VARIOUS
A Soldier's Sad Story: Vietnam through the Eyes of Black America 1966-1973 (Kent; CD)
     Quite why a collection of black music Vietnam songs has taken so long to be collated is rather a mystery. Many of the numbers included here have seen reissue on a number of other comps but have not before been presented thematically. Inevitably with a collection such as this the liners are going to be political. James Maycock's liners for this comp must be worthy of an award in their own right. They cut straight to the chase and pull no punches in conveying the overt racism employed in the armed forces against black draftees. They are as succinct and as cogent an overview as you are ever likely to find on the subject. President Johnson's '100,000 campaign' initiated in 1966 for instance sought to increase the number of draftees the war now demanded by lowering the educational qualifications required for a man to be drafted. This resulted in a sharp increase in black (and poor southern white) men suddenly becoming eligible for the draft. You should not listen to this music without reading this (albeit abridged) essay in the liners... it just amplifies it a thousand fold. As is stated in the liners, outside of soul or country music there are not enough songs on Vietnam to make a compilation with (and that includes the '60s counter culture!)
     Musically, it is a disparate and not altogether unproblematic set to listen to as it is obviously thematically compiled rather than by sub-genre. Therefore although there is a preponderance of southern and deep soul numbers, most other soul styles are also covered. The set kicks off with three numbers from '66, two in a sweet soul style The Monitors 'Greetings This Is Uncle Sam' and The Players 'He'll Be Back', and William Bells' Stax released 'Marching Off To War' which are more concerned with patriotic duty and wistful expectation of a quick return. By the time we reach Edwin Starr's 'Stop The War Now' and Swamp Dog's 'Sam Stone' ("there's a whole in daddy's arm where all the money goes"- think Gil Scott Heron's 'The Bottle' here) and Bill Wither's 'I Can't Write Left-Handed' that lost innocence is barely remembered. In-between, Joe Tex takes southern soul to it's limit as a an autodiadactic means of confirming self-belief in 'I Believe I'm Gonna Make It', the daily routine of being stationed away from home is conveyed in letter writing songs such as Zerben R Hicks highly charged deep soul opus 'Lights Out' and Mel & Tim's 'Mail Call Time' whilst the Whispers 1973 outing 'P.O.W M.I.A' shows how far public opinion had changed in the course of the war. This is a package your children should get to hear, it's a history lesson and an emotional experience, buy it with dignity and listen with respect.
www.acerecords.co.uk
Paul Martin

VARIOUS
Funk Soul Sisters (BGP; CD)
     Anyone who enjoyed last year's All The Ladies Need Funk compilation (see past review) will find this collection a worthy companion. Full of sassy misses and true fine mamas, this collection covers the key years from 1968-1973. Essentially soulful funkyfied songs rather than outright deep grooves, these twenty keepers are indeed a joy to hear. You get dynamite cuts like a post-Chess Fontella Bass's 'Hold On This Time' and Little Ann's 'One Way Street'. There's a rare example of crossover in reverse in the funky take on 'Sunshine Of Your Love' (which perhaps doesn't quite work but has fun trying) by Spanky Wilson, the sassy 'Mr Fix It' by Thelma Jones and Betty Bibbs's 'Pounds of Soul which speaks for itself. This is feisty and fresh sounding, an aural equivalent to the first caffeine hit of the day, buy with confidence.
www.acerecords.co.uk
Paul Martin

VARIOUS
In Perfect Harmony - Sweet Soul Groups 1968-77 (Kent; CD)
     The chronology is slightly out, there's a track from 1976 but the rest are from '68-75. That said, any one of these beauties is as good as another (except for Tuxedo's 'Please Don't Leave', which whilst a good song is not a group harmony led number and stands out like a sore thumb in the company it keeps). There have been other independent compilations of rare soul harmony groups such as the two multi-volume series Dynamite Soul Harmony in Europe and Lost Soul Oldies in the U.S, but In Perfect Harmony is a welcome and refreshing acknowledgement of the genre by a mainstream reissue label. The soul group harmony style has its roots firmly in the doowop revival of the early '60s from which point R&B began to develop into soul and the doowop vocal style with it. The lost art of falsetto soul singing (save David McAlmont?) is recaptured here in blissful, pitch-perfect sublimity. 
     By its very nature soul harmony group singing requires a slower tempo for extemporisation and for vocal blending. At it's emotional best it connotes the sweeter gospel soul stylings of Sam Cooke or Curtis Mayfield's Impressions, but is essentially a style of its own. Beautiful and hopelessly obscure records such as New Cymble 'What Am I Guilty of' or The Smith Connection's '(I've Been A Winner, I've Been A Loser) I've Been In Love' or The Philadelphia Story's 'If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now' simply ooze class and style. If you want soul to soothe or to seduce but don't go for the penthouse styles of '70s Barry White or Isaac Hayes, then group soul harmony is the place to go for you. Its commercial success in the '70s rested on the chart hits of groups such as The Stylistics or the Chi-Lites, but as with other musical idioms, this was but the obvious tip of an iceberg. As the acts lined up here show (including, and I kid you not, a group called 'Gods Gift To Women'!) the style had a warmth and charm that could melt the coldest heart. If you take to this, you'll just be left wanting more. It's late night moods, Sunday mornings, romantic interludes and candle lit dinners for two all in a silver platter, how have you lived without it!
www.acerecords.co.uk
Paul Martin