The Isley Brothers - The Heat Is On (1975)

Comfortable lineup, comfortable rock funk soul fusion, 3 + 3 had the freshness and excitability that came with the realization of what this could achieve i.e. quiet storm sensuality meets rocknroll sexuality and the crossover success that a public in need of sophisticated baby making sensuality with flourishes of raw sexuality, could bring the Isleys. Fight the Power is ambitious but not in the pop sense which defined 3 + 3. Rather it's an album of epics, ideas, and sides. Side one is killer funk foundations and loose psych ornament, ostensibly loose and intoxicating, but tight and planned, driven by the Isleys' take on the black experience both political and personal. Side two is straight intimate. Worth it for Sensuality alone imo

A

try / buy

Teddy Pendergrass - Satisfaction Guaranteed: The Very Best of Teddy Pendergrass (2004)

C'mon, I couldn't not post this after Rawse's verse

What makes a good best-of? I guess you have to like the artist and then assess whether the good tracks are covered or not. Two discs, 16 songs each, is a lot of Teddy Pendergrass and I venture to say Satisfaction Guaranteed has him covered

A

buy

Evelyn "Champagne" King - Get Loose (1982)

Produced by Kashif

From where I'm sitting (nowhere special!), this sounds fucking awesome. I got it real cheap too!

A

spotify
buy

Bryan Loren - Lollipop Luv (1996)

1. Lollipop Luv

2. Easier Said Than Done

3. For Tonight

4. Complications

5. Do You Really Love Me

6. Falling In Love

7. Stay With Me

8. Take All Of Me

I was all HOW THE FUCK WAS THIS RELEASED IN 1996 LOOK AT THIS GUY ALSO LISTEN TO THE SOFT-PRINCE-FUNK ON THIS THING and then realized that Bryan Loren was released in 1984 then re-released as Lollipop Luv in 1996 so it's not a record made by these dudes with Jheri Curls who got sent into space in the 80s and forgot everything except food, water, and their Prince tapes so were in some weird musical/historical/cultural vacuum where they didn't know that MJ turned into a white guy or that Prince was now an unpronounceable symbol....

Yeah, reality is stranger but I'd love this even more if it was legitimately spaceman vacuum funk. When I called it soft-prince,funk, I just mean it's sweet poppy funk that doesn't throw anything unusual or experimental into the mix (as Prince frequently would). Straightforward, but really well written and performed so straightforward isn't an insult at all. In fact, the simplicity is the reason I like it so much

A+

spotify

The Gap Band - Gap Band IV (1982)

1. Early in the Morning 6:30

2. Seasons No Reason to Change 4:49

3. Lonely Like Me 5:21

4. Outstanding 3:18

5. Stay With Me 4:11

6. You Dropped a Bomb on Me 5:12

7. I Can't Get Over You 6:02

8. Talkin' Back 6:41

I got it because of You Dropped a Bomb on Me but I ended up liking the sentimental songs more than the lively ones

B

320

Mary Jane Girls - Mary Jane Girls (1983)

Party Side

1. Candy Man 4:30

2. Boys 5:34

3. Prove It 4:28

4. Jealousy 3:28

Cool Out Side

5. You Are My Heaven 3:14

6. On the Inside 3:55

7. All Night Long 5:34

8. Musical Love 5:07

Brought together by Rick James, The Mary Jane Girls played fun dance pop. Their self titled album features the song All Night Long, one of the highlights from the Vice City soundtrack.

Side one is party music (as you can probably tell from the title Party Side), and side two is slow jams

B

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