My World

Here's a brand new release by Lee Fieldson the Truth & Soul label, "My World / Love Comes And Goes". Let me get right to it - it's a scorcher. I heard this last week over at Galactic Fractures, and it immediately knocked me down. I had to find a copy. Thankfully, a copy popped through the mail slot on Saturday.

What strikes me right away is how stripped down the tune is, even with the horns and strings. Nothing is flamboyant, instead all the instruments are used sparingly, and so precisely, it perfectly sets the mood behind the Lee's vocals. I haven't had a chance to absorb all the words, but there's a somber tone. Listening closer, this is a very topical tune, seeming to take issue with the illusions that surround us. I especially like the lines "Brought up by a mother / And tricked by a brother / Destroyed by the poison inside / We raise our children / under false illusions /Shatter hopes and self ?" (not sure about that last word - I'm gonna have to sit down and write out these lyrics). All throughout, the band doesn't crowd the vocals, but lets him speak his peace. Everything is nicely understated.

15 listens in, and this record gets better and better. Do yourself a favor and get this 45. It is the best new soul record I've heard in a long time. The 45 can be found at dustygroove.

Check out Galactic Fractures via the link above. Not only do you get to hear this track, but a Big Ella tune that I've not heard before (hell, I didn't even know about that one), as well as a number of other quality tunes.

Black Boy

I'd been meaning to feature this 45, but things seem to be taking longer to accomplish these days. Anyway, Beat Goes Public (BGP) recently released a double LP by Dyke & The Blazers, and one of the tunes featured was this unreleased killer, "Black Boy". Before I talk about the song itself, I wanna take my hat off to folks who reissue quality music, and are on the look out for unreleased gems that may be lying in the vaults. Your hard work is much appreciated.

OK, now on to "Black Boy". It's a very topical tune, opening with "I'm the black boy, from the ghetto" over a spanking rhythm. From there he states "I know what it means / to have to walk in through the back door". Nothing is held back, either lyrically or musically. The music is tight, the drums are right on, the bass is in your face, the horns are there when they're needed. Ace playing from the guitarist as well. The vocals are a bit raw, too, which really adds to the tune.

The flip side features an alternate take of the utterly fantastic "Let A Woman Be A Woman, Let A Man Be A Man". Highly recommended record.