This set has me



What It Is: Funky Soul and Rare Grooves
Various Artists
October 2, 2006
Rhino


Reviewed by Andy Kellman

A righteous undertaking of great magnitude, What It Is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves trawls through a decade-long stretch of the Warner-distributed archive -- taking in the catalogs of Warner Bros., Atlantic, Reprise, Atco, and smaller nodes like Cotillion, Curtom, Alston, and Jonie -- and pulls up 80 soul/funk truffles, almost all of which were left for dead shortly after release. While many of these cuts have been repurposed as vital ingredients of hip-hop tracks, which has in turn fostered a voracious collector's market (it would cost a fortune to collect these songs in their original formats of release), the box is a leagues-deep trawl through an otherwise forgotten past.

There are few well-known names on these four discs, but even they tend to be represented by selections that are not obvious. Curtis Mayfield's "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below We're All Going to Go" is likely the best-known inclusion, and after a substantial number of cuts that can't be considered truly rare, there's a sudden drop into (sweet, sweet) oblivion -- unless you're of the small minority whose spines tingle at the sight of names like Grassella Oliphant and Rasputin's Stash. The chicken-scratch guitars, wild Hammond B3 runs, group chants, and blaring horn punches are served by the dozens, but the box also illustrates an evolution that took place through the '70s.

Since the sequencing is, for the most part, chronological, those changes are all the more perceptible. Funk Factory's "Rien Ne Va Plus" and Faze-O's "Riding High" grind and glide slowly, steeped in synthesizers, electric pianos, and studio effects, while legions of artists have attempted to replicate the sound and spirit of Stanga's "Little Sister" and 6ix's "I'm Just Like You" -- two songs graced by the hands of Sly Stone in tripped-out, otherworldly There's a Riot Goin' On mode. It's not one big party, either. Check Baby Huey & the Baby Sitters' harrowing "Hard Times" (written and produced by Mayfield), where the poor and paranoid protagonist subsists on Spam and Oreos and keeps his curtains drawn so he won't see those who peer in on him.

The themed playlists and imaginary compilations hiding within this compact box are innumerable, bound to take the average overthinking funk freak to new levels of nerd-dom. There are region-specific sets to be made, as well as sets with possible titles like Latin Funk and Flute Funk and The Early Arrangement and Production Work of the Late Arif Mardin, in addition to a remarkable batch of covers, a tight collection of instrumentals, and a not-very-exclusive list of tracks that have been sampled throughout the years. The accompanying booklet could be sold separately, as it contains scads of seldom-seen photos and scholarly track-by-track notes.

Rhino also deserves applause for resisting the urge to house these discs in a massive synthetic afro or an oversized wah-wah pedal. You can snugly tuck this thing between your arm and chest and sense its power run through your whole body. Bring on a second set that extends past the disco era and involves the likes of Slave, Mass Production, Brides of Funkenstein, and Dinosaur.

