Soul Strut 100: # 4 - East of Underground

RAJ

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

# 4 - EAST OF UNDERGROUND



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
# 14 - S.O.U.L. - What Is It
# 13 - Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
# 12 - Boscoe
# 11 - RAMP - Come Into Knowledge
# 10 - Bob James - 2 (Mardi Gras with or without the Bells)
# 9 - Syl Johnson - Is It Because I???m Black?
# 8 - The Meters - S/T (1969)
# 7 - Michael Jackson - Off the Wall
# 6 - Eddie Kendricks - People... Hold On
# 5 - Skull Snaps

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

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Related Threads

East of Underground questions

ISO East of Underground LP info

East Of Underground LP

Media

stratasphere

I wouldn't mind finding an og.

Grandfather

One of the best covers on the list. Great music too

Rishan

stratasphere said:

I wouldn't mind finding an og.

me too. it would pay all my bills for a month.

deservedly top 5 in the list, but totally overhyped and unoriginal music. i appreciate it for what it is - a grail for many and a part of strut history, but just doesn't do anything for me whatsoever. great artwork though

LaserWolf

Some day I will find this.

fishmongerfunk

interesting (and super raer) record but it is hardly essential. i don't get why it is so high up on this list. i mean, it's covers played by second rate musicians (except for maybe the drummer). the fact that some of the artists covered like sly or the temptations (whose material is far superior) did not make the list feels kinda wrong but i guess they could still make the grade.

Yemsky

I understand the relevance for the Strut but I was very underwhelmed when I got the reish and finally heard it beginning to end.

In that wax poetics video (and also in the recent Sample This movie) there is a technique being used where still photos are being cut an individual details (like different people) being rearranged with tee camera panning over them to create a depth / 3D effect. What's this technique called?

ppadilha

Yemsky said:

In that wax poetics video (and also in the recent Sample This movie) there is a technique being used where still photos are being cut an individual details (like different people) being rearranged with tee camera panning over them to create a depth / 3D effect. What's this technique called?

I've heard people refer to it as 2.5D animation, there might be another name for it. From what I remember it became popular in docs after The Kid Stays in the Picture came out.

Yemsky

ppadilha said:

2.5D animation

Thanks.
Unfortunately, this is not included in iOS7.

Hollafame

Bought the re-ish. Listened to it once.

BallzDeep

a strutter discovered this record.
can totally see why it's this high.
but yeah, not all that.

RAJ

Yemsky said:

In that wax poetics video (and also in the recent Sample This movie) there is a technique being used where still photos are being cut an individual details (like different people) being rearranged with tee camera panning over them to create a depth / 3D effect. What's this technique called?

Ken Burns > Adobe After Effects

LoopDreams

:talib:

and still no GSH, oh well....

LaserWolf

Who rides?

BallzDeep

this list is turning out to be :ehhx2:

Rishan

BallzDeep said:

this list is turning out to be :ehhx2:

disagree. the stories and past threads we've had about these records have been brilliant. that's the whole point of the list, even if we don't ride for some of the music. im certainly one of those that reads more than i post, but i do wonder if a lot of cats simply haven't read much here over the years.

DOR

Rishan said:

BallzDeep said:

this list is turning out to be :ehhx2:

disagree. the stories and past threads we've had about these records have been brilliant. that's the whole point of the list, even if we don't ride for some of the music. im certainly one of those that reads more than i post, but i do wonder if a lot of cats simply haven't read much here over the years.

That's the thing. People who are fairly new don't have the background on the history of some of these records with this site.

This list isn't on some best albums of all time deal. But on albums and their history of this site.

Is East of Underground the greatest funk album of all time? No. But I do enjoy many of the tracks from Popcorn to California Dreamin' to I Love You to Walk On By and People Get Ready, etc etc etc.

When you mix the background history of the album and the raerness, and then add stories like Cosmo's wedding and if you were around this site when Katrina happened and we had (IMO) one of the most important moments of this site (Let a Heatrock loose)...

And then you have the music of this album on top of it.

I have zero issue with this record being so high on this list.

And I'll ride for it!

parallax

^^^
Well said.

