Soul Strut 100: # 38 - Terry Callier - What Color is Love

RAJ

I will slowly be unveiling the Top 100 Soul Strut Related Records as Voted by the Strutters Themselves.

# 38 - Terry Callier - What Color is Love



The list so far:

# 100 - Jr. and His Soulettes - Psychodelic Sounds
# 99 - Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul
# 98 - Donny Hathaway - S/T (1971)
# 97 - Bernard Wright - ???Nard
# 96 - Tom Scott - Honeysuckle Breeze
# 95 - People Under the Stairs - Question in the Form of an Answer
# 94 - Harlem River Drive
# 93 - Black Moon - Enta Da Stage
# 92 - Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear
# 91 - Muddy Waters - Electric Mud
# 90 - Les McCann - Layers
# 89 - Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
# 88 - Leroy Hutson - Hutson (1975)
# 87 - ESG - S/T (1981)
# 86 - Can - Tago Mago
# 85 - Bohannon - Stop & Go
# 84 - WILLIAM DEVAUGHN - Be Thankful For What You Got
# 83 - Power of Zeus - The Gospel According to Zeus
# 82 - Gang Starr - Hard To Earn
# 81 - The J.B.???s - Doing It to Death
# 80 - Parliament - Osmium
# 79 - McNeal & Niles - Thrust
# 78 - The Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Malik
# 77 - Earth, Wind, and Fire (1971)
# 76 - Dr. Dre - The Chronic
# 75 - Black Sabbath (1970)
# 74 - Trap Door / An International Psychedelic Mystery Mix (2006)
# 73 - Bob James - One
# 72 - Matthew Larkin Cassell - Pieces
# 71 - The Beginning Of The End - Funky Nassau
# 70 - Big Bear - Doin??? Thangs
# 69 - Steely Dan - Aja
# 68 - Quasimoto - The Unseen
# 67 - Curtis Mayfield - Curtis/Live! (1971)
# 66 - Al Green - Im still in love with you
# 65 - The Beatnuts - Street Level
# 64 - Archie Whitewater - Archie Whitewater (1970)
# 63 - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca & the Soul Brother
# 62 - Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
# 61 - The J.B.???s - Food For Thought
# 60 - Don Blackman (1982)
# 59 - Niagara - (Tiddies)
# 58 - Can - Ege Bamyasi
# 57 - Whatnauts - On the Rocks
# 56 - The Mohawks - Champ
# 55 - McDonald and Giles (1971)
# 54 - Darondo - Let My People Go
# 53 - Dorothy Ashby - Afro Harping
# 52 - Beastie Boys - Paul???s Boutique
# 51 - Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu of Ethiopia
# 50 - Lyman Woodard Organization - Saturday Night Special
# 49 - Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul
# 48 - Lyn Collins - Think (About It)
# 47 - James Brown - In The Jungle Groove
# 46 - Bill Withers - Still Bill
# 45 - Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
# 44 - Silver Apples - S/T
# 43 - Mobb Deep - The Infamous
# 42 - Lyn Christopher (1973)
# 41 - Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire de Melody Nelson
# 40 - Gang Starr - Step in the Arena
# 39 - Diamond D - Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop

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

About


Like the artist himself, the music on this brilliant album defies all categories, embracing Terry Callier's wide range of influences and experiences. Callier's musical kaleidoscope is filled with funk, rock, folk, jazz, and even classical influences. "Dancing Girl" opens the album with Charles Stepney's majestic orchestration. This opus is the album's pinnacle, moving with soft intensity toward soul-stirring crescendos. Songs like "What Color Is Love" and "Ho Tsing Mee (A Song of the Sun)," an elegant antiwar prayer of confusion, somehow avoid clich??s or take them to another level. "You Goin' to Miss Your Candyman" was made popular by Urban Species when they sampled it on "Listen" in the early '90s, and not surprisingly, it sounds better in its original form. No matter where you turn, Callier's passionate voice captures the sweeping drama of the human condition. A lost romantic amid "concrete front yards," this album is a must-have for any music connoisseur.


http://www.allmusic.com/album/what-color-is-love-mw0000334361

Related Threads

rest in peace terry callier

The Terry Callier post

records you regret selling


Media

PrimeCutsLtd

great album. Our girl on the cover could use a sandwich though.

RAJ

This was an early Mo's wall of fame record where I was desperate to hear it and was heavily disappointed. Reminds me of a folkier Gil Scot Heron. I can appreciate it now adays but stiil not something I'd put on.

RAJ

PrimeCutsLtd said:

Our girl on the cover could use a sandwich though.

Virginia Slim Diet.

asstro

RAJ said:

This was an early Mo's wall of fame record where I was desperate to hear it and was heavily disappointed. Reminds me of a folkier Gil Scot Heron. I can appreciate it now adays but stiil not something I'd put on.

This record never quite did much for me either. I expected it to blow my mind but it's too folky for me.

