The Bees (aka. Band Of Bees): Got To Let Go, Listening Man and Stand
Taken from the album Octopus on Astralwerks (2007)

Owing to the distance separating me from my records, I’m going to have delve into my Itunes library if I’m to stay at all current with my blogging duties. Which is nice because it may force me to present a more current selection of releases (believe it or not, I do listen to albums recorded after 1974.)

Take this Bees’record for example. So what if it sounds like it could be as old as the last good Kinks album. It’s new! And it psychy and funky and about a hundred other things… and it’s hot to death.

My boy Dave Greene (psyche-guru, fellow record geek, and indie label CEO) turned me on to these cats and, after hearing “Listening Man” that first go-round (and the subsequent 300 go-rounds), I was sold. (I swear that first phrase sounds just like Sam Cooke.)

And seriously, who can resist? Which is kind of the point…

It is after all a pop record, and meant for general consumption. But it’s throwback pop, and a special kind of that: “Octopus” manages to avoid the pitfalls of being a strictly throwback record, mainly in that it kind of defies any one particular category to throw back to. The psych and R&B influences are for sure (crusty break drums? horns a la Mussel Shoals?). But I also hear Fela on “Gotta Hold On”, Lee Perry on “Left Foot Stepdown”, and other tracks infused with a bluesy Rolling Stones-type flavor. Poppy hooks, even country twang: these tracks run the whole gamut.

I like pumping up a record like this because The Bees are filling a much needed void in the new music scene, reminding us how broad is the scope of excellent music, how rich a spectrum of style and genre we have to borrow from, and, when it’s done right, how well it can all be pieced together.

Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe : El Dia De Mi Suerte
taken from the album “Lo Mato… Si No Compras Este LP” on Fania (1973)

Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe : Aguanile
taken from the album “El Juicio” on Fania (1972)

Spanish Harlem Orchestra : Sacala Bailar
taken from the album “United We Swing” on Six Degrees (2007)

Over the past year and a half I’ve become so engrossed in the world of Latin music that I’ve actually had to struggle to keep from turning this into a strictly salsa and boogaloo blog. Luckily, there’s a lot of other good music out there to keep me from doing that, but I’ve found that increasingly the records I buy tend to be vintage Latin. And when I’m doing housecleaning or cooking dinner, it’s usually a salsa record that I throw on. Not to mention that my most consistent gig for the past two years has been my weekly Latin night at Bembe (come check it out if you haven’t yet!). That being said, when I first saw the preview for El Cantante, I knew that I would have to see it, despite what I may think about J-lo and Marc Anthony. This past week I saw it (a weekly frequenter of my Thursday nights handed me a bootleg copy of the DVD), and I’ve gotta say, it exceeded my expectations. Marc can actually act, and sing, and aside from a little obligatory Hollywood cheese, the movie represented a powerful pocket in history that still gets so little shine in the mainstream. Of course, for any real fans of Fania, I also have to reccomend watching all these films as well – that’s the real deal raw version.

Seeing the movie prompted me to post some of my favorite Willie Colon & Hector Lavoe sides, and then I found out that some other cats out there beat me to it, and went about one hundred steps further by posting the entire Hector Lavoe discography!. Cop it while you can.

Seeing that blog reminded me that I’m well overdue in updating my own blogroll, so I went and did that (check the list on the right). And it also reminded me why I love the blogosphere so much, and just how big it is, and that it’s important for me to give ample respect to those that deserve it. I had to cut out some of the old blogs that don’t post music anymore, or do so very infrequently, but there’s always so many new ones popping up (and increasingly, they’re doing the whole album – mixed feelings about that). So in the upcoming week I’ll be posting some appreciation for these other blogs that I love, but I don’t really have time for that right now.

Instead, I wanted to share some music from one of the greatest groups keeping that classic Fania sound alive: The Spanish Harlem Orchestra. This group continues to put out music that is, to my ear at least, the most true to that Salsa gumbo first developed by Johnny Pacheco and crew back in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Also, I happen to have a couple of copies of their newest release to give away (say thanks to Six Degrees for that).

If you want the new album, answer me this:
What was Hector Lavoe’s birth name?

email answers to: captainplanet@bywayof.net

The Natural Four: Why Should We Stop Now, I Thought You Were Mine and Going In Circles
Taken from the album Good Vibes on ABC (1970)

Aah. Back in the blogosphere. It’s almost like coming home… Almost.

But being that I’m still in Mama Afreaka for another four and a bit months (zoinks), I finally decided to bite the bullet and start posting in absentia. With a little help from the worldwide web (emphasis on worldwide), an old friend named Ebay, and my dear brother–known to most as the good Captain–I should be able to lace y’all with the more-than-occasional assault of blazing fire. Which brings me to today…

I’ve been trying for almost a year to get my hands on this album, the first and only LP recorded by the seminal line-up of the Natural Four, before their reconstitution and move to Curtom. The year is 1970 and these are the glory days for N.F. They had a charted hit (“Why Should We Stop Now”), a killer lead tenor in Chris James and a group dymanic rich in harmony and orchestration. But beyond the first couple singles, the album flopped, and none of their future efforts (even with Leroy Hutson at the helm) could capture the start-to-finish glory of this first record. This is a truly wonderful soul album.

