Thursday, November 03, 2011
Remember, brothers & sisters, you can still stand tall
"Be Thankful for What You Got" - William DeVaughn. Released 1974.
I'm in awe of the message, beauty & economy of this record in its full extended play version. Everything has its place, even the noodling vibe solo. Curtis Mayfield goes to Philly via Booker T. Tension is created in the instrumental part merely by dropping out the bass. Bassist Rusty Jackman is so perfect you don't even notice him until he returns toward the end of the song, then you really understand his contribution to the whole thing. Disco it is definitely not. The "hit" was the first half. You may not have a car at all, much less an insular Cadillac, but the entire record puts you in a convertible driving slowly through a funky neighborhood, "digging the scene."
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
I'm in awe of the message, beauty & economy of this record in its full extended play version. Everything has its place, even the noodling vibe solo. Curtis Mayfield goes to Philly via Booker T. Tension is created in the instrumental part merely by dropping out the bass. Bassist Rusty Jackman is so perfect you don't even notice him until he returns toward the end of the song, then you really understand his contribution to the whole thing. Disco it is definitely not. The "hit" was the first half. You may not have a car at all, much less an insular Cadillac, but the entire record puts you in a convertible driving slowly through a funky neighborhood, "digging the scene."
