Soul Strut 100: # 3 - Cymande (1972)

RAJ

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

# 3 - Cymande (1972)



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
# 4 - East of Underground

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

About

Invigorating head music done Rastafarian style by Cymande. "Zion I" is a spiritual chant put to music, setting the mood for Cymande. A laid-back "One More" lulls you into subliminal meditation before "Getting It Back" jolts you into some scintillating Jamaican funk-fusion. There's a message in many of Cymande's cuts, with "Listen," and "Bra" (a recognition of the women's lib movement), the most inspiring. Both are sung with passion, and are skillfully executed; the former is slow and painstaking in its message, while "Bra" slaps you upside the head with a stirring sax solo and bass-fueled vamp. An air of supreme coolness permeates Cymande, unusual for a first effort written by members of the band. Cymande sound like they have done this before; nowhere is this more evident than on the beautiful "Dove," a gorgeous concoction of lead guitar, tambourines, haunting backing vocals, and percussion, with the horns used as sparingly as table-seasoning on a gourmet dish. Along with "Bra," the group's most popular cut is "The Message" -- it's difficult keeping body parts still on this grooving mutha. All in all, Cymande is a marvelous collection that premiered a fine funk band.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/cymande-mw0000674354

Related Threads

Post-Cymande (RR like it should be)

What tunes have a build up that can fuck with Cymande???s BRA?

How Do You Pronounce ???Cymande????

Media

stratasphere

Great record, I didn't expect it to be this high on the list though.

Big_Stacks

Got it!!! This is a great record from beginning to end. It's one of the 1st joints I pulled when I started collecting seriously (around 17:or so). It's a longtime favorite, and I'm glad it was recognized on the Soul Strut 100

Peace,

Big Stacks from Kakalak

Otis_Funkmeyer

I think of Cymande as kind of a benchmark. Like if you don't know about them, your knowledge has not ventured beyond the mainstream at all. And if you have, you've at least taken the first step of searching for funk/soul that doesn't get radio play. Like if digging were a Zelda game, Cymande would be the prize for beating the first dungeon.

batmon

Otis_Funkmeyer said:

I think of Cymande as kind of a benchmark. Like if you don't know about them, your knowledge has not ventured beyond the mainstream at all. And if you have, you've at least taken the first step of searching for funk/soul that doesn't get radio play. Like if digging were a Zelda game, Cymande would be the prize for beating the first dungeon.

Bra still gets Classics/Oldies radio play. I know its stiil gets love on WBLS on Sundays.

Just sayin.

I thought this was a mainstream album in the first place.

DJ_Enki

A Digging 101 record that still smokes the majority of stuff out there. The first time I listened to it front to back, I was amazed at how heavy it was in a spiritual way, if that makes sense.

tabira

stratasphere said:

Great record, I didn't expect it to be this high on the list though.

LaserWolf

Nice.

Yemsky

John Schroeder on Cymande.
Watch until the 20 minute mark for all John has to say on Cymande

The_Non

I LOVE THIS RECORD SO MUCH I'D PROPOSE TO IT

HarveyCanal

The_Non said:

I LOVE THIS RECORD SO MUCH I'D PROPOSE TO IT

Hands off! She's mine!

Controller_7

I love this album.

KidProcrass

One of the few records that tends to always find its way back on the decks. Funky yet very organic and spiritual sounding. Love it!

Mr. Attention

Otis_Funkmeyer said:

I think of Cymande as kind of a benchmark. Like if you don't know about them, your knowledge has not ventured beyond the mainstream at all. And if you have, you've at least taken the first step of searching for funk/soul that doesn't get radio play. Like if digging were a Zelda game, Cymande would be the prize for beating the first dungeon.

Spot on. This was definitely one of the first records that blew me away back in the Digger Jr. days. And I still love it.

LoopDreams

Definite gateway drug that still gets regular spins almost 20 yrs after I bought my first copy. Very heavy record, love it to death and am so pleased to see it so high up the list. It's one of those records that I always buy if I see it to gift away. Need to spread "The Message" so to speak...

