I get why people like Lenny Kravitz. I think there was probably a time in my life when I could have quite liked Lenny Kravitz. (And maybe, for a while, I sort of did.) And maybe, had I not become the music history obsessive that I am, I would like him to this day. But …
Tag: Psychedelic Soul
The Electric Spanking of War Babies (7/10) by Funkadelic
This feels to me a little bit like Funkadelic re-imagined for the ’80s – many of the tropes of ’70s Funkadelic are here in full, but there are signs that musical technology is slowly changing.
Parade: Music From the Motion Picture Under the Cherry Moon (1986) by Prince
I have never seen Under the Cherry Moon, just like I haven’t seen his other movies. But everything I read says that this is a lot better than the movie, so I should be okay.
Earth Wind and Fire (1971)
Before I get to the music, I just want to say I love the album cover. It’s one of the iconic covers of its era. Is it the best part of the album? It’s possible. Just love the cover.
Mama’s Gun (2000) by Erykah Badu
I’m listening to this after enduring R. Kelly’s and Ricky Martins’ albums from the same month. And I must tell you, I feel like I’ve been saved.
Curtis (1970) by Curtis Mayfield
There is some hype out there about this record and I’m not sure I’ve listened to enough contemporary psychedelic soul and funk (specifically from 1969 and 1970) to know how seriously to take it.
Osmium (1970) by Parliament
Recorded by the same people who made Free Your Mind…, this particular version of Parliament is basically just Funkadelic moonlighting. The record actually feels like the outtakes – the stuff that was just too weird – for Free Your Mind… if you listen to both of them at the same time. Parliament would be relaunched …
Free Your Mind…and Your Ass Will Follow (1970) by Funkadelic
Over the last 20 years my tolerance of directionless jamming and freakouts has gone from very high to relatively low. (I say relatively because I still have a much higher tolerance than, say, your average pop listener.) And this is my biggest problem with some Funkadelic as, in the early days in particular, they could …
The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone (2000) by The Apples in Stereo
I read that this was an attempt by Apples in Stereo to sound more like they do on stage, so it’s rawer than normal. I’ve heard one of their earlier albums – Tone Soul Evolution – but I don’t remember it. But reading my review that sounds like it might be true. But it’s kind …
Around the World in a Day (1985) by Prince and The Revolution
I suspect the degree to which I like this album is heavily influenced by the narrative around it, and my lack of engagement with that narrative. Prince is a known iconoclast when I’m listening to this record for the first time. He’s done things such as change his stage name and fail to release completed …
Let’s Take It to the Stage (1975) by Funkadelic
This is one of those Funkadelic albums where the line between them and Parliament is blurred and that’s not something I can I say I love. Because of its title, I thought it was a live record and almost skipped over it.
Funkadelic (1970)
If I had heard this 15 years ago I probably would have absolutely loved it. But my tolerance for directionless music has decreased over the years.
Voodoo (2000) by D’Angelo
I heard so much about this album that I was bound to be disappointed. I had read really positive reviews but also multiple friends of mine told me it was a great album and at least one of these people was not an R&B connoisseur. (Meaning I should take his opinion even more seriously.)
Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974) by Stevie Wonder
Good Stevie Wonder does nothing for me. Middling Stevie Wonder does less for me. It’s hard for me to even care enough about this record, which doesn’t have any of his biggest hits on it, and which fails to move me, like all of his records. But I guess I have to try. (That’s what …
Stand! (1969) by Sly and the Family Stone
I think my biggest problem with all the early Family Stone albums I’ve heard is a lack of consistent material. Because, otherwise, they’re a truly great band with a unique sound fusion and sound, full of truly capable musicians. But on the previous records, nearly all the songs outside of the singles felt lazy (or …
3+3 (1973) by The Isley Brothers
I know the Isley Brothers more by reputation than by their music. I know their most famous song, and I know the most famous song from this record, but that’s about it. (Also, I may have forgotten that “Shout” and “That Lady” were by the same band until I listened to this record.) This record …
Innervisions (1973) by Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder does nothing for me. This record, considered either the best or second best of his career, has not changed that. That makes it kind of hard for me to review it in any reasonable way.
Cosmic Slop (1973) by Funkadelic
The first time I heard this one I can’t say it endeared itself to me. Though I don’t know enough about it, it sure struck me as a Parliament record, or closer to one, than I would have preferred. (Again, I don’t really know what I’m talking about.) But with time, I’ve come to hear …
Life (1968) by Sly and the Family Stone
Much like Dance to the Music, this is a well-played record that lacks quality songs. I find myself with a bit of deja vu.
Fresh (1973) by Sly and the Family Stone
I don’t know enough about the history of Sly and the Family Stone to know whether or not There’s a Riot Goin’ On was something sustainable on an emotional level – I suspect it wasn’t – or a commercial level. But this record feels like a major step… not back, exactly, but to the side, …
It’s All About (1968) by Spooky Tooth
This is one of those records I thought about listening to a decade and a half ago and I’m just getting to it now. That’s often a recipe for disappointment as my tastes in my mid 30s are definitely not what they were in my early 20s.
Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993) by Lenny Kravitz
I do not love nostalgia. Even when that nostalgia is for music I like, I have a hard time liking or sometimes even appreciating music that was made in awe of and devotion to another time. Sure, it might sound better than the original because it was recorded better or mixed better or mastered better …
Dance to the Music (1968) by Sly and the Family Stone
It’s easy to understand why this band captured everyone’s attention; though the music is undeniably funky for the era, and soulful, there’s also enough of other elements that it’s accessible to people who would not have listened to James Brown or Stax or what have you.It’s significantly less psychedelic than I assumed it was, but …
Gris-Gris (1968) by Dr. John, The Night Tripper
This is my first Dr. John record for some reason.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience (2000)
This is an exhaustive collection of Experience alternate takes, outtakes, alternate mixes and live performances. For the Hendrix completist, it’s probably more essential than any of the other studio rarities collections that have come out, just because it shows off more facets of his playing and his experimentation – unlike those studio rarities collections which …