"Facts Of Life/I Don't Know What The World Is Coming To" by BOBBY WOMACK – July 1973 and May 1975 US LPs on United Artists - September 1973 and May 1975 UK (September 2004 UK-Only Stateside Compilation – 2LPs Remastered onto 1CD - Steve Rooke Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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CAPT. FANTASTIC - 1975

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"...Check It Out..."

Bobby Womack's fab ninth album (eight studio set) "I Don't Know What The World Coming To" from May 1975 rose to the peak of No. 20 on the US R&B LP charts. Perhaps not the dizzying heights of his five-album run that preceded it - from "Communication" in 1971 to "Lookin' For A Love Again" in 1974 – those LPs achieving chart-placing numbers like No. 7, 7, 6, 6 and 5 (impressive stuff for the Seventies when copy numbers sold were large). But despite not breaking the top 10 as he used to do - "...World Is Coming To" was nonetheless a welcome return of a great Soul Man. 

And it's been cleverly coupled here on this UK-EUROPE-only 2LPs-onto-1CD reissue with the "Facts Of Life" album from July 1973 (one of those number-six chart placing LPs named above). There's a lot to wade through, so lets 'Check It Out'...

UK/EUROPE released 24 September 2004 - "Facts Of Life/I Don't Know What The World Is Coming To" by BOBBY WOMACK on Stateside 874 4032 (Barcode 724387440326) offers 2LPs from 1974 and 1975 (originally on United Artists Records) Remastered onto 1CD and plays out as follows (75:10 minutes): 

1. Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out [Side 1]

2. I'm Through Trying To Prove My Love To You 

3. If You Can't Give Her Love Give Her Up 

4. That's Heaven To Me 

5. Medley: Holding on To My Baby's Love / Nobody 

6. Medley: Fact Of Life / He'll Be There When The Sun Goes Down [Side 2]

7. Can't Stop A Man In Love 

8. The Look Of Love 

9. Natural Man 

10. All Along The Watchtower 

Tracks 1 to 10 are his seventh album (sixth studio set) "Facts Of Life" - released July 1973 in the USA on United Artists UA-LA043-F and September 1973 in the UK on United Artists UAG 29456. Produced by BOBBY WOMACK - it peaked at No. 6 on the US R&B LP charts (No. 37 on the Rock & Pop LP charts) - didn't chart UK. "Facts Of Life" featured Keyboardists Clayton Ivey and Barry Beckett with Guitarists Dave Turner, Jimmy Johnson and Pete Carr, David Hood on Bass and Rodger Hawkins on Drums with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section 

11. Interlude No. 1 / I Don't Know [Side 1]

12. Superstar 

13. (If You Want My Love) Put Something Down On It

14. Git It

15. What's Your World 

16. Check It Out [Side 2]

17. Interlude No. 2

18. Jealous Love 

19. It's All Over Now 

20. Yes, Jesus Loves Me 

Tracks 1 to 10 are his ninth album (eight studio set) "I Don't Know What The World Is Coming To" - released May 1975 in the USA on United Artists UA-LA353-G and May 1975 in the UK on United Artists UAG 29762. Produced by BOBBY WOMACK – it peaked at No. 20 on the US R&B LP charts (No. 126 on the US Pop & Rock LP charts) – didn’t chart UK. "I Don't Know What The World Coming To" featured Keyboardists David Foster, Truman Thomas, Leon Ware with Pedal Steel Guitarist Sneaky Pete Kleinow with Glen Goins of Parliament/Funkadelic and Bill Withers Guest Vocals on one track and Linda Laurence of The Supremes on another.

The 12-page booklet has some decent shots from the "I Don't Know..." album cover sessions nestled amongst DEAN RUDLAND liner notes that loosely fill out the period details while the last pages line up track-by-track details and reissue credits. But the big news is freshly minted Abbey Road Remasters done by STEVE ROOKE in the famous British Studios. They feel so much better than the neither-here-nor-there audio given to those earlier Charly reissues. This feels like a proper upgrade, and the music on both LPs matches that.  