And the fact that I am now only able to appreciate it via digital proxy (African internet+Ebay dorking+shipping to the Captain’s Brooklyn digs=this post) makes it a bit of a tease. I mean, how much do you want to hold that turn-of-the-decade album art it your hands? How bad do you want to hear the needle drop on its Near Minty waxen surface? Watch the needle head undulate over the subtle imperfections waiting for that first rumble of a bass drum… Horns! Bass! Strings! PIANO!

Appreciation is the name of the game, friends. This is sweet sticky soul at its best. Live and direct from Africa.

Third World All Stars : Repatriation Remedy, Rebel Rock
and Soothing In The Mind
all taken from the album “Rebel Rock” on Third World (1976)

Stumbled upon a little stash of reggae records on my lunch break yesterday. This instrumental roots LP was one of the ones I took home. The others will probably make an appearance here in the near future- Royals?? Dandy?? Audrey?? Some great discoveries for me.

The Third World All Stars lineup includes trombonist Rico Rodriguez (when that name caught my eye I knew I had to snag it) and Eddie ‘Tan Tan’ Thorton on trumpet. Rebel Rock fills a surprisingly small niche in the world of Jamaican music – consistant, jazzy reggae with simple, clean arrangements and nice production (although I’m not a fan of the somewhat grating effect they put on Rico’s trombone during “Soothing”). The soloing is compelling enough that I don’t miss having a soulful vocalist here. I have to admit though, one of my first thoughts after hearing “Remedy” was how perfect this song would be in a mash-up (uh-oh). Bottom line, I need to find more albums like this. Absolutely the perfect soundtrack to summertime laziness.

Danny Cox : Hot Down In Chile
taken from the album “Feel So Good” on Casablanca (1974)

Maze ft. Frankie Beverly : Time Is On My Side
taken from their self-titled album on Captiol (1977)

Jimmy Castor Bunch : Potential
taken from the album “Butt Of Course…” on Atlantic (1974)

Parliament : The Motor-Booty Affair
taken from the album “Motor Booty Affair” on Casablanca (1978)

Sometimes I have to remind myself to return to the basics. I look back on the days when I was just starting to search for dancefloor firecrackers, and although I didn’t know much about the breadth of the world’s musical pyrotechnics, I could tell what was fun to dance to. Funk provided a perfect starting point. The motivation behind the music may be quite straightforward- feel good, get loose, laugh a little- but the syncopated interplay between the different sounds reflects a complexity uncomprehendible. Jagged ups and downs pull the song in different directions at once. Guitar darts away from clavinet while both twist and bend through the manipulations of a bobbing foot pedal. Whether the singer is speaking about South American politics or a bootylicious femme, there’s an equal sense of humor and intense urgency. Goofy, absurd, cartoonish voices lead into epic screeches and grunts delivered from the bottom of the belly where rawness resides. To me, funk was never simply the soundtrack to Soultrain and blaxploitation films; it always held the potential for transcendence. Listening to some of my old favorites today (check the breakdown at the end of Motor-Booty!) I’m reminded of just how close I can get to heaven on Earth.

West African Cosmos : Emeraude
taken from their self-titled album on Marginal / CBS (1976)

Sombory-Jazz : Nananina and
Quintette Guineenne : Douga
taken from the album “Musique Sans Paroles” on Syliphone (1974)

I’m pulling out some of my rare-ish business today. None of these songs have been reissued, compiled or even bootlegged to my knowledge. This is the kinda music that I might normally be a be hesitant to post (even I get a bit protective/possessive sometimes), but lucky for you I’m feeling particularly generous. On Monday, when I arrived at the radio station to host my weekly show, I found two bags with my name on them- FILLED with great records from around the world. African, Brazilian, Arabic, Japanese… All donated by an anonymous music lover! If you’re out there reading this, shoot me an e-mail so I can properly thank you. For the rest of you, enjoy this music that I spent more that a few minutes looking for, and spent more than a few dollars acquiring. And give some of your favorite songs to a friend to keep up the good Karma.

I don’t know much about the Senegalese fronted West African Cosmos, but there’s a bit of personelle info here at the bottom of the page. Another song on this album, “Wuye Wuye”, was compiled on the Strut collection Club Africa 2. Fuzz guitar, rhodes piano, and echoed out vocals work really well together.

I am also short on info about this Musique Sans Paroles (“music without words”, I think) collection. Featuring a wide range of instrumental music, from traditional songs to more cutting edge wah-wah afro-fusion tunes, it sounds like a syliphone library album that may have been marketed towards film/TV/radio producers. There’s really no information on the groups featured here except little credits on the label, so if you know more than me please share the wealth.