Review: In the encyclopedia entry for psychedelic soul you're sure to find some mention of Shuggie Otis, and this is the album that cemented his sound. 'Strawberry Letter 23' is undoubtedly Otis' 'Albatross', a universally adored anthem that ploughs a furrow straight to the heart, but it grows in stature even more when you hear it in context on the 1971 album it was first released on. With George Duke lending his inimitable touch on keys amongst the ensemble of players, this is a true treasure of funk and soul with the spark of inspiration to look beyond genre conventions. Beyond the big hit, this is an album of abundant riches which rightly gets a repressing to reaffirm Otis' status as a legend in a league of his own making.
Here We Go Again (feat Audrey Wheeler & Brent Carter) (4:49)
Doin' Alright (feat O'Bryan) (5:43)
Someone I Used To Love (4:21)
Times Of Our Lives (5:13)
I'm In Love (4:30)
Really No Chance (feat Katie Holmes-Smith) (4:18)
Love Of Another Guy (4:31)
True Love (5:21)
Every Time You Touch Me (4:23)
Can't Hide Love (4:42)
Review: London soul heavies Output/Input channel the spirit of their influences on their debut vinyl LP Forward Motion, hadron-colliding a recognizable topoi of soul and funk, and bringing all these influences together rather convincingly despite having recorded each track separately, and remotely across mulitple continents. A diverse and international group, we hear the full-bodied, co-operative vocals of Antonio McLendon, Audrey Wheeler-Downing, Brent Carter and Katie Holmes-Smith collide in an unstoppable rotation of the limelight. Meanwhile, the album remains dominated by its session artists, delivering the tightest of tight backbones and melodious acoutrements.
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