"Southern Comfort" by THE CRUSADERS – Instrumental US Double-Album from October 1974 on Blue Thumb Records (April 1975 UK on ABC Records) featuring Wayne Henderson, Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Larry Carlton and Stix Hooper (July 2016 Japan-Only Universal/MCA Records SHM-CD Reissue in the 'Fusion Best 50 Collection' Series) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...When There's Love Around..."

The first version of this CD was released in Japan 18 January 2012 on Universal/MCA Records UCCY-9904 (Barcode 4988005694553) on a Standard CD. 

This new 6 July 2016 variant is a Reissue of that, only this time what's different is an SHM-CD has been included (Super High Materials is a superior format for better retrieval of info and is playable on all machines), a budget price as part of Universal Japan's Fusion Best 50 Collection Series and a new catalogue number/barcode.

It is NOT a Remaster and doesn't come in MINI LP repro artwork – just another jewel case with an Obi Strip wrapped round the outside. But no remaster credit or not (the 2012 variant didn't have one either) – someone has transferred this to the highest standard and along with its top quality original production values - it sounds just stunning. Let's get to the Jazz Funk...

Released 6 July 2016 in Japan-only - "Southern Comfort" by THE CRUSADERS on Universal/MCA Records UCCU-90185 (Barcode 4988031159583) is a SHM-CD Reissue in the Fusion Best 50 Collection Series and features the entire 1974 double-album mastered onto 1CD and plays out as follows (63:59 minutes):

1. Stomp And Buck Dance [Side 1]

2. Greasy Spoon

3. Get On The Soul Ship (It's Sailing)

4. Super-Stuff

5. Double Bubble [Side 2]

6. The Well's Gone Dry

7. Southern Comfort

8. Time Bomb

9. When There's Love Around [Side 3]

10. Lilies Of The Nile

11. Whispering Pines [Side 4]

12. A Ballad For Joe (Louis)

Tracks 1 to 12 are the double-album "Southern Comfort" - released October 1974 in the USA on Blue Thumb Records BTSY-9002-2 and April 1975 in the UK on ABC Records ABCD 607. Produced by STEWART LEVINE - it peaked at No. 3 on the US R&B charts and No. 31 on the US Pop LP charts.

THE CRUSADERS were:

WAYNE HENDERSON - Trombone (wrote "Stomp And Buck Dance", "Super-Stuff", "Southern Comfort" and "Whispering Pines")

JOE SAMPLE - Keyboards (wrote "Get On The Soul Ship (It's Sailing)", "Double Bubble", "Time Bomb" and "A Ballad For Joe (Louis)")

WILTON FELDER - Tenor Saxophone (wrote "Lilies Of The Nile")

LARRY CARLTON - Guitars (wrote "The Well's Gone Dry")

NESBERT "STIX" HOOPER - Drums (wrote "Greasy Spoon" and "When There's Love Around")

The gatefold inlay has the track-credits on the left side and some Japanese writing on the right (zip in other words). In fact this 2016 reissue actually uses the inlay and rear sleeve insert from the January 2012 issue with the catalogue number UCCY-9904 on them. I suppose given that its a 'budget' reissue, it would have been a bit much to expect a new booklet. But the Audio is what matters to me and this sucker boogies.

This double scored big on the US R&B charts, rising to an impressive high of No. 3, no mean feat for an entire 2LP set made up of Jazz Funk instrumentals. But then when you buy the 2CD "Gold" anthology for The Crusaders, you will find I think as many as five tracks from "Southern Comfort" on it. And after hearing the fabulous jutting Funk of "Stomp And Buck Dance" - it's easy to hear why. This is a commercial Soulful Jazz given a funkified groove by a band of five musicians utterly in sync with each other and the sub-genre they were championing (they would eventually make a global breakthrough with Randy Crawford singing the title track on their "Street Life" album in 1979 on MCA Records).

Highlights include piano-sexy sleaze of Stix Hooper's "Greasy Spoon", the mid-tempo Steely Dan slink of Joe Sample's "Get On The Soul Ship (It's Sailing)" and Wilton Felder's near ten minutes of "Lilies Of The Nile" where Carlton and Felder both get to be Soulful and stretch out. I'd admit that some of the tracks on Side 3 and 4 can overstay their welcome a tad, but mostly it's just class all the way, culminating in Joe Sample's lovely seven and half minutes of "A Ballad For Joe (Louis)" – sweet as.

I've adored The Crusaders and their equally cool solo efforts for over four decades now and "Southern Comfort" is one their touchstone gems. It can whisper in my pines any day of the week, and this gorgeous sounding SHM-CD reissue is the one to get...