Love Gonna Pack Up (And Walk Out)

My modus operandi this summer has to been to lay off e-bay and the internet in general for records, and just go out and see what I find at records shows, flea markets, yard sales, etc....I've become lackadaisical about my hobby. It seems to be much more fun to see what I stumble upon instead of having a list of records I must own and seeking them out. It makes for some ups and downs, some surprises, as well as some serious disappointments.

Why do I tell you this? Because, upon hearing Sly, Slick & Wicked's "Love Gonna Pack Up (And Walk Out)" on a mix CD a month or so ago, I broke with my standard way of doing things and hunted down a copy off the internet pronto. The tune is stripped down soul of the highest order - no horns or orchestration, just the vocalists, the drums, and organ, and an occassional appearance by the bass and guitar players. Just those snapping drums holding everything together while the organist supports the vocal harmonies (and, when playing in between the vocals, adding a nice bit of moodiness to the tune). A special mention about the lead vocalist, who really tears up this tune by wringing the emotions out of the lines like "does it matter / whose fault it was?" by pushing the first half and pulling back on the latter half. Finally, the whole tune has a 'roughness around the edges' to it that works well for the subject matter. Fantastic stuff. More tunes like this, please.