DJFerrari

Otis_Funkmeyer said:

I think of Cymande as kind of a benchmark. Like if you don't know about them, your knowledge has not ventured beyond the mainstream at all. And if you have, you've at least taken the first step of searching for funk/soul that doesn't get radio play. Like if digging were a Zelda game, Cymande would be the prize for beating the first dungeon.

Spot on... also, I think of pronouncing Cymande properly as kind of a benchmark.

SIRUS

batmon said:

Otis_Funkmeyer said:

I think of Cymande as kind of a benchmark. Like if you don't know about them, your knowledge has not ventured beyond the mainstream at all. And if you have, you've at least taken the first step of searching for funk/soul that doesn't get radio play. Like if digging were a Zelda game, Cymande would be the prize for beating the first dungeon.

Bra still gets Classics/Oldies radio play. I know its stiil gets love on WBLS on Sundays.

Just sayin.

I thought this was a mainstream album in the first place.

outside of the tri-state/east coast, this is not a oldie/LBE classic, at all. play this in texas on some 'remember when?' and people will be like, what the hell is that? put maze back on.

HarveyCanal

SIRUS said:

batmon said:

Otis_Funkmeyer said:

I think of Cymande as kind of a benchmark. Like if you don't know about them, your knowledge has not ventured beyond the mainstream at all. And if you have, you've at least taken the first step of searching for funk/soul that doesn't get radio play. Like if digging were a Zelda game, Cymande would be the prize for beating the first dungeon.

Bra still gets Classics/Oldies radio play. I know its stiil gets love on WBLS on Sundays.

Just sayin.

I thought this was a mainstream album in the first place.

outside of the tri-state/east coast, this is not a oldie/LBE classic, at all. play this in texas on some 'remember when?' and people will be like, what the hell is that? put maze back on.

Pretty much true. It's a raer down here.

batmon

Didnt know that.

My pops had this in his stash and i heard it as a kid along with superfly , lets get it on, composite truth and shaft.

So the question is....when did it get fetishized? after de la soul? Were UK Soul dudes already rockin it?

parallax

tabira said:

stratasphere said:

Great record, I didn't expect it to be this high on the list though.

Breez

This is one lp that I always pick up (in the field) when ever I see it, regardless of condition. Essential lp.

LaserWolf

FortyFivan said:

Spot on... also, I think of pronouncing Cymande properly as kind of a benchmark.

Uh oh, what is the correct pronunciation?

b/w

I dislike hearing moog the instrument pronounced the same as Robert Moog's last name.

LaserWolf

I've always pronounced it:




sighmonday.
Wrong?

Big_Stacks

Breez said:

This is one lp that I always pick up (in the field) when ever I see it, regardless of condition. Essential lp.

Yo!!! Big up to the old Reilly Road Pawn Shop (Fayetteville, NC) circa the mid-1980s. This is where I got my 1st copy of Cymande S/T and the "Alpha" LP by The Round Robin Monopoly (and countless other hot joints). Get 'dem hands dirty, and you can find all types of shit 'out there' (in the field).

Peace,

Big Stacks from Kakalak

yuichi

batmon said:

So the question is....when did it get fetishized? after de la soul? Were UK Soul dudes already rockin it?

Like Bra, let it go. It's such a great album. Near perfect..

JefDam

Such a great record, but I prefer Promised Heights simply because of Genevieve and Crawshay. Still though, all of Cymande's music is unfuckwitable to the nth power.

ketan

Great album. Love the band.

Anyone heard the Sunshine Sound/Francis K remix of Bra? Anyone have a rip to share?

RAJ

First listen to this record was like a religious experience for me. Especially "Dove".....

Grandfather

Great choice, this record was a definite gateway drug for me.

Controller_7

LaserWolf said:

I've always pronounced it:




sighmonday.
Wrong?

That's how I say it.

zen garden

for sure a top 3 album