01 * Spreadin' Honey * Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band * 2:25
02 * Soul Finger * Bar Kays * 2:21
03 * The Shadow of Your Smile * Brother Jack McDuff * 3:55
04 * Gangster of Love, Pts. 1-2 * Jimmy Norman * 4:10
05 * The Memphis Train * Rufus Thomas * 2:33
06 * Get out of My Life Woman * Grassella Oliphant * 2:44
07 * Live Right Now * Eddie Harris * 2:49
08 * Pig Snoots, Pt. 1 * Natural Bridge Bunch * 2:36
09 * Soul Sound System * Freedom Sounds ... * 5:34
10 * Snatching It Back * Clarence Carter * 2:41
11 * Stoned Soul * Artie Christophher * 1:56
12 * Getting the Corners * T.S.U. Tornadoes * 2:27
13 * Sexy Coffee Pot * Alvon, Tony & The B ... * 2:28
14 * Don't Come Around Here Anymore * Mark Putney * 2:44
15 * Keep on Dancing * Commodores * 2:39
16 * Right on Brother, Pt. 1 * Southshore Commission * 2:40
17 * Pop, Popcorn Children * Eldridge Holmes * 2:53
18 * It's Your Thing * Cold Grits * 2:52
19 * It's All in Your Mind * Soul Angels * 2:49
20 * Funky John * Cameron, Johnny & The Camerons * 2:48
21 * Help Me Make Up My Mind * Joyce Jones * 2:45
22 * Rock Me Baby * Lou Johnson * 2:15
23 * Sing a Simple Song * Noble Knights * 2:57
24 * Do You Dig It * Titus Turner * 2:13
25 * Funky Canyon * Moore, Phil Jr. * 2:38
26 * Jan Jan * Fabulous Counts * 2:17
27 * Tampin * Rhine Oaks * 3:02
28 * Gossip * Cyril Neville * 2:38
29 * Somebody in the World for You * Mighty Hannibal * 2:55
30 * Stanga * Little Sister * 3:42
31 * Jumpin' Jack Flash * Ananda Shankar * 3:40
32 * The Deacon * Brute Force * 4:32
33 * Sookie Sookie * Covay, Don & The Jefferson Lemon... * 2:44
34 * Right On * Wheeler, Clarence & ... * 4:41
35 * (Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below We're All Going to Go * Curtis Mayfield * 3:28
36 * Stepping Stones * Johnny Harris * 5:24
37 * I'm Just Like You * Gix * 3:08
38 * Funky Thing, Pt. 1 * Unemployed * 3:06
39 * Messie Bessie * Shirley Scott * 4:19
40 * Fairchild * Willie West * 3:20
41 * Cold Bear * Gaturs * 2:55
42 * I Can't Get Next to You * Mongo Santamaria * 2:44
43 * Feelin' Alright * Lulu * 3:02
44 * Soul Bowel * Memphis Horns * 3:21
45 * Tuane * Hammer * 3:07
46 * Take It off, Pt. 2 * Tolbert, Johnny & De Thangs * 3:17
47 * Seeds of Life * Harlem River Drive ... * 5:09
48 * Engine Number 9 * Wilson Pickett * 2:50
49 * Hard Times * Baby Huey & The Baby Sitters * 3:21
50 * What So Never the Dance, Pts. 1-2 * Houseguests * 3:59
51 * Headless Heroes * Eugene McDaniels * 3:34
52 * Spinning Wheel * Wade Marcus * 3:58
53 * Bad Tune * Earth, Wind & Fire * 4:42
54 * Mr. Cool * Rasputin's Stash * 3:34
55 * Don't Cha Hear Me Callin' to Ya * Junior Mance * 5:09
56 * Hang on in There * Stovall Sisters * 3:16
57 * Funky Nassau, Pt. 2 * Beginning Of The End * 2:00
58 * Whatever's Fair * Holder, Mark & The Positives * 2:42
59 * Face It * Ed Robinson * 2:25
60 * Wah Wah Man * Young-Holt Unlimited * 3:47
61 * Rock Steady [#] * Aretha Franklin * 4:32
62 * Won't Nobody Listen * Black Haze Express * 4:17
63 * Goin' Down * Allen Toussaint * 2:59
64 * Suavecito * Malo * 3:27
65 * You Gotta Know Whatcha Doin' * Charles Wright * 3:58
66 * Mo Jo Hanna * Teri Lynn * 3:26
67 * Ridin' Thumb * King Curtis * 3:10
68 * Almendra * Macondo * 3:46
69 * Nuki Suki * Little Richard * 5:30
70 * Getting Uptown (To Get Down) * United B * 2:46
71 * 8 Days on the Road * Howard Tate * 2:40
72 * Moon Shadow * LaBelle * 4:25
73 * Let It Crawl * Society's Bag * 2:37
74 * Wanaoh * Black Heat * 3:54
75 * If It Was Good Enough for Daddy * Clarence Reid * 3:05
76 * Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky * Claudia Lennear * 3:46
77 * Cosmic Sea * Mystic Moods * 2:37
78 * Kissing My Love * Cold Blood * 6:06
79 * Flute Thing * Seatrain * 3:23
80 * Chug Chug Chug-A-Lug (Push N' Shove), Pt. 2 * Meters * 3:29
81 * Funky to the Bone * Freddi * 2:42
82 * Try It Again * Bobby Byrd * 3:36
83 * Teasin' * Cornell Dupree * 3:55
84 * (Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away * Doctor John * 2:44
85 * Chicken Heads * Brown, Oscar Jr. * 2:40
86 * Rien Ne Va Plus * Funk Factory * 5:18
87 * Cajun Moon * Herbie Mann * 3:08
88 * Improve * Darrow Fletcher * 2:51
89 * Riding High * Faze O * 5:21
90 * Four Play * Wesley, Fred & The ... * 3:34
91 * California Dreamin' * Eddie Hazel * 4:04

...

