Deeper in the Philly Groove
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I have to confess that Philadelphia soul has always been my least prefered offshoot of the genre. It has its own distinctive sound which is very different to those of Detroit, Chicago and the Southern States. My taste has always been for raw gritty numbers, laden with sax. I can take it either slow (to listen sit down and listen to) or fast (to tap my feet to). The Philadelphia Sound is much smoother and is based on close harmonies wrapped tightly around a falsetto lead. Unlike other regional sounds it also seems to be heavily based around mid-tempo numbers. This CD is the second in a series focusing on releases from the 'Philly Groove' label of the late 60's/early 70's. Having admitted that this sound is not particularly to my taste, there is no denying that there are some talented musicians performing on it and it may come to grow on me. Tracks like these are often described as 'ballads' but strictly speaking I think this is a misnoma. A ballad, by definition, must contain a narrative, but a high percentage of these songs contain no story at all. They are laboured expressions of emotions that the singers are feeling without ever telling us why. As usual Kent's sleeve notes are a delight and detailed enough to satisfy the most ardent soul 'Anorak'. One group of particular interest is 'Nat Turner Rebellion' whose name is taken after a slave uprising which took place in Virginia in 1831. This insurrection resulted in Nat and 29 of his accomplices being hanged. I was hoping that a group with a name like this might handle something a little more controversial than love songs. Sadly I was disappointed. If you're interested in soul generally then this CD is a good sample of late 60's and early seventies Philly music. It will appeal most to those soul fans who like mid-tempo 'ballad-style' music with tight harmonics. My personal favourites were 'Big Stone Wall' by Tapestry, 'Gonna Keep on Lovin' him' by First Choice and 'Gotta Get Away (from you baby)' also by First Choice. Track Listing:- Sunshine And Promises -The Finishing Touch You Pay For Love - The Crusaders I'll Make It Up To You - Mary Holmes Think It Over - The Delphonics Our Anniversary - Ben Aiken Merry-Go-Round - David Lasley Second Best (Is Never Good Enough) - The Finishing Touch Big Stone Wall - Tatestry Laugh To Keep From Crying - Nat Turner Rebellion Gonna Keep On Lovin Him - First Choice You'll Get Enough - The Delphonics I Need Your lovin - Mary Holmes Let Him Go - First Choice Saddest Smile In Town - Major Harris/Ultra High Frequency McBrides daughter - Nat Turner Rebellion I Don't Want To Make You Wait - The Delphonics Your Love Has Put a Spell On Me -The Finishing Touch I Don't Want To Lose (Your Love) - The Quickest Way Out Lying To Myself - The Delphonics Never Too Late - Nat Turner Rebellion I Told You So - The Delphonics Don't Put Me Down - The Finishing Touch Gotta Get Away (From You Baby) - First Choice |
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Why Not visit the Authors other Website, 'The Alternative Blackpool Website' at http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/bpool This Site Last Updated 18/05/05
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