joining me there. Great job, Rhino, super songs. They're out there somewhere but they were nearly all missed by me.