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"...Wants And Needs That True Love
Demands..."
After his 6-album tour with
Mercury Records (I own "Expressway To Your Skull" from 1968 and have
reviewed "Them Changes" from 1970) - ex Electric Flag, Band Of Gypsys
drummer and singer Buddy Miles signed to Columbia Records and produced this
forgotten Disco/Soul album with Johnny Bristol.
UK released in April 2012 -
"All The Faces Of Buddy Miles" by BUDDY MILES on Big Break Records
CDBBR 0123 (Barcode 5013929042339) is an 'Expanded Edition' CD Remaster with
One Bonus Track that plays out as follows (39:20 minutes):
1. Pull Yourself Together
[Side 1]
2. We Got Love
3. All The Faces
4. I'm Just A Kiss Away
5. It's Only The Good Times
6. Got To Find Ms. Right
[Side 2]
7. Pain
8. Kiss And Run
9. Wants And Needs (The
Earth Song)
10. Baby Don't Stop (Sit On
The Rock)
Tracks 1 to 10 are his seventh
album "All The Faces Of Buddy Miles" - released November 1974 in the
USA on Columbia KC 33089 and November 1974 in the UK on Epic EPC 80349.
BONUS TRACK:
11. Pull Yourself Together
(Single Version)
All the usual classy
elements associated by now with BBR are here - a great 16-page booklet with
informative liner notes by JUSTIN COBER-LAKE filling in the details on the ex
Electric Flag drummer's new career as a Soul and Disco dude - and a top notch
remaster by GIOVANNI SCATOLA.
Putting aside the fact that
Miles never had the greatest of voices - his at-times strangulated efforts on
"All The Faces Of..." sound like someone desperately trying for
commercial success with Soft Soul and Disco leanings. The results are
workmanlike and never really inspired. You get cheesy lyrics ("I'm Just A
Kiss Away") and strained vocals ruining a good song ("It's Only The
Good Times"). The smoocher "Pain" is very pretty - but again his
lack of singing chops/passion does nothing for it. But "Pull Yourself
Together" is a great dancer and an obvious leadoff single - while the
message Soul of "Wants And Needs (The Earth Song)" with its wah-wah
guitar and strings features a catchier melody and lovely brass punching through
(lyrics above).
"Wants And Needs"
has been a huge underground club tune in London for years. The funkier tunes
stand up well too - "Got To Find Ms. Right" has a kind of
"Hercules" by The Meters vibe - but the absolute bomb for me is
"Baby Don't Stop (Sit On The Rock)" - a fantastically funky four and
half-minute instrumental (now with stunning sound quality). I love it to bits
and have been after it for years in top remastered audio.
It's a personal thing - but
for me this album is good rather than great. Trouble is - I had to have that
'Sit On The Rock' funky instrumental and after hearing it - so will you...
PS: Big Break Records (BBR) CD Remasters I've
reviewed:
1. Is It Still Good To Ya – ASHFORD and SIMPSON
(1978)
2. Stay Free – ASHFORD and SIMPSON (1979)
3. Central Heating – HEATWAVE (1977)
4. Hot Property - HEATWAVE (1979)
5. Candles - HEATWAVE (1980)
6. Turnin' On - HIGH INERGY (1977)
7. Harvest For The World - THE ISLEY BROTHERS
(1976)
8. Go For Your Guns - THE ISLEY BROTHERS (1977)
9. In The Heart – KOOL & THE GANG (1983)
10. Let Me Be Your Angel – STACY LATTISAW (1980)
11. I Hope We Get To Love On Time - MARILYN
McCOO & BILLY DAVIS (1976)
12. I Miss You - HAROLD MELVIN
& THE BLUE NOTES (1972) [known as "Harold Melvin The Blue
Notes" in the UK]
13. Black & Blue - HAROLD MELVIN
& THE BLUE NOTES (1973)
14. Love Is The Message - MFSB (1973)
15. Universal Love – MFSB (1975)
16. All The Faces Of... - BUDDY MILES (1974)
17. For The First Time – STEPHANIE MILLS (1975)
18. I Can See Clearly Now - JOHNNY NASH (1972)
19. Back Stabbers - O'JAYS (1972)
20. Ship Ahoy - O'JAYS (1973)
21. Down To Love Town – THE ORIGINALS (1977)
22. Ebony Woman - BILLY PAUL (1970 and 1973)
23. 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul - BILLY PAUL (1972)
24. War Of The Gods - BILLY PAUL (1973)
25. Platinum Hook – PLATINUM HOOK (1978)
26. Love For What It Is - ANITA POINTER (of The
Pointer Sisters) (1987)
27. Live: Stompin’ At The Savoy – RUFUS and
CHAKA KHAN (1983)
28. Madhouse – SILVER CONVENTION (1976)
29. Summernights – SILVER CONVENTION (1977)
30. Smoked Sugar - SMOKED SUGAR (1975)
31. Spinners – SPINNERS (1973)
32. Soul Master – EDWIN STARR (1968)
33. Involved - EDWIN STARR (1971)
34. Switch - SWITCH (1978)
35. Watercolors – THE WATERS (1980)
36. Just As I Am - BILL WITHERS (1971 Debut LP
on Sussex/A&M Records)
37. Heartbeats – YARBROUGH & PEOPLES
(1983)
