David Caleo Foolish of Power

Tower of Power, the definitive horn-driven funk band, celebrates its 50th anniversary with Soul Side of Town. Founding tenor saxophonist and composer Emilio Castillo is still at the helm, along with original baritone sax player Stephen "Doc" Kupka and a team of ace musicians who bring an easy confidence to the album's 14 tracks, highlighted by the instrumental workout "Butter Fried" and the punchy "Do It With Soul."

The first Tower of Power album, when the band was only honing its concept and seeking a lead singer. On some songs, notably "Sparkling in the Sand," you can hear the group beginning to come together. They already had a fine horn section, and were only some good arrangements away from becoming one of the best pop and soul bands in the nation. The vocals were uneven, although Rick Stevens would later emerge as the prime vocalist. Despite its flaws, it's worth having because the diamond was being cut on these selections. It's recently been reissued on CD.