The moniker of the Soul-Patrol.com website is "GREAT BLACK MUSIC FROM THE
ANCIENT TO THE FUTURE"
I can think of no other FUNK artist besides Mandrill who fits that term so
precisely!
The music of CYMANDE sounded both OLD and NEW at the same time back in the
1970's and that statement is just as true today.
This is one of my all time favorite FUNK artists from back in the 1970's.
A true "fusion" band that incorporated many different styles in their music,
but always had an underlying message of "rasta/hippie philosophy" Check it
out....
CYMANDE, pronounced (Sah-mahn-day), released three LPs under the Chess
Records Janus subsidiary from 1972 - 1974. This reissue is a "best of'
anthology of those albums, and it's compiled by Newhouse Records located in
Oakland California
Here is a quote from the Newhouse Records Press release:
"Newhouse Records fell hard for the music while we were involved in
releasing a vintage funk compilation. After discussing plans for that funk
project with an employee of Amoeba Records in Berkeley, CA. I was instructed
to check out an old Cymande release. I went home and was hooked on the funky
vintage feel of the music. That employee went on to pursue graphic arts and
came on board to do the CD graphic design and logo work for the new project.
We released this Newhouse Record CD because we wanted to spread the message
of CYMANDE to a new audience."
CYMANDE is the most underrated overly sampled band in the world. The band
CYMANDE consisted of eight rastafarian musicians who played a dazzling
mixture of FUNK, SOUL, REGGAE and JAZZ. The members of CYMANDE migrated to
England from the West Indies at a young age. The resulting music they
created is invigorating and lyrically positive. The name CYMANDE means "dove
of peace" and most of the band's messages are uplifting and reminiscent of
of a time when FUNK wasn't just music, it was also a MOVEMENT
If after reading this review you decide to pick up on this, Amazon has got
it at the following url:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004XR4I/prodigymusiccomm
<a href=" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004XR4I/prodigymusiccomm
"> CYMANDE -"THE SOUL OF RASTA"</a>
Here is my Track by Track Review of CYMANDE -"THE SOUL OF RASTA"
1. BROTHERS ON THE SIDE
This song sounds like it could have appeared on the SUPERFLY soundtrack.
Lots of Curtis Mayfield type influences here. Nice funky tune to start off
the CD
2. BRA
This song is a NYC (and probably world wide) phenomena. Even if you don't
know the name "Cymande" or even the title of the song, if you have ever been
out on a dance floor at any point in time over the past 30 years or so, you
know this song like you know the back of your hand. Even if you are under
the age of 30, the legendary bass line of this song has been sampled many
times over and you have heard it! And if you have ever heard it, you have NO
DOUBT taken a spin around the dance floor off of it. The beat is
infectious. What's the song about? (who knows?..who cares?) It's one of the
10 best FUNK JAMS of all time (and that's all anyone needs to know about the
song BRA)
3. THE MESSAGE
Now this song has got a beat that won't quit. Bass, guitar, drums and horn
section all hittin it on the "ONE" in a way like nobody else (except for
Mandrill) can do. These are the sounds of Mother Africa calling out to you
to return there, even if only in the eye of your mind. Oh but there is
soooo much more to this song than just a never ending FUNKY GROOVE that
sounds like Africa transported to the corner of Fulton Street and Franklin
Ave. in Bed-Sty in the summer of 1973. This is a song with a serious
"message", calling out (perhaps even begging) for UNITY among the African
peoples of the world regardless of what continent they happen to be living
in
4. FUG
You want some crusing music? Do you like FUNKY Saxophone riffs a' la LONNIE
YOUNGBLOOD? Well look no further than "FUG". Hell yeah, you could put this
song on an 8-track tape and loop it over and over again, slap it into your
car's 8-track player for the ultimate music in driving around the city
streets. However this song isn't just a nice driving groove, it's an
AFROCENTRIC FUNK BOMB (a' la Mandrill) that seeks to raise your
consciousness as it makes you tap your feet
5. LISTEN
Ahhhhhhh .."Listen brotha's this has got a LOT to do with you and mah SISTA'
S this also does concern you too." and so it begins. This song is a slow
burning funk groove that intends to reach the inner recesses of your mind
and cause you to question if YOU may indeed be a "part of the problem", if
you choose not to "ACT NOW"
6. GENEVIEVE
I know that "bass and drum" has become a popular variation of "acid jazz",
perhaps the genesis of the style is based on this song?
7. DOVE
This song may be one of my personal all time top 10 "chill out" songs.
"DOVE" is an instrumental, checking in at nearly 11 minutes features a
"Carlos Santana type guitar", a "Billy Cox like bass" a flute solo that
sounds like it's being played by a bird and congas that sound like what
tribal members might play just before going off to war, yet are hoping for
peace. This song is one of the most blissful and soothing songs that you
would ever want to hear and it's a candidate to be put into a continuous
loop on an 8-track tape. However, this wouldn't be a tape that you would
use for driving, it would be way too hypnotic and you might not pay
attention to the road. This is a tape that you would use at 3 am, for
"indoor activities"..
8. WILLY'S HEADACHE
This thing somehow manages to sound like Africa and the Bronx (circa 1967)
at the same time. The message here is one of awareness, both personal and
worldly. The flute solo here is certainly "Latin influenced' and overall
the song sounds similar to something out of the CTI or GRP catalog
9. GETTING IT BACK
"Once I used to be high." this is a song about personal depression.
"People I guess I'm going down, down, down and I feel I'm gonna drown.." I'
m not really what the point of it is, however this is some STANK NASTY FUNK
if I ever heard it. I can remember back in the day in my dorm room, with
"incense and black light burning" scratching my album up off of this song,
rushing to move the tone arm back to the exact point where that SUPER NASTY
sax break appears
10. ONE MORE
This is another instrumental that is in a similar vein to "DOVE", just
shorter
11. ANTHRACITE
The sax player here reminds me of Carlos Garnett of the Miles Davis band,
congas and flute players in full effect. Some of you may recall a funk band
during the 70's called the "Layfyette Afro Rock Band". This song is in a
similar vein
12. EQUITORIAL FOREST
Willie Hutch/Curtis Mayfield type FUNK grooves here
13. FOR BABY OOH
Just a conga and "doo wop style group harmony". Sound like a "street corner
symphony" to you? It does to me :) Did you like the album "Graceland" by
Paul Simon? (I have a feeling that Paul Simon may just have checked out a
few Cymande albums)
If after reading this review you decide to pick up on this, Amazon has got
it at the following url:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004XR4I/prodigymusiccomm
<a href=" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00004XR4I/prodigymusiccomm
"> CYMANDE -"THE SOUL OF RASTA"</a>
------------------------------------------------------
Bob Davis
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.soul-patrol.com/ - Click Here For SOUL PATROL
------------------------------------------------------
http://music.bb.prodigy.net/ - Click Here for PRODIGY MUSIC
------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sun Apr 29 2001 - 21:02:05 CEST