Con Funk Shun – Loveshine [1978; Mercury]

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On their third album, Con Funk Shun (with a line-up of eight men for this recording) fuse soul and pop with touches of disco, funk, and smooth jazz, turning out nine songs with clear melodies, strong vocal harmonies, and firm hooks.  Balanced between near-ballads and saucier fare, the band doesn’t give any one song more attention than the next, keeping them all in the ~4-to~5-minute range, and giving few of them much fanfare for their finishes. 

Despite that, the care given to the songs is evident, as are the talents of the musicians, with both sides coming across strongest in the little bridges, fills, and quick solos that lend the compact songs a sense of expansion.  The music does feel muzak-y at times, but it comes across as the result of the musicians just being too comfortable with the material, instead of being lacking in ideas or enthusiasm.  And while the songs don’t really come together to feel like a concerted album, the band hits a steady enough groove to make it an easy ride, if a little bland.

Blue Cheer / Blues Magoos – Summertime Blues / (We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet [year unknown; Mercury]

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Blue Cheer’s biggest hit leads this split single, with the garage psych trading hard on the power of its raw-sounding electric guitar lead, though the bass gets a power-plugging solo of its own (while the guitar gets four or so in the ~4-minute run).  The Blues Magoos back it with a considerably smaller hit, though it’s lathered up with quite a bit more psychedelia, bopping and grooving along in on poppy hooks and spangly chorus treatment.  A nice pairing, though the shift in mood is more jarring than it would seem.