Tag: atlantic

The Jimmy Castor Bunch – Space Age / Dracula Pt. II [1975; Atlantic]

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Bubbly synth and spangly guitar mark the A-side of this single, with Jimmy Castor singing about possibilities of the future.  Some firm grooves and rhythmic twists join well with the goofy nature of the lyrics, with the whole thing lighting on an upbeat vibe.  The B-side plays up a creepy bass riff, with electric organ backing, while the synth brings some tingling garnishes between the funkier vocalized sections.  Quite a fun pair, with more work put into developing the atmospheres than might be expected for such short songs.

Les McCann – Talk to the People [1972; Atlantic]

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Merging funky jazz with heart-felt soul, the songs of this album split their time between letting Les McCann lead with his powerfully emotive vocals, and letting the band take over for some high-style (and higher energy) instrumental pieces.  In the vocal tracks, the band provides a gentle atmosphere, showing its members’ strengths through soft inflections, tonal control, and atmospheric richness, while those same qualities are brought out in higher levels, and with more playfulness, for the instrumental works.  The album ends up feeling more like a collection of studio cuts than something put together around a few core ideas, but it’s still some strong work and beautiful playing, and the soft flow of the music blurs the separation of the songs to help it hold together more than firmer direction would have.