Dante

RAJ said:

This was an early Mo's wall of fame record where I was desperate to hear it and was heavily disappointed. Reminds me of a folkier Gil Scot Heron. I can appreciate it now adays but stiil not something I'd put on.

that kind of happened to me with occasional rain, but WCIL definitely blew my mind. it gets regular plays over here, and never fails. definitely one of my favorite records ever. was really sad earlier this year when he died...

incidentally, i'm listening to this right now, and was going to find the PIR thread to post it, but i guess it can be done here. surprisingly good record with the same name, and a cover of callier's classic.

yuichi

I could def use a few Terry Callier records on my shelf.

What Color is so so dope....

Possum Slim

His debut is much folkier. This is bona fide classic along with Occasional Rain. I'm not so keen on his revival albums.

LaserWolf

I was surprised how folky it was when I got.
I love this kind of stuff, so it was a happy surprise.
I can't look at the cover.

I'm surprised Fire On Ice isn't in more demand.

The_Non

RAJ said:

This was an early Mo's wall of fame record where I was desperate to hear it and was heavily disappointed. Reminds me of a folkier Gil Scot Heron. I can appreciate it now adays but stiil not something I'd put on.

Try I Just Can't Help Myself, goes down smoother.

batmon

Corns on her feet fuck the whole shit up.

tabira

Side 1. God like music. It either seems to reach people on an unusually deep and personal level or absolutely not atall, leaving some indifferent and phased by all the fuss, and others, myself included, totally enthralled and transported. Beautiful cover too.

LoopDreams

I'm on Tabira's wavelength on this. Freakin hard to find a clean one in the field. RIP Terry Callier.

Big_Stacks

Hey,

"What Color is Love" was one of my early 'grail-esque' finds (about 20 something years ago). I love the LP from beginning to end, with "Dancing Girl" and "What Color is Love" as my favorites. I'm happy to see this LP recognized for the Soul Strut 100, great record!!!

Peace,

Big Stacks from Kakalak

Duderonomy

RAJ said:

was heavily disappointed.

ppadilha

I think I've seen Occasional Rain in a record shop before, but had never listened to any of his stuff. Downloaded What Color is Love and have listened to it 3 times since yesterday. Thank you for that.

inVrs

different strokes for different folks i guess. personally i would be really hard pressed to think of any song that had a bigger first impression on me than "dancing girl". maybe lou bonds "to the establishment". love the cover as well.

AKallDay

inVrs said:

personally i would be really hard pressed to think of any song that had a bigger first impression on me than "dancing girl". maybe lou bonds "to the establishment".

Phill's worldofbeats Soulman Coolin mix related? agreed!
this album is trippy as fuk dude it's awesome. one of those albums that challenged my whole judging by the cover thing and elevated my mind state and structure. love it. super emotional though gotta 'go there'.
oh- plus i found it for 3 bucks mismarked at the old FUNK-O-MART in philly which was awesome.

Dante

inVrs said:

different strokes for different folks i guess. personally i would be really hard pressed to think of any song that had a bigger first impression on me than "dancing girl". maybe lou bonds "to the establishment". love the cover as well.

yes, i'm really surprised there's people saying they were underwhelmed by this. please don't take this the wrong way, but i suppose the strutters saying that were expecting solid breaks, rhodes, or heavier funk moves? you guys should give it another chance with new and fresh ears. shit is unfuckwithable.

tabira

Dante said:

inVrs said:

different strokes for different folks i guess. personally i would be really hard pressed to think of any song that had a bigger first impression on me than "dancing girl". maybe lou bonds "to the establishment". love the cover as well.

yes, i'm really surprised there's people saying they were underwhelmed by this. please don't take this the wrong way, but i suppose the strutters saying that were expecting solid breaks, rhodes, or heavier funk moves? you guys should give it another chance with new and fresh ears. shit is unfuckwithable.

I've heard too many collectors consistently cite this LP (particularly "Dancing Girl") as one of the most jaw-droppingly moving things they've ever heard for it to be pure coincidence. There is definately something quite special about it - and there has to be - to explain how a jazzy folk LP can reach 38 in a top 100 dominated by rap, funk and breaks. Quite a feat. Anyone's entitled to dislike it but if ever an LP that underwhelmed upon first exposure deserved reappraisal, this is the one.

FamousMortimer

gah y'all some broke boys.

tabira

FamousMortimer said:

gah y'all some broke boys.

Don't worry tough dude, I'm sure the Skull Snaps are somewhere in the top 37

Breez

I too went into this record thinking, "breaks, beats, blah blah" but I have to say I was genuinely surprised. It took me years to find it until TripleDouble hooked me up with a copy a few years back. And since then I've found it several times paying no more than $2.99 for it and even finding a mint copy at a Goodwill for $1. For all you beat heads, don't sleep, it does have some great sample moments but you need to LISTEN to the lp, not skim through it. Take the time, listen and you won't be disappointed.

IntoxicatedMan

Breez said:

I too went into this record thinking, "breaks, beats, blah blah" but I have to say I was genuinely surprised. It took me years to find it until TripleDouble hooked me up with a copy a few years back. And since then I've found it several times paying no more than $2.99 for it and even finding a mint copy at a Goodwill for $1. For all you beat heads, don't sleep, it does have some great sample moments but you need to LISTEN to the lp, not skim through it. Take the time, listen and you won't be disappointed.

Word!