Rating:
Genre:
R&B
Release Date: 10/20/2002
This 20-track CD compiles most of
Senor Soul's sparse recorded output, including most of the songs from their sole LP (from 1968) and 1967-1970 singles, along with a couple of previously unissued outtakes. Most of it's decent but second-level
instrumental soul music, and not quite among the best of the 1960s'
soul-jazz or
Latin soul hybrids. Certainly, however, you can hear the seeds of some of
War's future ideas, particularly in the
Latin R&B flavor and the flute parts of
Charles Miller. A good portion of it is devoted to covers of
contemporary rock and
soul hits like
"Psychotic Reaction," "Sunshine Superman," "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," and
"It's Your Thing," though a little more personality and originality come through on the tunes penned by
Miller or producer
Maurice Rodgers. By far the most solid indication of
Miller's future direction in
War is the 1970 single
"Don't Lay Your Funky Trip on Me"/
"I Ain't Got No Soul Today (What It Is, Y'All)," both because it has vocals and it most likely features the original lineup of
War (most of whom get the songwriting credits for both numbers). In fact, those two slyly humorous tracks sound enough like
War's early records that they could slot in on an early bona fide
War album with little problem.
~Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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