Yeah, that's gon' be Sweeeeettttt!!!!!





...

...Nice packaging too for $65.


Check Little Richard.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Is there a vinyl edition? Alot of that shit hasn't been reissued even.

CinisterCee said:

CD only.

But they got...



...on 180 gram vinyl.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

I bought that on CD.

Here's something you might like.

Oh, and this 2-LP 180 gram vinyl set...



...Atlantiquity

TONIGHT (Sa-Ra Remix featuring the Sa-Ra All Stars & Me'Shell Ndegéocello) - Kleeer
WATCHING YOU (Vikter Duplaix Remix) - Slave
BOLD AND BLACK (DJ Nu-Mark Remix) - Eddie Harris
GETTING UPTOWN (TO GET DOWN) (Quantic Remix) - United 8
PICK UP THE PIECES (Charlie Dark Remix) - Average White Band
WE ARE FAMILY (Daz-I-Kue Remix) - Sister Sledge
LITTLE GHETTO BOY (Freddy L. Remix) - Donny Hathaway
A WARM SUMMER NIGHT (King Britt Remix) - Chic
I'LL BE AROUND (Kev Brown Remix) - Spinners
JUST A LITTLE LOVIN' (GB Remix) - Carmen McCrae
RIDING HIGH (Remix featuring Tiombe Lockhart & The Army of Love) - Faze-o
NUBIAN LADY (Metisse Remix) - Yusef Lateef


Lemme stop, i'm jackin'


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

How many CD's is this 91-song Rhino comp?

CinisterCee said:

it's a 4-CD box set

SoulAlive said:

Amazing.

I'm not gonna buy it,I'm gonna drop a few "hints" that I want it for Christmas.Someone will get it for me,I just know it

CinisterCee said:

You should buy it on vinyl too

Funkenstein,did you get this box set yet?

SoulAlive said:

It was just released yesterday, so unless he works fast...

Thx for the heads up, this is a must own.

TommyRoss said:

I picked this up over the weekend. Of all of the songs on there, I was familiar with 5 or 6 before buying it (including songs that I didn't know were remakes, like "Cajun Moon"), but I'm really enjoying it. There are some great tunes on here to discover for the 1st time and some even better tunes that'll make you say "so that's where they sampled that from". If you love '70's funk and interesting musicianship, then I highly recommend this- many of these songs take 5 or 6 listens to appreciate, but once you appreciate it, you're like "wow!".

I mention this because I live in Dallas and had to find this complilation at my local Tower Records. Then, I read in the newspaper the next day that Tower Records is going out of business and all stores should be closed by the end of the year, so cop it soon!

Time for some downloaden..lol

Dansa just lost her mind.

CoolMF said:

Thanks for the review.I can't wait to get this!!!

cool

get rid of "the usuals" on here and this would be a nice set.

so...did anyone else pick this up yet? I wanna see some more reviews.

I've picked this up and have been listening to it since Sunday. There's a lot of stuff I have but out of 91 songs, a lot of stuff I don't have.

I really can't do a play by play but I'm a fan of the raw, gritty, squeaky kick drum pedal, make your face scrunch-up and slap your momma, funk. This has it. Some stuff seems weird as to why it made the cut (one daughter of Ravi Shankar doing "Jumpin Jack Flash") but overall it's a must have for me.

It was on sale at my local record store for $49 and the liner notes are pretty good. The alternate take on "Rock Steady" sounds identical in the beginning but then it goes into a cool break-down that's different from the original. My favorite cut that I keep listening to is Eddie Hazel's version of "California Dreamin" it's just so damn cool.

Hope this helps and thanks to the originator of this thread for the heads up.

Slave2daGroove said:

Thanks for the review!

For those who use Yahoo Music Engine (Neal, I know you do) this whole set is available for listening online. Gonna give it a go later. Thanks for the review, Slave.