The S.o.b

The fact that Billy Branch's backing band for this live date from 1982 is called the SOBs gives listeners hope that this will be a nasty, biting concert. For the most part, that's incorrect, since this wasn't a performance that reached a rolling boil - it was one that kept to a low simmer. Nearly all of the songs are taken at slow tempos, and the band lays back greatly; even when they get a little bit of steam, as on "Eyesight to the Blind," they're relaxed. This isn't a bad thing, and the group - including not just Branch, but Lurrie Bell, Eli Murray, J.W. Williams, and Carey Bell, all held in place by drummer Mose Rutues - works well together, creating some nice off-hand moments in nearly every track.

Tabu Records defined the sound of young America throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, with hugely successful acts like Brainstorm, The S.O.S. Band, Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle, whilst nurturing the powerhouse production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, one of the most successful production teams of the last 30 years. A comprehensive deluxe re-issue campaign will roll throughout 2013 and into 2014. The label's re-launch takes in The S.O.S. Band's third album for the label, III, which includes the singles "High Hopes", "Have It Your Way" and the classic "Groovin' (That's What We're Doin').