Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Syl Johnson's first album, Dresses Too Short, was fairly innocuous good-time soul, but he'd obviously been doing some thinking about the world around him in the interim between that and his second release. Is It Because I'm Black is characterized by socially conscious songwriting, especially in the seven-and-a-half-minute title track, an elongated, serious statement of black pride with a sad funk-blues groove. It wouldn't be fair to call Johnson a bandwagon jumper; this was before Sly Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On had made realistic ghetto songs chic, and it was a fairly gutsy move for a minor soul singer such as Syl to put such material at the forefront. While nothing else here matches that lost mini-classic, there are some good cuts along similar lines in which Johnson pleads for tolerance and justice, including covers of jazzman Oscar Brown's "Black Balloons,"Joe South's "Walk a Mile in My Shoes," and, less successfully, the Beatles' "Come Together."
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From €13,50/month
Syl Johnson, Artist, MainArtist
2013 Numero Group 2013 High Tone Publishing, Dust Index, Syl-Zel Music (BMI)
Syl Johnson, Artist, MainArtist
2013 Numero Group 2013 Sony ATV (BMI)
Syl Johnson, Artist, MainArtist
2013 Numero Group 2013 Dust Index (BMI)
Syl Johnson, Artist, MainArtist
2013 Numero Group 2013 Hightone Publishing, Dust Index (BMI)
Syl Johnson, Artist, MainArtist
2013 Numero Group 2013 High John Music (BMI)
Syl Johnson, Artist, MainArtist
2013 Numero Group 2013 Sony/ATV Songs (BMI)
Syl Johnson, Artist, MainArtist
2013 Numero Group 2013 Dust Index (BMI)
Syl Johnson, Artist, MainArtist
2013 Numero Group 2013 Dust Index (BMI)
Album review
Syl Johnson's first album, Dresses Too Short, was fairly innocuous good-time soul, but he'd obviously been doing some thinking about the world around him in the interim between that and his second release. Is It Because I'm Black is characterized by socially conscious songwriting, especially in the seven-and-a-half-minute title track, an elongated, serious statement of black pride with a sad funk-blues groove. It wouldn't be fair to call Johnson a bandwagon jumper; this was before Sly Stone's There's a Riot Goin' On and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On had made realistic ghetto songs chic, and it was a fairly gutsy move for a minor soul singer such as Syl to put such material at the forefront. While nothing else here matches that lost mini-classic, there are some good cuts along similar lines in which Johnson pleads for tolerance and justice, including covers of jazzman Oscar Brown's "Black Balloons,"Joe South's "Walk a Mile in My Shoes," and, less successfully, the Beatles' "Come Together."
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 8 track(s)
- Total length: 00:32:24
- Main artists: Syl Johnson
- Label: Numero Group
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
2013 Numero Group 2013 Numero Group
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.