Re: tower of power

Zachary.Cutler@oberlin.edu
Tue, 11 Mar 1997 00:32:22 -0400 (EDT)


I just got back from my show - two hours of utter bumpnoxious stink and
chock full of funknutty goodness. On the way home, I was listening to
"Live and In Living Color," by coincidence. "Knock Yourself Out" IS
incredible...L.P.'s blowing is crazy dope, and the whole band gives it up.

My personal top 5 TOP albums? (in order):

Urban Renewal
In the Slot
East Bay Grease
Bump City
Live and In Living Color

Back to Oakland and TOP are both dope albums, but a bit too ballad-heavy
for my tastes. By the way, "Ain't Nothin Stoppin Us Now" is like TOP
falling off a cliff. How they went from the atrociously stinky "In the
Slot" to this piece of trash is unfathomable to me. Anyway, their prime
stuff is necessary for any funk-soul lover.

I caught the boys live last year in Cleveland supporting the "Souled Out"
album (which has its moments, but, IMHO, on the whole is not that
good...). They put on an amazing show, and the band sounded very strong
and fresh. Why I don't understand is why Emilio, the band's leader, 2nd
Tenor player, cheif songwriter, and producer, doesn't handle lead vocals
PERMANENTLY. All the songs he does lead vocals on are always so up in the
funk, and his throaty vocal style is dope for the band's stinky soul. Oh
well...

Just my piece of the funk -

Professor Z-Love
Jazz/Funk Director, WOBC

P.S. - Does anyone know what Organ-man Chester Thompson is up to these
days? Is L. Pickett still blowin' with the Saturday Night Live band? I
saw that David Garibaldi had some instructional drum videos out...is he
still recording? Is Lenny Williams still singing? Anyone know anything?

On Tue, 11 Mar 1997, Kurt Iveson wrote:

> >bought album 'in the slot' and is very cooool..
> >any other tower of power recommendations..
> >thanks
> >cya
>
>
> I definately agree with all the other suggested albums (Urban Renewal, In
> the Slot, Back to Oakland, East Bay Grease, Bump City) And Al is right,
> everything they did after the 70s is pretty dodgy shit. Even so, I saw
> them live around 1990 as a wee underage lad sneaking into some bar in San
> Rafael on my first holliday to the states, and they were still way tight
> and funky (even if there were only about three original members left...).
>
> Speaking of which, nobody has mentioned the album "Live and in Living
> Colour" which is one of my favourites. Recorded I think around 1973, side
> B is a 25 minute version of "Knock Yourself Out" that is a serious
> piece... Chester Thompson's organ solo and Lenny Picket's sax are both very
> extended and very heavy.
>
> If you're a vinyl head, they also did a Sheffield Lab direct to disk
> recording some time in the 80s which is worth checking out if you can find
> it ... not the best thing they ever recorded and prolly not worth getting
> on CD, but it's still cool and you'll be amazed how good the vinyl sounds
> ... very live and in your face.
>
> Peace
>
> Kurt
>
>
>