One can't venture very far into contemporary pop without hearing the echoes of '70s-'80's soul, funk and r&b; decades once mocked have seen their vibrant, groove-savvy music re-embraced – often without a trace of kitsch-savvy irony. This triple-disc, 58 track collection may come anthologized with a slightly cheesy conceit–retro-party-soundtrack-in-a-box, with discs devoted to flavoring your soulful soiree's beginning, middle and end–but its potent collection of vintage, era-evoking favorites can't be denied. Disc one/"Kickin' It Off" wends its way from expected jams like Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music" and Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" through such funk-fueled grooves as James Brown's sweaty "Payback" and Donna Summer's urgent, torch-song-with-a beat "Last Dance." Disc two/"Getting' Into the Groove" does just that via Top 40 stalwarts like The Spinners, Four Tops and O'Jays, while making room for legends (Al Green, Isley Brothers) and newcomers like the Brothers Johnson and Kool & the Gang alike. The set's final act winds down into late-night sultriness via Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Heraling," Delfonics' "Didn't I Blow Your Mind," Pointer Sister's "Slow Hand" and other sexy charms.
'Seasons Of Change II: More Happening Hits Of The Hippy Era' is the much-anticipated sequel to the original instalment released a couple of years ago. This second volume once again plugs into the 'vibe' and musical mood of that late-60s/early-70s period - focusing on those tracks that became local charts hits, and album cuts that received lots of radio airplay during those heady years.
The Collection: An Adventure In Sound is a unique compilation conceived and produced by Audio Fidelity to showcase the superb sound quality of their 2-track stereo, Super Audio Compact Disc and 4.0 releases. It truly takes the music and artists here to a new sound level almost as if you're listening to them for the first time! Audio Fidelity has taken fourteen classic evergreens from the world of rock, jazz, soul and even big band based on the dynamics of each recording. From Miles Davis and Carlos Santana to "Peter Gunn" and "7 Screaming Diz-Busters," The Collection begs you to go ahead and turn up the volume and test the limits of your system. All of the selections have been remastered from the original stereo and multichannel masters.