A sexy bass-line opens "Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out" where at first BW is taking his friends out for a mighty good time, but as soon as the money is gone - so are his so-called buddies. I love this tune - guitars and Soul and Funk - it feels like Bobby Bland's "Dreamer" or "His California Album" from the same period on Dunhill Records (genius LPs). The smooch starts with a chat from the man about women doing him wrong (who knew). But Bobby soon reconciles his woes with a dirty chuckle as he opens "If You Can't Give Her Love, Give Her Up" - where he pleads with his crew to stop messing with the ladies - a sexy brass and keyboard combo sound lifting it up. Next up is a lovely cover of Sam Cooke's "That's Heaven To Me" - heavy on the strings and the ooh vocals. A two-track medley (first part co-written with George Jackson and Raymond Moore) "Holdin' On To My Baby's Love" segues into "Nobody" - short for snippets of Track 1 "Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out". 

On Side 2 Bobby tries another talking medley in the album's title track "Facts Of Life" where he picks up a lady giving him vibes after a show but has a hard time convincing her that its her mind he wants and not no-talk just action in the hotel bedroom. Better is "Can't Stop A Man In Love" followed by a slew of covers - Bacharach & David's "The Look Of Love", Carole King's "Natural Woman" (made famous by Aretha Franklin) and Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower". As cool as they are for Soul re-interpretations, the only one I really like is the wah-wah guitar-heavy "Watchtower" where Bobby comes on like The Isley Brothers. 

Album number two opens with sisters and brothers shooting each other in American cities gripped by drugs and out-of-control crime "Interlude/I Don't Know" reflecting the genuine worry he has in the very LP title. Cecil & Bobby penned "Superstar" – a warning song about kids with stars in their eyes and the creeps who will turn that dream into a nightmare. Better is "If You Want My Love, Put Something Down On It" with its Curtis Mayfield groove - familiar string refrain and those hard 'n' ruff tumbles you take when you're in love. "Git It" is a funky keyboard strut co-written with Leon Ware that feels like Dexter Wansel had a baby with The Isley Brothers rhythm section before James Brown and The O'Jays join in for the shouts and oohs at the end (the Remaster is fantastic). 

Keyboardist Leon Ware also contributed "What's Your World" - a soulful guitar-shimmy where Cindy Scott (real name Sundray Tucker) gives Bobby answer-vocals to his every question while the fabulous brass elevates its cool feel (stunning guitar-work too from Glen Goins of Parliament and Funkadelic fame). "Check It Out" - an infectious 'somethin's on yer mind' dancer was the first 45 off the album in March 1975 with "Interlude No. 2" on the flipside (United Artists UA-XW621-X). Everyone's fave singer Bill Withers does duet vocals with Bobby on an update of "It's All Over Now" and it ends with a reaffirmation of his deeply held religious beliefs on "Yes, Jesus Loves Me". 

These are two great albums from Womack – neither a masterpiece really but both chock full of enough goodies to make you want to press replay. And isn't that the best way to remember him...

List of the BOBBY WOMACK Twofer Compilations on 

UK-Only EMI/Stateside CD Reissue and Remaster Series

1. Fly Me To The Moon/My Prescription 

January 1969 and May 1970 US LPs on Minit in Stereo (no UK releases)

August 2004 UK CD on Stateside 866 0592 (Barcode 724386605924)

NOTE: the UK catalogue number is miscredited on the rear inlay as 866 0782 which is the Understanding/Communication set – should read 866 0592

2. The Womack "Live"/Safety Zone 

March 1971 on Liberty and October 1975 US LPs on United Artists 

February 1976 UK LP on United Artists only for Safety Zone (no UK for "Live")

August 2004 UK CD on Stateside 866 0802 (Barcode 724386608024) 

3. Understanding/Communication

September 1971 (Communication) and March 1972 (Understanding) US LPs 

June and September 1972 UK LPs on United Artists 

August 2004 UK CD on Stateside 866 0782 (Barcode 724386607829)

4. Facts Of Life/I Don't Know What The World Is Coming To

July 1973 and May 1975 US LPs on United Artists 

September 1973 and May 1975 UK LPs on United Artists 

24 September 2004 UK CD on Stateside 874 4032 (Barcode 724387440326)

5. Lookin' For A Love Again/B.W. Goes C.W

January 1974 and June 1976 US LP on United Artists 

April 1974 and August 1976 UK LPs on United Artists 

24 September 2004 UK CD on Stateside 874 4062 (Barcode 724387440623)