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Tower of Power have openly admitted resistance toward covering any hit R&B classics, preferring to play their original brand of funky soul and dance music with a horn-fired edge over their four decades on the scene. But they have finally acquiesced, reluctantly but with growing confidence during this session, in producing a tribute to the many solid singers who appeared in the charts during the '60s and '70s with these renditions of tunes familiar to Top 40 AM radio listeners. Special guest singers range from Sam Moore of Sam & Dave fame to young pop songstress Joss Stone, the veteran British lounge crooner Tom Jones, and rocker Huey Lewis, not to mention TOP frontman Larry Braggs. Philly and Motown music, love songs, retro-soul, and a little disco are included in this collection that is, for the most part, faithfully reproduced. A Sam & Dave hit penned by Isaac Hayes, "I Thank You" is soulfully rendered by Jones, while Moore digs in on Otis Redding's "Mr. Pitiful," both the most authentic highlights of the album. Lewis is quite convincing in his blue-eyed soul role during Wilson Pickett's shuffle swing "634-5789," offering the premise that he could pull off a whole album of this stuff. Braggs cops Stevie Wonder's style during "You Met Your Match," while he and an overamped Stone combine on the more heavily funky and contemporized version of Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston's "It Takes Two." Aretha Franklin's "Since You've Been Gone," sporting the refrain "Why'd you have to do it" with a backup chorus, is as true to the original as any other version. A James Brown medley unfortunately does not come close to the Godfather of Soul, and there are some sappy renditions of such numbers as Billy Paul's "Me & Mrs. Jones," Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's "Loveland," and the Gaye/Tammi Terrell hit "Your Precious Love" with Braggs and Stone. "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel," originally done by Tavares, is simply soupy and far too slick, and the Bill Withers song "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?" is a revisited disco throwaway. Missing from these songs are the extended, powerful horn charts that made Tower of Power famous, with only a modicum of interaction and with little punch to add to the flavor of these charts. Perhaps a second volume might yield better results than the overtly commercialized collection that is presented here. Not bad -- just not great.
© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo
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Lula Mae Hardaway, Composer - Stevie Wonder, Composer - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - D. Hunter, Composer - Jobete Music Co. Inc., MusicPublisher - Black Bull Music, Inc., MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
D. PORTER, Composer - I. Hayes, Composer - Tom Jones, FeaturedArtist - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Cotillion Music Inc., MusicPublisher - Irving Music Inc., MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
C. Wright, Composer - B. Williams, Composer - L. James, Composer - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Warner-tamerlane Publishing, MusicPublisher - Skidmore Music Company Inc., MusicPublisher - Wright Gerstl Productions, MusicPublisher - D. Trotter, Composer
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
Sylvia Moy, Composer - Joss Stone, FeaturedArtist - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Stone Agate Music, MusicPublisher - William "Mickey" Stevenson, Composer
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
C. Gilbert, Composer - Kenny Gamble, Composer - LEON HUFF, Composer - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
A. Ellis, Composer - JAMES BROWN, Composer - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Bro n Sis Music Inc., MusicPublisher - Dynatone Publishing, MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
Sam Moore, FeaturedArtist - Otis Redding, Composer - Steve Cropper, Composer - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Irving Music Inc., MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
F. Perren, Composer - Keni St. Lewis, Composer - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Perren-Vibes Music Inc., MusicPublisher - Universal Songs Of Polygram International Inc., MusicPublisher - Bull Pen Music, MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
T. White, Composer - A. Franklin, Composer - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Cotillion Music Inc., MusicPublisher - Fourteenth Hour Music Inc., MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
Nick Ashford, Composer - Valerie Simpson, Composer - Joss Stone, FeaturedArtist - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Jobete Music Co. Inc., MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
E. Floyd, Composer - Huey Lewis, FeaturedArtist - Steve Cropper, Composer - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - Pronto Music, MusicPublisher - Irving Music Inc., MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
Bill Withers, Composer - Tower Of Power, MainArtist - S. McKenney, Composer - Interior Music Corp., MusicPublisher
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
Album review
Tower of Power have openly admitted resistance toward covering any hit R&B classics, preferring to play their original brand of funky soul and dance music with a horn-fired edge over their four decades on the scene. But they have finally acquiesced, reluctantly but with growing confidence during this session, in producing a tribute to the many solid singers who appeared in the charts during the '60s and '70s with these renditions of tunes familiar to Top 40 AM radio listeners. Special guest singers range from Sam Moore of Sam & Dave fame to young pop songstress Joss Stone, the veteran British lounge crooner Tom Jones, and rocker Huey Lewis, not to mention TOP frontman Larry Braggs. Philly and Motown music, love songs, retro-soul, and a little disco are included in this collection that is, for the most part, faithfully reproduced. A Sam & Dave hit penned by Isaac Hayes, "I Thank You" is soulfully rendered by Jones, while Moore digs in on Otis Redding's "Mr. Pitiful," both the most authentic highlights of the album. Lewis is quite convincing in his blue-eyed soul role during Wilson Pickett's shuffle swing "634-5789," offering the premise that he could pull off a whole album of this stuff. Braggs cops Stevie Wonder's style during "You Met Your Match," while he and an overamped Stone combine on the more heavily funky and contemporized version of Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston's "It Takes Two." Aretha Franklin's "Since You've Been Gone," sporting the refrain "Why'd you have to do it" with a backup chorus, is as true to the original as any other version. A James Brown medley unfortunately does not come close to the Godfather of Soul, and there are some sappy renditions of such numbers as Billy Paul's "Me & Mrs. Jones," Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's "Loveland," and the Gaye/Tammi Terrell hit "Your Precious Love" with Braggs and Stone. "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel," originally done by Tavares, is simply soupy and far too slick, and the Bill Withers song "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?" is a revisited disco throwaway. Missing from these songs are the extended, powerful horn charts that made Tower of Power famous, with only a modicum of interaction and with little punch to add to the flavor of these charts. Perhaps a second volume might yield better results than the overtly commercialized collection that is presented here. Not bad -- just not great.
© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:53:17
- Main artists: Tower Of Power
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Artistry Music
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
(C) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC (P) 2009 Tower of Power under exclusive license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC
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