The rare and sporadic reminders of "Let Loose a Heatrock"
makes me smile. That was probably the greatest Strut moment I've witnessed.

As for EOU, I think it's a great record with an amazing story. As others have said, there are "better" funk records to be had, but none with THAT history (so far), or with that connection to Soulstrut.

I'm happy to have the reish, but would love an OG.

leon

DOR said:

Rishan said:

BallzDeep said:

this list is turning out to be :ehhx2:

disagree. the stories and past threads we've had about these records have been brilliant. that's the whole point of the list, even if we don't ride for some of the music. im certainly one of those that reads more than i post, but i do wonder if a lot of cats simply haven't read much here over the years.

That's the thing. People who are fairly new don't have the background on the history of some of these records with this site.

This list isn't on some best albums of all time deal. But on albums and their history of this site.

Is East of Underground the greatest funk album of all time? No. But I do enjoy many of the tracks from Popcorn to California Dreamin' to I Love You to Walk On By and People Get Ready, etc etc etc.

When you mix the background history of the album and the raerness, and then add stories like Cosmo's wedding and if you were around this site when Katrina happened and we had (IMO) one of the most important moments of this site (Let a Heatrock loose)...

And then you have the music of this album on top of it.

I have zero issue with this record being so high on this list.

And I'll ride for it!

DOR knows what's up.

Wat makes the lp appealing to me is that it's the type of sound i'd expect on US funk 45's, but this is a whole album.

Edit: i'm not a 45 collector.

Otis_Funkmeyer

The material, inspired performances, raw aesthetic, and stripped-down arrangements are right up my alley. It doesn't get much better.

LoopDreams

I joined in 08 so I don't have the katrina backstory and whatnot and only have my musical impressions to balance against the hype, and shit doesn't add up. This record is :weaksauce: wrapped in phenomenal packaging. But everyone hears something different.

Mjukis

Otis_Funkmeyer said:

The material, inspired performances, raw aesthetic, and stripped-down arrangements are right up my alley. It doesn't get much better.

Agreed. Can't believe people deny the awesomeness of EoU :nagl:

bassie

Provenance - 9/10
Actual music - 6/10

Smiling Faces is the best track by far and mostly on account of the drums. I do love the whole thing's recording quality, though.

Looking over the list as a whole, I am definitely out of touch with the rest of the board. Don't get me wrong, I have more than half of the records but placements, omissions and the Top 10...
I am

Jimster

bassie said:

Provenance - 9/10
Actual music - 6/10

Wow. I was about to type pretty much the exact same thing. Numbers match.

Everything ain't for everyone. You know that, believe that.

The_Hook_Up

If anyone needs the wax po reissue of this, holleur via PM and make me an offer.

skel

J i m s t e r said:

bassie said:

Provenance - 9/10
Actual music - 6/10

Wow. I was about to type pretty much the exact same thing. Numbers match.

Everything ain't for everyone. You know that, believe that.

Reworked numbers:

Back story: 10/10
Estimate of 10/15 extant copies: lol
Reish quality: 9/10
Actual music: 0.5/10

A real Marmite album, it seems.

HarveyCanal

I picked up a used reissue last year for cheap and upon listening to it, quickly put it in the "To Sell" pile.

billbradley

HarveyCanal said:

I picked up a used reissue last year for cheap and upon listening to it, quickly put it in the "To Sell" pile.

Did you sell it already? If not, bring it to ARC and we can do a trade.

batmon

Young-Holt Unlimited Plays Superfly > Curtis Mayfield Superfly

HarveyCanal

billbradley said:

HarveyCanal said:

I picked up a used reissue last year for cheap and upon listening to it, quickly put it in the "To Sell" pile.

Did you sell it already? If not, bring it to ARC and we can do a trade.

Sorry, long gone.

Horseleech

bassie said:

Provenance - 9/10
Actual music - 6/10

Smiling Faces is the best track by far and mostly on account of the drums. I do love the whole thing's recording quality, though.

My take exactly.

An album of good but not great covers, not a single one of which improves on or offers a new take on the OG.

The rest is all hype.