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Blue Eyed Soul

Simply Red

Pop - Released November 8, 2019 | BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd

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Ever since getting back together (much to everyone’s surprise) in 2014, Simply Red cannot be stopped! After exploring “white reggae”, the legendary group from the 80’s and 90’s have launched into “blue-eyed soul” (in other words, R&B by white guys). Isaac Hayes and James Brown often come to mind when listening to these ten songs, be it due to the sparkling brass (Thinking Of You), funky bass lines (Ring That Bell) or crazy Clavinet compositions (Badbootz). And what better a way to pay tribute to these 70s funk masters than with more laid-back tempos and lazy strings (Sweet Child, Complete Love, Tonight). Mick Hucknall’s voice offers the full range for what fans of this genre should expect. Blue Eyed Soul, which heads down a well-marked path, is above all a testimony to the famous red-haired singer’s genuine and endless admiration for this genre. © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz

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A.M. (Deluxe Edition)

Wilco

Rock - Released March 28, 1995 | Rhino - Warner Records

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At the beginning of the ‘80s, Green On Red (a group that emerged out of the Paisley Underground scene) rehabilitated the most rebellious country music. A few years later, other American indie rock groups enjoyed reviving the flame of this plague-stricken genre. Filtered over time and with a lo-fi aesthetic, this alternative country mixes the heritage of Gram Parsons with the Flying Burrito Brothers, Neil Young, the Byrds from their Sweetheart Of The Rodeo period and the Rolling Stones from Exile On Main Street. Led by Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, Uncle Tupelo affirm themselves as one of the most gifted representatives of the genre. But the duo split, with Farrar leaving to found Son Volt and Tweedy heading off down the Wilco path. With A.M., the first shining album from his new combo which appeared in 1995, the songwriter from Illinois confirmed his talent in the art of fusing all his roots influences from the past by giving them a sound that’s considerably rougher and more contemporary. Above all, Jeff Tweedy writes with a pen made of hardened steel. It follows that compositions such as I Must Be High, Casino Queen, Box Full Of Letters and Passenger Side are quick to forget their heavy influences (Stones, Parsons, Young…) and underline the talent of the gentleman. As well as the original album, this remastered Deluxe Edition offers eight bonus unpublished tracks such as first versions of Outtasite (Outta Mind) and When You Find Trouble, in fact being the last studio recording for Uncle Tupelo. © MZ/Qobuz

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A.M.

Wilco

Rock - Released March 28, 1995 | Nonesuch

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Uncle Tupelo played their final show on May 1, 1994, and little more than a month later, the band's final lineup, minus co-founder Jay Farrar, was cutting an album under the name Wilco. The group's transition happened so quickly that frontman Jeff Tweedy hadn't even found a new lead guitarist when they set up in the studio -- Brian Henneman from the Bottle Rockets was drafted to play on the band's first sessions. Given all this, it should come as no surprise that Wilco's debut LP, 1995's A.M., is by far the one with the closest resemblance to Uncle Tupelo. The attack sounds more than a bit like the twangy roar of UT's final album, 1993's Anodyne, albeit with a brighter and better detailed mix, and many of the songs recall the melodic style of Tweedy's contributions to the former incarnation of the band. And Henneman's soloing serves a similar function to Jay Farrar's Neil Young-inspired leads in Uncle Tupelo, even if Henneman's playing has a leaner personality of its own. But stripped of the dour tone Farrar brought to the band and the occasionally strained seriousness of his outlook, A.M. sounds like this band is having a blast in a way they never had before. It's all but impossible to imagine Uncle Tupelo kicking up their heels with numbers like "I Must Be High," "Casino Queen," or "Box Full of Letters," and the interplay between the musicians -- Henneman on guitar, Tweedy on vocals and guitar, John Stirratt on bass, Ken Coomer on drums, and Max Johnson on banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and Dobro -- feels playful and easygoing, even on sorrowful tunes like "I Thought I Held You" and "Should've Been in Love." And while Tweedy was still finding a more individual voice as a songwriter, "Dash 7" and "Too Far Apart" contain echoes of the sort of music Wilco would be making a few years later. A.M. beat Trace, the first album from Jay Farrar's Son Volt, into record shops by six months, but in the minds of many alt-country fans, Tweedy's album was the weaker effort. However, viewed in the context of Wilco's catalog more than 20 years on, A.M. sounds like the point where Jeff Tweedy and his collaborators let go of Uncle Tupelo and took a bold, smart step into their future.© Mark Deming /TiVo

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Blue Eyed Soul

Till Brönner

Jazz - Released January 1, 2002 | Boutique

Carl Douglas The Soul of the Kung Fu Fighter

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The Soul of the Kung Fu Fighter

Carl Douglas

Soul - Released June 5, 1998 | Sanctuary Records

The tragedy of Carl Douglas' career is that he was actually a good singer, capable of being more than a novelty act. Nobody really cares, though, because he was the guy who sang "Kung Fu Fighting," a delightfully silly artifact of the '70s, combining disco and kung fu films in an absurdly catchy, unforgettable way. Saddled with such an indelible novelty hit, Douglas' skills faded into the background, particularly since he recorded his fair share of songs that were either kitschy -- the talk-box heavy "Too Hot to Handle" -- or were direct rip-offs of "Kung Fu Fighting": "Dance the Kung Fu," "Green Tangerine and Wild Evergreens" -- the last of which has the exact same melody as the hit song. These and much, much more (including a contemporary remix of the hit, which was a British hit itself and the reason why this Castle collection was assembled for U.K. release) are included on the 22-track The Soul of the Kung Fu Fighter, which is likely more than anybody really needs from Carl Douglas; though it is easily the most comprehensive and best collection assembled of the artist yet. Due to its range, it does illustrate that Douglas could have done more than novelties, given the right material and right producer -- not much more, perhaps, but he was a good journeyman vocalist and when he's given solid genre material like "When You Got Love," the results are indeed pleasant. There aren't that many great songs here, however, so this hardly counts as a testament to a great forgotten talent. Nevertheless, Douglas was not without talent, and his pleasant voice makes these period disco, pop-soul, and dance productions enjoyable, even if they never transcend their generic origins and are often bogged down by their own novelty.© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

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Blue Eyed Soul

Simply Red

Pop - Released November 8, 2019 | BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd

Ever since getting back together (much to everyone’s surprise) in 2014, Simply Red cannot be stopped! After exploring “white reggae”, the legendary group from the 80’s and 90’s have launched into “blue-eyed soul” (in other words, R&B by white guys). Isaac Hayes and James Brown often come to mind when listening to these ten songs, be it due to the sparkling brass (Thinking Of You), funky bass lines (Ring That Bell) or crazy Clavinet compositions (Badbootz). And what better a way to pay tribute to these 70s funk masters than with more laid-back tempos and lazy strings (Sweet Child, Complete Love, Tonight). Mick Hucknall’s voice offers the full range for what fans of this genre should expect. Blue Eyed Soul, which heads down a well-marked path, is above all a testimony to the famous red-haired singer’s genuine and endless admiration for this genre. © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz