Not only was popular music better a generation ago, but now it sounds better! Here are a couple reissues that have aged superbly.
It’s almost inconceivable that jazz and rock melded together to create sounds that ruled the airwaves. Conceived by Al Cooper and initially produced by James William Guerco, Blood Sweat and Tears boasted swinging horn section that included Lew Soloff/tp and Fred Lipsius/as. Add the bodacious voice of David Clayton-Thomas and the winning combination made fusion a good name with infectious hits like “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” “Go Down Gamblin”, “And When I Die” as well as the irresistible “Spinning Wheel” that shames everything being played today. The band showed it’s jazz senses with a riveting take of ”God Bless The Child”. The only caveat here is that most of the songs are the “single” versions, so you miss the Soloff and the others stretching out at times. A small price to pay for this introduction to how popular music can bop with the best.
The recently departed Leon Russell had carved his niche in many categories, namely composing (hard to beat “This Masquerade” and “A Song For You”), producing and performing. This 1971 album mixes down home blues, boogie and gospel with a first rate team that included Carl Radle/b, Jim Gordon/dr and Don Preston/g. Russell’s voice is a cross between Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, always sounding older than he was (even today!), playing down some old time stomping on “Of Thee I Sing” while creating some secular hymns with “Stranger In A Strange Land” and “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” Russell always delivered like a man who’d lived a full life, and wanted to share his story with you. This album is filled with them.