Heavy Soul - Various Artists (12/11/2013)
Heavy Soul is a compilation that celebrates music from the fringes of American Popular Music from the 60’s and 70’s soul and RnB generation.
There is no Marvin Gaye or Imra Thomas here, this compilation is a journey piece telling the stories of the recording studios in the south of America at that time.
The stew of influences from the Deep South bought together the magical elements of soul, gospel, blues and country and added the rocking backbeat of the British invasion. As the volume increased with electric guitars and amplifiers, a new genre emerged, coined as ‘heavy soul’.
Highlights of this assemblage include the twangy They Call It Rock And Roll Music from Delaney & Bonnie & Friends with a groove that won’t quit and some rather sexy saxaphone. The Allman Brothers Band rock like Hendrix on In Memory Of Eliza Reed, an inspired performance.
One of the most surprising names here is Cher. If only she could turn back time to a place where her voice didn’t sound as plastic as her face, her version of Cry Like A Baby is a wonderful grooving number and that voice is something else.
Aretha Franklin gives The Band’s The Weight a sassy, soulful twist while Wilson Picket gives a real toe-tapping rendition of Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild.
At 37 tracks long, it’s unlikely you’ll get through this compilation in it’s entirety in one listen, but you will find something new every time you come back.
The included booklet is an insightful education in itself and well worth a read.
Heavy Soul is an attempt to gather together the best soul records from a time when the south rose and rocked to it’s very core – when the south led the sound of the world and reclaimed the music business from the beat invasion. A worthy addition to anyone’s record collection.
David Noordhoff
There is no Marvin Gaye or Imra Thomas here, this compilation is a journey piece telling the stories of the recording studios in the south of America at that time.
The stew of influences from the Deep South bought together the magical elements of soul, gospel, blues and country and added the rocking backbeat of the British invasion. As the volume increased with electric guitars and amplifiers, a new genre emerged, coined as ‘heavy soul’.
Highlights of this assemblage include the twangy They Call It Rock And Roll Music from Delaney & Bonnie & Friends with a groove that won’t quit and some rather sexy saxaphone. The Allman Brothers Band rock like Hendrix on In Memory Of Eliza Reed, an inspired performance.
One of the most surprising names here is Cher. If only she could turn back time to a place where her voice didn’t sound as plastic as her face, her version of Cry Like A Baby is a wonderful grooving number and that voice is something else.
Aretha Franklin gives The Band’s The Weight a sassy, soulful twist while Wilson Picket gives a real toe-tapping rendition of Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild.
At 37 tracks long, it’s unlikely you’ll get through this compilation in it’s entirety in one listen, but you will find something new every time you come back.
The included booklet is an insightful education in itself and well worth a read.
Heavy Soul is an attempt to gather together the best soul records from a time when the south rose and rocked to it’s very core – when the south led the sound of the world and reclaimed the music business from the beat invasion. A worthy addition to anyone’s record collection.
David Noordhoff