Ohio Players bounce back for this late 80s album – coming across with a leaner groove than before, and a style that's right up there with the best mainstream funk of the time! Most instrumentation is electric – plenty of beats and keyboards here – but the group still seem to hang onto the looser, freakier style they brought to their Mercury work of the 70s – a mode that's definitely updated here with more 80s aesthetics that run through the vocals and production, but still in a way that doesn't have the Players straying far from their roots! Titles include "Get 2 The Good Part", "Show Off", "I'm Madd", "Vibe Alive", "Just A Minute", and "Try". CD

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A well-titled set – as it's the mid 70s, and the Ohio Players were certainly turning out a lot of gold! Their move to Mercury Records from the smaller indie Westbound was a real winning move – as it gave them a smoother soul feel that only expanded their groove, not restricted it! This tasty "best of" set features most of their top work from those years – with killer tunes that include "Love Rollercoaster", "Fire", "Skin Tight", "Who'd She Coo", "Feel The Beat", "I Want To Be Free", "Fopp", "Far East Mississippi", "Only A Child Can Love", "Jive Turkey (part 1)", and the great "Sweet Sticky Thing"! CD

It's hard to sum up the genius of the Ohio Players at Westbound Records in words – but this set does a pretty good job of doing the whole thing with music! The group are at their trippy, early best here – much more funk and soul than on their initial psych debut, yet still not as smooth or clubby as in their later years – coming across with a badass righteous vibe that takes full advantage of the unique Detroit spirit of Westbound Records – best known as the initial home of Funkdelic. The Ohio Players are maybe not as tripped-out as that group, but maybe not that far away either – and come across beautifully here on a stunning back of 15 tracks that includes "Funky Worm", "Varee Is Love", "Walt's First Trip", "Food Stamps", "Laid It", "Singing In The Morning", "Ecstasy", "Climax", "Pain", "Sleep Talk", and "Player's Balling". CD

An unusual little turn for the Ohio Players – a record that's almost completely written and totally produced by Richard Dimples Fields – running here at the height of his early 80s fame! The record's still funky enough overall – but in the style of some of Fields' indie work from the 70s – slightly sharp edged, but also moving into some of the more compressed hook territory that mainstream funk acts were hitting in the early 80s. The best Fields cuts are actually the more laidback ones, which have some southern soul influences – but the real standout here is actually a remake of Charles Wright's "Do Your Thing", which comes off with all the rough vocals and funky rhythms of the original! Other tracks include "I'd Better Take A Coffee Break", "Devoted", "My Baby Gets The Best Of My Love", "Just Me", "Sweet Lil Lady", and "Star Of The Party". CD

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". CD

A true pleasure indeed – easily one of the greatest records ever by the Ohio Players, and a perfect summation of all things great in their groove! The album's a landmark effort – even for the heady days of the early 70s – as the Players manage to bring together a fair bit of jazz with their famous guitar-driven funk – all in a blend that's a lot more sophisticated than most other funk combos of the time, from the rhythms at the bottom to the instrumentation on the top! There's a darkness here that's undeniable – but the album's also not just a head trip into the fuzziest reaches of the studio – as the jazzier inflections help illuminate the farthest corners, and really bring the whole album back to focus with a wonderfully redemptive groove! Psychedelic elements are still all over the place, but also used sparingly enough to be most effective – a brilliant balance that few groups of this type were ever able to muster. Titles include the classic "Funky Worm", with the wild moogy bit that's been sampled loads of times over the years by a gazillion hip hoppers – plus loads of other nice ones, like the slow bonking funker "Pride & Vanity", the wild "Walt's First Trip", and the groovy "Laid It" – as well as "Pleasure", "Paint Me", "Our Love Has Died", and "Walked Away From You". CD features amazing sound and a whopping 7 bonus tracks – including "Ruffell Foot", "What It Is", "Rooster Poot", "Gone Forever", "Dimensions In Time", and "Introducing The Players". CD

A sweet early 80s set from the Ohio Players – one that's a bit different than their 70s hits, but in a way that also shows that the group were still very much in wonderful form! At a point when these guys could have easily stood still, and just kept churning out the kind of grooves that everyone else had borrowed from their 70s material – they instead choose to work in all these other great modes – including some surprisingly strong ballad/mellow soul numbers, given fuller treatment and almost a deep soul vocal approach – mixed with other funky tunes that bristle with great jazzy elements in the keyboards and horns, and which also use just the right touch of strings in a great way. Tracks include "Hard to Love Your Brother", "Call Me", "Skinny", "Sometimes I Cry", "It Takes A While", and "Try A Little Tenderness". CD

A spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh from the moment it was first set to wax back in 1977! This album's the group's first, and best – and it's a really wonderful record that blends together funky fusion and heavy soul – filled with killer cuts arranged by the Ohio Players, and with lots of great keyboards by the group! Includes, of course, the massive cut "Riding High" – plus "Toe Jam" and "Funky Reputation"! CD

