Soul Strut 100: #98 - Donny Hathaway - S/T (1971)

RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
edited March 2012 in The Soul Strut 100
I will slowly be unveiling the Top 100 Soul Strut Related Records as Voted by the Strutters Themselves.

#98 - Donny Hathaway - S/T (1971)



Please discuss your reactions to this record. The thread will be archived later in a seperate part of the site.

  Comments


  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    Quite possibly one of the most beautiful songs put to wax:


  • finelikewinefinelikewine "ONCE UPON A TIME, I HAD A VINYL." http://www.discogs.com/user/permabulker 1,416 Posts
    great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.

  • finelikewine said:
    great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.

    his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    crabmongerfunk said:
    finelikewine said:
    great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.

    his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".

    the live joint is great. one the better audience participation tracks out there.

    i dont have this album. stab myself.

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    batmon said:
    crabmongerfunk said:
    finelikewine said:
    great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.

    his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".

    the live joint is great. one the better audience participation tracks out there.

    i dont have this album. stab myself.

    The only Donny H. album I don't have.

  • RockadelicRockadelic Out Digging 13,993 Posts
    Beautiful LP.....I've run in to many people who have assumed Donny wrote "Song For You"

  • CousinLarryCousinLarry 4,618 Posts
    pickwick33 said:
    batmon said:
    crabmongerfunk said:
    finelikewine said:
    great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.

    his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".

    the live joint is great. one the better audience participation tracks out there.

    i dont have this album. stab myself.

    The only Donny H. album I don't have.

    Ha, me too. I have found it in the field a few times just unplayable/beat to shit. So when I see it in a store for $7 or $8 I always end up buying something else thinking it will turn up cheap at some point. I should just pony up next time I see a clean copy.

  • pcmrpcmr 5,591 Posts
    love this LP got a shrinky upgrade recently
    i always put this on to expand friends horizons on soul (yes there is more than al green and marvin)

  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    CousinLarry said:
    pickwick33 said:
    batmon said:
    crabmongerfunk said:
    finelikewine said:
    great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 100.

    his later live album is sort of slept on. it has a fantastic version of "song for you".

    the live joint is great. one the better audience participation tracks out there.

    i dont have this album. stab myself.

    The only Donny H. album I don't have.

    Ha, me too. I have found it in the field a few times just unplayable/beat to shit. So when I see it in a store for $7 or $8 I always end up buying something else thinking it will turn up cheap at some point. I should just pony up next time I see a clean copy.

    $7-$8 sounds about right.

    But then you consider the fact that it's whipped...yeah, I'd wait!

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    I'm probably the only dude on here who doesn't dig Donny Hathaway, I've owned them all at some point over the years, have kept none, I think I might have an LP with Roberta Flack left & maybe the Magnificent Sanctuary Band 45 off this LP, but for me this is non-essential.

  • finelikewine said:
    great choice, love it. I hope there is still room for his live album in the top 10.

  • granjerogranjero 147 Posts
    I don't love all the songs on it, but 'Take A Love Song' could be my favourite lowest tempo ballad ever. His phrasing is insane. Donny is untouchable on tunes like this. Also the strings (which remind me of a Shuggie Otis string figure) are a total choker. LOVE.

  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    pcmr said:
    love this LP got a shrinky upgrade recently
    i always put this on to expand friends horizons on soul (yes there is more than al green and marvin)

    I've done the exact same thing.
    This was a "go-to" xmas/b-day gift for a while for me and everyone i gave it to always dug it.

    Giving Up.
    He Aint Heavy.
    A Song For You.

    Killers all of them.

  • leonleon 883 Posts
    holmes said:
    the Magnificent Sanctuary Band 45 off this LP
    That is such a facemelting track, absolute killer!

  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    leon said:
    holmes said:
    the Magnificent Sanctuary Band 45 off this LP
    That is such a facemelting track, absolute killer!

    Not really hating this Jerry Garcia version:



    :hijack:

  • Big_StacksBig_Stacks "I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
    Hey,

    I think Donny Hathaway's self-titled LP is incredible. The song "Giving Up", simply put, is the most evocative, tear-jerking rendition of a soul ballad ever. You can hear the pain in his voice, backed by a musical arrangement that is so moving and beautiful. Then, on top of all that, the King Curtis sax solo just takes this amazing track to an even higher plane. This song moves my wife to tears, and we listen to it in an awe-struck state. That single track captures the soul and depth of Donny's giftedness as a singer, player, and arranger so very wonderfully. It's one of the best pieces of music I have ever heard!



    Peace,

    Big Stacks from Kakalak

  • doisndoisn baleadas&pupuzas 303 Posts
    ^wow, this is great indeed, always ignored danny except the everything is everything lp, just a bit too mellow, but giving my current situation i really like that one. can imagine good what the sax solo sounds on a nice system!

  • Tuff_GongTuff_Gong 627 Posts
    My favorite Hathaway album is probably the aforementioned live album... I mean, this song alone blew my head off the first time I heard it:




    Just the emotion in his voice, it made the feeling of jealousy palpable to me. As far as the self-titled album goes, I'll throw in my two cents for "Magnificent Sanctuary Band" as well. I love the funky drums with the big bass drum and the drummer laying back in the groove, and then the gospel tinge to the vocals. Beautiful stuff.

    I'll admit to being one of those who didn't realize it was Leon Russell who wrote "A Song For You" until not that long ago, but I don't think it really matters, this is one of those cases where the cover became the defacto standard version, much like "All Along The Watchtower" with Hendrix & Dylan.

    And back to "Magnificent Sanctuary Band'....Donny's version is my favorite, but this version also brings a smile to my face. Still one of my favorite discoveries from back in my nascent days of digging. Just the idea of a country artist having a song with a funky drum break blew my mind when I was younger because I didn't much care for country at the time and I didn't expect anything like this, let alone from the guy I only knew from Hee Haw:


  • The video disappeared, but that was "Jealous Guy" from the live album, right? That's my favorite track of his, hands down. The background vocals on the word "GUYYYYYYY" at the end of the chorus remind me of Zappa's "You Are What You Is"-era for some reason.

  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,390 Posts
    I highly recommend the new anthology box set: Never My Love. All the faves plus some great unreleased tracks and some brilliant alternate live cuts. Not sure if they've remastered or just tweaked but the sound is top notch.

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