Sitar Beat ! - Indian Style Heavy Funk Vol. II (Guerilla Reissues - 2007)

Sitar Beat ! - Indian Style Heavy Funk Vol. II

The volume 2 of the CD edition of the Sitar Beat ! serie has not that much sitar or even beat in it. If volume one was full of psychedelic breakbeats, volume 2 is more a compilation of 70's Bollywood songs, sometimes vaguely influenced by psyche funk or soul but with a lot of Morricone style trumpet and accordion in it. In fact, the greatest default of this record is just that, if the songs are not edited, they nonetheless lacks the crazy pictures and dances that accompany them. Bollywood songs and shrill voices can sometimes be a little bit repetitive and formulaic when they stand alone for my non initiated ears, even if they are classics written by Kalyanji or Anandji. But when you have a Amitabh movie with them, they just make you have a good day.

The O'Jays - Back Stabbers (Philadelphia International Records - 1972)

The O'Jays - Back Stabbers

Back from my previous psychedelic posts for a record that is largely considered like a stunning soul classic, Back Stabbers. The success of Back Stabbers allowed Gamble & Huff to launch for good Philadelphia International Records and made of The O'Jays (Walter Williams, William Powell and Eddie Levert) stars after nearly 10 years of checkered career. They still tour today thanks to songs like Back Stabbers, Time To Get Down or a song that sum up Philly soul by itself, Love Train. Every song on Back Stabbers is just a miracle of delicacy and uplift. The O'Jays, despite a couple of other excellent records, never reached that creative peak again. One curious thing is that Back Stabbers songs have not been that much sampled. Another curious thing is that their stage clothes for TV shows were the same than on their record cover.

Sitar Beat ! - Indian Style Heavy Funk Vol. 1 (Guerillas Reissues - 2006)

Sitar Beat! - Indian Style Heavy Funk Vol. 1

The first volume of the CD version of this famous breakbeat serie is more a producer or DJ tool than a proper compilation. Most of the tracks are exhumed from Bollywood soundtracks of the 70's but are edited: vocal parts are cut and the emphasis is put on the beats and the fuzzy funky psychedelic sitar heavy instrumentation. Amidst the like of Indian music moguls Sapan Jagmohan, Kalyanji Anandji, R.D. Burnan or Usha Khanna, Bollywood style curiosities from Klaus Doldinger, Serge Gainsbourg or Michel Colombier can be found. Volume 2 will be posted soon, I promess.