A trio of albums from Junie Morrison, plus bonus tracks too – all to document the genius of the guy who really helped the Ohio Players find their groove! First up is When We Do – the solo debut of Junie – a crazy little album recorded for Westbound in the time after he split company with The Ohio Players – and a set that's definitely got the weirdly wonderful mix of music that group was known for in their pre-Mercury years! Junie effortlessly moves between a number of styles, all with a great degree of wit – still keeping things funky in all the best ways, but also really experimenting with larger sounds and unusual arrangements – which come into play here in a really wonderful way! The album's an overlooked funk treasure from the 70s – far too sophisticated for its own time – and titles include "Walt's Third Trip", "Tight Rope", "Johnny Carson Samba", "Anna", "Loving Arms", "Married Him", and "The Place". Freeze is a wonderful set from Junie – a record that has all the offbeat funk he was crafting with the Ohio Players during their Westbound years – and the same sort of heady sound that would make Morrison a perfect match with the P-Funk empire! The record contains the legendary track "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce", which features a meeting between the Funky Granny (a near folklorish character from the early 70s, who'd appeared on records by Kool & The Gang and Ohio Players) and an alien, who tells urges to "buy this record, buy this record, buy this record" in a very silly voice! The funky comedy of this track is nicely matched by a range of other odd numbers and straighter soul cuts – and titles include "Freeze", "Super J", "Musical Son", "Junie II", "World of Woe", and "Cookies Will Get You". Suzie Super Groupie is a funky tribute to all the "Super Groupies" who were helping out the 70s music scene – maybe the closest thing that Junie Morrison every came to a concept album – and a set that's got all the same wonderful complexity of his other solo albums on Westbound! As with those records, there's a pre-Prince approach to funk that draws heavily from Ohio Players and P-Funk elements – but which really gets a sharper, more sinister focus with Junie in the lead – at a level of soulful stardom that could have made him another Bootsy Collins, if folks were ever smart enough to figure out what he was doing at the time! Titles include the funky classic "Suzie Thundertussy" – plus "Super Groupie", "Surrender", "Junie III", "What Am I Gonna Do", "Stone Face Joe", "Suzie", and "If You Love Him". Set also features rare Junie cuts – including "Junie's Ultimate Departure", "Walt's Second Trip", "Tight Rope (single)", "Loving Arms (mono)", "If You Love Him (single)", "Super J (single)", and "Granny's Funky Rolls Royce (mono)". CD

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme". CD

Bury your love deep, deep down with ?uestlove – a soundtrack compilation of strangely sweet soul misery – and the superior sequel to the Babies Makin' Babies set on BBE! This time ?uestlove programs a number of 70s soul tunes, some relatively rare, which provide the bittersweet sounds of heartbreak. Many of the tracks have the lightly symphonic mellow soul sound that dominated the first Babies Makin' Babies set, with others that put more of a focus on the electric keys, and simmering funk number or two for good measure. A great listen – as both a thematic showpiece and as straightforward soul compilation! Tracks include "Our Love Has Died" by Ohio Players, "Mother And Son Bedroom Talk" by Blackbyrds, "Anti Love Song" by Betty Davis, "If You Don't Love Me" by DJ Rogers, "Cause We Ended As Lovers" by Syreeta, "I'm Sorry" by Delfonics, "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Albert King, "That's The Way I Feel About Cha" by Bobby Womack, "You're Supposed To Keep Your Love For Me" by Jermaine Jackson, "One Look Over My Shoulder" by Average White Band and "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" by Al Green. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

15 songs from the Hues Corporation, the Ohio Players, Earth Wind & Fire, KC & the Sunshine Band, Thelma Houston, the Emotions, A Taste Of Hones, Cheryl Lynn, Gloria Gaynor, Anita Ward, and more. CD

The kind of soul they never should have stopped making – mostly pulled from that wonderful time in the 70s when jazzy grooves, warm vocals, and sophisticated production came together beautifully! The set features 12 tracks that were mainly hits, but still stand as beautiful classics – tunes that sparkle with warmth and mellow soul that really hold up over the years. Titles include "You're Welcome Stop On By" by Bobby Womack, "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye, "I'm Going Down" by Rose Royce, "Lady Love" by Jon Lucien, "Heaven Must Be Like This" by Ohio Players, "Something He Can Feel" by Aretha Franklin, "Cruisin" by Smokey Robinson, "Feel The Fire" by Stephanie Mills, "Sweet Thing" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, and "Playing Your Game Baby" by Barry White. CD

Music from James Brown, Aretha Franklin, War, the Chakachas, the Jimmy Castor Bunch, the JBs, New Birth, Cymande, Tower of Power, the O Jays, BT Express, Kool & the Gang, George McCrae, the Ohio Players, the Isley Brothers, Brick, Brass Construction, Rick James, Fatback, the Gap Band & more. 55 tracks in all, plenty of funk essentials, and detailed notes – all in a fuzzy book-style cover! (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD

Features great mellow work from Love Unlimited Orchestra, Cameo, The Dells, Starpoint, Ohio Players, Four Tops, Randy Brown, and Kinsman Dazz! CD

Music by Roy Ayers, Teddy Pendergrass, Barry White, Loose Change, Jean Carne, Ohio Players, Salsoul Orchestra, Chi-Lites, People's Choice, the O'Jays, and others – 30 tracks total. (Funky Compilations, Soul) CD