Review by vonwegen November 7, 2005 (1 of 1 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
Only four tunes, and none are overlong? Amazing, but true! HBS is a soul/funk classic that Mobile Fidelity has really done justice to. I've rarely heard high-end this good on anything 1969-era that didn't have Glyn Johns or Eddie Kramer producing or engineering.
The bass sound is not as big as on some 1969-era releases (see Credence Clearwater's "Bayou Country"), but it's still pretty darned good. What really astounds are the spacy echo effects on the percussion and vocals, years ahead of their time. The orchestral overdubs sound really nice without ever being syrupy or venturing into kitch territory, which is a good thing, because he covers both Jimmy Webb and Burt Bacharach here (albeit, both in a _very_ unconventional way).
Musically, this Lp grooves, but seriously. Hayes has a bass/baritone voice that fits the funkiness of the music perfectly, and best of all, he never overdoes things, either with his vocals or his keyboards. Rhythm section is by ace studio stalwarts the Bar-Kays, so the tunes have a lot of punch, even during the quiet, introspective sections. There are lots of nice sonic touches that make every listen a different experience.
Synopsis: if you like the Theme From Shaft SACD, you'll love this one too. Grab it now, because it's going out of print!
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