"Images" by THE CRUSADERS - July 1978 US LP on Blue Thumb Records (July 1978 UK on ABC Records) featuring Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Billy Rogers, Robert 'Pops' Popwell and Nesbert 'Stix' Hooper with Dean Parks, Roland Bautista and Paulinho DaCosta (June 2009 US Universal/Verve 'Originals' CD Remaster in a Card Digipak) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Bayou Bottoms…"

"Images" by THE CRUSADERS was first issued in a single sleeve LP in July 1978 in the USA on Blue Thumb BA-6030 and on ABC Records ABCL 5250 in the UK. This single CD reissue is a straightforward transfer of that long forgotten Jazz Funk album.

US-released June 2009 (September 2009 in the EU/UK) - "Images" by THE CRUSADERS on Universal/Verve 0602517995710 (Barcode 602517995710) is part of Universal's 'Originals' CD Reissue series and is issued in a card digipak (no booklet unfortunately) at mid-price. It breakdowns like this (39:46 minutes):

1. Fairy Tales (Joe Sample song)

2. Marcella's Dream (Nesbert "Stix" Hooper song)

3. Bayou Bottoms (Wilton Felder song)

4. Merry Go Round (Joe sample song) 

[Tracks 1 to 4 made up Side 1 of the original LP]

5. Cosmic Reign (Robert "Pops" Popwell song)

6. Covert Action (Wilton Felder song)

7. Snowflake (Joe Sample song)

[Tracks 5 to 7 made up Side 2 of the original LP]

THE CRUSADERS line-up for "Images" was:

JOE SAMPLE - Keyboards

WILTON FELDER - Saxophones

BILLY ROGERS - Guitar

ROBERT "POPS" POPWELL - Bass

NESBERT "STIX" HOOPER - Drums & Percussion

Additional Guests were:

DEAN PARKS - Guitar (All Selections)

ROLAND BAUTISTA - Guitar (On "Fairy Tales", "Bayou Bottoms" and "Covert Action")

PAULINHO DaCOSTA - Percussion (All Selections)

Possessing not the greatest album sleeve in history - "Images" was nonetheless a bit of a Jazz-Funk peach. Produced by "Stix" Hooper, Wilton Felder & Joe Sample for "Crusader Productions, Inc." and mastered by long-standing expert Bernie Grundman, it followed so much of their Seventies output - really well-produced instrumental funky tracks followed by mellow ones that filled both the floor and the heart at one and the same time.

Remastered from the original tapes by KEVIN REEVES at Universal Mastering in the States, it now sounds FABULOUS - really clear and defined - and virtually hiss-free.

With juts a poor-sounding 1990 US CD to go on - and only "Snowflake" and "Fairy Tales" on the superior sounding "Gold" 2CD set from 2007 (see separate review) - that means that 5 of these 7 tracks are only now getting the sonic upgrade they've deserved for so long. The funk bliss that is "Bayou Bottoms" now sounds stupendous and had me throwing some very embarrassing shapes on our living room carpet. Other tracks like "Cosmic Reign" and “Merry Go Round” are so "Aja" in their arrangements too - and to be compared with Steely Dan's 1977 masterpiece is the highest compliment really.

After a whole decade and umpteen albums of their particular type of funk & jazz, the same team that handled "Images" would finally hit paydirt a year later in 1979 with the global smash of "Street Life" and make Randy Crawford a star.

"Images" is a forgotten Crusaders album and one that now sounds as fresh as it did over 31 years ago - recommended.