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Soul Strut 100: # 14 - S.O.U.L. - What Is It

RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,783 Posts
edited June 2013 in The Soul Strut 100
I will slowly be unveiling the Top 100 Soul Strut Related Records as Voted by the Strutters Themselves.

# 14 - S.O.U.L. - What Is It



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
# 38 - Terry Callier - What Color is Love
# 37 - David Axelrod - Song of Innocence
# 36 - The Invaders - Spacing Out
# 35 - Leo Sayer - Endless Flight
# 34 - Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
# 33 - DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist - Brainfreeze (Mix)
# 32 - Michael Jackson - Thriller
# 31 - DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
# 30 - De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
# 29 - Ray Barretto - Acid
# 28 - The Sylvers - II
# 27 - Donald Byrd - Places and Spaces
# 26 - Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
# 25 - Nas - Illmatic
# 24 - The Baby Huey Story - The Living Legend
# 23 - Roy Ayers - He???s Coming
# 22 - Kool and the Gang (album) (1969)
# 21 - Demon Fuzz - Afreaka!
# 20 - Curtis Mayfield - Curtis!
#19 - Eugene McDaniels - Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse
# 18 - Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock
# 17 - Placebo - Ball of Eyes
# 16 - Arthur Verocai - Arthur Verocai (1972)
# 15 - A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory

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

About

Quite possibly the best album ever from this fantastic funky combo! The band grooves hard and funky ??? with incredible drum work from Paul Stubblefield, tasty guitar from Walter Winston, and some famous funky flute and sax work from Gus Hawkins. Tracks on the album are rough and raw ??? with plenty of breakbeats, and some very tasty funky basslines that work perfectly with their choppy instrumental groove. A few tracks have vocals, but even those boast a real strength in the instrumental department ??? and very nicely keep up with the rest of the material. Titles include "Down In The Ghetto", "Burning Spear", "Express Yourself", "Soul", "Memphis Underground", and "Message From A Black Man".

http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=k8wsxmqw9p

  Comments

  • RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,783 Posts
    Want OG..... BADLY!
  • strataspherestratasphere Blastin' the Nasty 1,035 Posts
    RAJ said:
    Want OG..... BADLY!



    Me too, all I have is the BGP reish I copped in the early 2000's.
  • TheKindCromangTheKindCromang 1,463 Posts
    stratasphere said:
    RAJ said:
    Want OG..... BADLY!



    Me too, all I have is the BGP reish I copped in the early 2000's.

    ME TOO!

    b/w

    I first heard this record when a DJ dropped "Burning Spear" at a wedding. I was like, "Hey man.... what is this?".

    He showed me the album cover....

    :face_melt:

    Great record from beginning to end!
  • DJBombjackDJBombjack Miami 1,665 Posts
    Quality from start to finish
  • kalakala 3,362 Posts
    perfect lp
    have a trashed vg and 3 split seam sleeve copy that plays great,and the reish
    i still remember where and when i found it
    copped early in my game just based on the cover.
  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    got their other album for .50 back in the day and would gladly pay twice that much to have complete the discography.

    Burning Spear is one of the best funk cuts committed to a full length LP I've ever heard
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    RAJ said:
    Want OG..... BADLY!

    Not sellin' this :goat: everrrrr......
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Used to think it was common because I found a few copies right off in the early '90s.

    Good pick for #14.
  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,475 Posts
    TheKindCromang said:
    stratasphere said:
    RAJ said:
    Want OG..... BADLY!



    Me too, all I have is the BGP reish I copped in the early 2000's.

    ME TOO!


    Hey, me too!

    Great album, though. Not exactly mad about having a reissue to listen to, though I'd still like to cop an OG at some point.
  • tokyobeatstokyobeats 505 Posts
    Its a get in line thang, I'll gladly take my place
  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Been pulling records out for a party I'm deejaying next week. Happened across my reissue of this one, played it, and decided it's making the crate as I'd love to play Burning Spear for this certain group of peeps. The relentless flute though.
  • tabiratabira 856 Posts
    Bought a sealed OG, though I had to pay $$$. Did Musicor have a special pressing plant or something cos the pressing is immaculate. I mean spotless, pristine like a cut diamond. Not a flaw or even a hiss. I've never seen or heard such a well pressed LP. Are all musicor LPs that good or did I just get lucky (for once) ?
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    tabira said:
    Bought a sealed OG, though I had to pay $$$. Did Musicor have a special pressing plant or something cos the pressing is immaculate. I mean spotless, pristine like a cut diamond. Not a flaw or even a hiss. I've never seen or heard such a well pressed LP. Are all musicor LPs that good or did I just get lucky (for once) ?

    The press is the bomb for both SOUL lp's as is the recording, though I think the first has a bit of an edge on warmth. As someone else once said about this band: their weaker cuts sound like the best coming from other more established acts of the time. When I play SOUL live at a party or on the radio people always loose their shit: it's as if they never knew music could sound so good.
  • tabiratabira 856 Posts
    LoopDreams said:
    tabira said:
    Bought a sealed OG, though I had to pay $$$. Did Musicor have a special pressing plant or something cos the pressing is immaculate. I mean spotless, pristine like a cut diamond. Not a flaw or even a hiss. I've never seen or heard such a well pressed LP. Are all musicor LPs that good or did I just get lucky (for once) ?

    The press is the bomb for both SOUL lp's as is the recording, though I think the first has a bit of an edge on warmth. As someone else once said about this band: their weaker cuts sound like the best coming from other more established acts of the time. When I play SOUL live at a party or on the radio people always loose their shit: it's as if they never knew music could sound so good.

    In fact the only think I don't like about this LP is the sudden ending to Burning Spear. It's totally abrupt and clumsy. Not like it was done for effect but more like they genuinely screwed up in the mixing room or suddently ran out of tape when recording. What's your take on it?
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    Well it's a known fact that Musicor didn't give a flying F about SOUL, they weren't exactly targeting that demographic with the rest of their catalogue. The title screw up says it all: SOUL: What Is It???? The end of BSpear is odd, to me it sounds like their time was up and an exec walked into the studio and pulled the plug, I don't know.
    ps: I think the only reason they got signed is because they won a battle of the bands, the prize being a 2 record deal.
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    is that true about the battle of the bands?? have there been waxpo style write ups on s.o.u.l?

    easily one of the most listenable, strongest through and through funk records ive ever heard.
    2nd LP is no slouch by any stretch, with a handful of cuts as good as anything on the first
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