2 killers from The Bar-Kays – a heavy funk spectacular all the way through! First up is Gotta Groove – amazing work from the new version
of The Bar-Kays – a group who reformed to become a combo as heavy as any
of the best funky groups from Detroit, LA, or New York at the time! There's a style here that's a sweet Memphis distillation
of ideas bubbling under in music by Sly Stone, Funkadelic, and others – taken to new territory here by a group that was already steeped in 60s soul instrumental sounds! The cuts show a great ear for simple hooks and playful instrumental twists and turns – still with a bit
of the trumpet used on Bar-Kays work
of the
past, but more in a groove that lets the guitar step out nicely with psychedelic soul undercurrents! Tracks include "In The Hole", "Funky Thang", "Grab This Thing", "Street Walker", "Humpin", and "Don't Stop Dancing To The Music (parts 1 & 2)". Black Rock is an album that's every bit as great as the title might imply – heavy guitar-based funk from the second version
of The Bar-Kays – one that uses the new instrumental focus to push a groove that's much more black rock than before! There's still a bit
of trumpet from the
past, but the sound here is much heavier on the bottom – and really fuzzes up the guitar nicely at times to create a hipper sort
of soul instrumental vibe! The rhythms are quite hip too – with
echoes of the experiments in soul going on at Stax in the work
of Isaac Hayes and others – and the album's miles away from the work that the group was laying down a few years before! Definitely one
of the hardest-hitting Stax albums
of the early 70s – and filled with great tracks like "You Don't Know Like I Know", "Dance To The Music", "Piece
Of Your Peace", "Montego Bay", and "Baby I Love You".