The debut album by Morris Day's band, The Time. Written & produced with, and performed almost entirely by Prince with vocals from Day.
Among the most sampled groups of the '60s and '70s by a slew of top rap and hip-hop artists of the '90s and beyond, the legendary New Orleans band and Grammy Lifetime Achievement awardees The Meters created an instantly recognizable sound through almost a decade of recording, initially for the Josie label and then for Reprise and Warner Brothers. Group members guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassist George Porter Jr., drummer Joseph 'Zigaboo' Modeliste and keyboardist/singer Art Neville formed the core of the band, later augmented by Art's younger brother, percussionist/singer Cyril who joined The Meters in 1975. This wonderful 116-track, 6-CD SoulMusic Records' box set showcases The Meters' entire recorded output for Josie Records (1968-1971), Reprise and Warner Brothers (1972-77). In addition to their eight full albums, this luxurious package (with a 40-page booklet) includes non-album singles, bonus material, single edits and a rare 1977 disco mix of 'Disco Is The Thing Today', available for the first time on CD.
For all that the previous album was called Vini Reilly, Obey the Time was in fact Durutti's most specifically Reilly-only release yet. Even percussion stalwart Mitchell only appeared on one track this time around, the fine, subtly uplifting punch of "Art and Freight," partially due to where Reilly's head was at this time around. Inspired by the late-'80s acid house revolution in England, with his native Manchester firmly at ground zero, Reilly aimed to combine that with his usual guitar approach to see what would happen. Where in nearly any other hands this would have been a pathetic crossover disaster waiting to happen, the end results are gratifyingly like what his compatriots in New Order did the previous year with Technique, synthesizing up-to-date styles to create something distinctly different…
If Colin Blunstone had only recorded the hits by the Zombies (such as "Tell Her No," "Time of the Season," and "She's Not There") he should and would be a household name. However, Blunstone had an equally impressive solo career. This collection documents his excellent Epic/CBS sides, especially those from his exquisite One Year album. Tracks from that include "Say You Don't Mind," a suburb song written by Denny Lane (ex-Moody Blues, future Wings), as well as Blunstone's original "Caroline Goodbye," which very well may be the finest record of 1970. Add to this the impressive tracks from albums like Ennismore and others, and you have the real voice of the 1970s that was sadly under-appreciated and certainly under-heard. Like a gossamer cloth, it sweeps elegant.