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Soul Strut 100: #72 - Matthew Larkin Cassell - Pieces

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

#72 - Matthew Larkin Cassell - Pieces



Please discuss your reactions to this record. The thread will be archived later here.

About

Here is yet another fellow who has been plucked from obscurity and enjoyed a career revival thanks to the discerning taste and archaeological drive of some crate diggers and hip hop producers. In the 1970s, Cassell was a struggling Bay area musician/songwriter who subscribed to a then rare DIY approach. He self financed a couple records of soulful jazzy pop a la Steely Dan that faded away into obscurity later to be rediscovered by vinyl crate diggers looking for interesting music that never made it on to major labels.

Pieces has become one of the most sought after rare vinyl records of the past couple records thanks to a featured spot on Kon and Amir???s Kings of Digging comp and Madlib???s sample of ???Heaven??? for a Madvillian??? track. Pieces is very smooth sounding, maybe tepid to some, but it???s really a record you can put on in the background and not notice it???s even playing. It???s very pleasing to the ears, yet there are some tracks that demand your attention namely, ???In My life??? that segways into a break beat treat, the Rhodes riddled, upbeat jazz disco tune ???Heaven???, the Spanish-tinged ???Another Day Gone,??? and much more.

Stonesthrow records has gotten with the program and reissured Cassell???s work, packaged in a complete retrospective conveniently available on iTunes.

http://www.soulstrut.com/index.php/reviews/indepth/pieces/

Related Threads

Matthew Larkin Cassell

Matt Cassell Reissue - PROOF!!!

Bands That Sound Like Steely Dan

Media



  Comments

  • Mr. AttentionMr. Attention 51 Posts
    Haven't heard this one in awhile. It's definitely got some gems (the aforementioned "Heaven", "Ecoutez Moi"), but it's not something I've come back to. Very mellow soul vibes with some soft rock in the mix. A solid background record. I guess I need to revisit this one.

    I remember "Ecoutez Moi" being my favorite track:
  • sticky_dojahsticky_dojah New York City. 2,136 Posts
    I was sure that this would rank much higher after all the connection the Strut OG's had with this one. Hell, even I got in contact with the Cassell after it all blew up here on this place. Superbe album and a genuinely nice person. Hope he still does well!
  • HollafameHollafame 844 Posts
    Put on to this music by the Strut. Love it!

    I agree it has its tepid moments, but you can't deny the vibe. And there is something about his voice that I just really dig.

    Isn't it true that MLC plays all the instruments?
  • finelikewinefinelikewine "ONCE UPON A TIME, I HAD A VINYL." http://www.discogs.com/user/permabulker 1,416 Posts
    Added to the soulstrut top 100 spotify list:

    http://open.spotify.com/user/1121775350/playlist/54CR4Ce88uFkr6shaMHxVX
  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,955 Posts
    Heard only one of his tracks before and it was... Meh.

    But checking the ones on the playlist and have to thank you - I'll have this in the car all week!
  • SIRUSSIRUS 2,554 Posts
    add me to the the list of people put onto this record by the strut. "in my life" was crazy. i was like so what until that break with the vocals came in. who was the strutter who upped some unreleased (back then) mcl?
  • Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
    :hi:

    Got a call from the man himself a couple years ago and he thanked me for my role in this. (All I did was find the record and share the song - after a little bit of secret squirreling, of course - BSides88 and Kon 'n 'em made it all happen.) He asked for my address and a few days later I received this little thank you package.



    And no, neither these nor the OG Pieces LP are for sale.
  • BallzDeepBallzDeep 612 Posts
    Absolutely no idea what this record is.
  • BallzDeepBallzDeep 612 Posts
    But I like these tracks!
  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,782 Posts
    BallzDeep said:
    Absolutely no idea what this record is.

    'm glad this countdown is turning people on to new music.

  • BurnsBurns 2,227 Posts
    I only have this 45 by Kon/Amir, which I highly recommend because you get The Black Souls sweet tune "Baki Mutane Nakuka"
    on the b side.



  • JimsterJimster Cruffiton.etsy.com 6,955 Posts
    Got "Heaven" on a good system. That bassline has some spurious low end trainwreck-harmony-nearmisses for me. I love the tune though. I'll see if I can do one with a guitar and keys solo and groove it out like something offa "Complete Live Oblivion". I'll soundcloud it when I get it done. Unless someone else has already covered it?
  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    Herm said:
    :hi:

    Got a call from the man himself a couple years ago and he thanked me for my role in this. (All I did was find the record and share the song - after a little bit of secret squirreling, of course - BSides88 and Kon 'n 'em made it all happen.) He asked for my address and a few days later I received this little thank you package.



    And no, neither these nor the OG Pieces LP are for sale.

    Yo, just wanna say that it was also credit to Wermser digging around in the Warner archives back when he was an A&R over there that resulted in him getting the adress.

    It all popped off though cause I found the mp3 on Herm's soulseek though....damn, those were the days!


    Herm found it first though. Thats fact. I got a really nice email from matthew as well though after the huffington post story. Awesome dude, awesome record. Don't own an o.g., but im much more of a music fan than I am a collector these days so its all good.
  • llmod1llmod1 317 Posts
    finelikewine said:

    Sorry to slightly hijack this thread but I've just signed up to Spotify.

    I clicked on the playlist link above which then appeared on my Spotify screen but there doesn't appear to be any music in it.

    What else do I need to do?

    Thanks
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