Shara Nelson - What Silence Knows (1993)

Shara Nelson came up with Massive Attack, singing and/or cowriting almost half of Blue Lines, including "Safe from Harm" and "Unfinished Sympathy", their first two hits. Aside from one non-album track, that's where her involvement with The Wild Bunch ends, and I'm guessing it's because she started pursuing a solo career. What Silence Knows, her first solo record, is built on the same kind of danceable, soulful trip-hop that she made with Massive Attack, but skew more pop/R&B/soul. It's a great record, and I think it sold moderately well in England, but it didn't make much of an impression anywhere else, and seems to have largely fallen from pop cultural memory.

Track listing:

1. Nobody

2. Pain Revisited

3. One Goodbye in 10

4. Inside Out

5. Uptight

6. Down That Road

7. Chance

8. Thoughts of You

9. How Close

10. What Silence Knows

But if you hurt what's mine

I'll sure as hell retaliate

If you like this, listen to:

A Guy Called Gerald - Essence (2000)

HÆLOS - Full Circle (2016)

Jerry Butler - The Spice of Life (1972)

Soul singer/Impressions founder Jerry Butler's unsung magnum opus. A double album of big-hearted symphonic soul that somehow has yet to be reissued or offered on streaming services. There's no big, overarching theme at work here -- obviously, love comes up a lot, but that's pretty much par for the course for a soul record -- it's just a collection of great songs that wouldn't fit on one LP.

Track listing:

-Disc One-

1. What's So Good About It (You're My Baby)

2. If I Could Remember (Not Ever Having You)

3. I Only Have Eyes for You

4. That's the Way It Is (That's the Way It Was)

5. One Night Affair

6. A Prayer

7. Get on the Case

8. So Far Away

-Disc Two-

1. I Need You

2. You Can't Always Tell

3. Stop Steppin' on My Dreams

4. Baby I'ma Want You

5. (They Long to Be) Close to You

6. Don't Rip Me Off

7. The Masquerade Is Over / Since I Fell for You

8. All Kinds of People

You know, most folks are scared of dying

So the fear brings it near

And I see them buying books to get heaven

But they fight real hard to stay right here

You should also hear:

Jerry Peters - Blueprint for Discovery (1972)

Angelo Bond - Bondage (1975)

Guitar Red - Hard Times (1976)

First and only solo album by Guitar Red, aka Chicagoan guitarist Paul Johnson. Hard Times rides the fine lines between soul, funk, and old-school rhythm and blues, with a lo-fi, synth-y, drum machine-driven twist. I get that Guitar Red was the man's stage name and that he had a career outside of making this album, but guitar really takes a backseat to synth here. The kind of record that was destined from day one to be ignored by the many and absolutely adored by the few, then reissued by some boutique label a few decades later. Wish I could remember which of the old mp3 blogs I got this from -- Mutant Sounds, maybe? 

(The title track is not to be confused with the classic Baby Huey track of the same name.)

Track listing:

1. Hard Times

2. Fantasy

3. Share Your Love

4. Space and Time

5. Sad Day

6. Disco from a Space Show

7. Love Walked In

8. Sad Day - Inst.

Today I saw the rat in the alley eating onions and crying

If you like this, try:

The Diddys Featuring Paige Douglas - Agony & Extasy (1977)

The Kaplan Brothers - Nightbird (1978)

Booker Newberry - Love Town (1984)

A great set of soulful disco/boogie from the largely unsung Booker Newberry III. There's even a little new jack in there. The title track is the only hit record Newberry had a solo artist, but the entire record's a funky, synth-y joy to behold.

One caveat: digitally speaking, I've only ever been able to find the 2005 CD reissue version, which omits two tracks and adds a whole bunch of others. It's cool because the bonus tracks are almost all total bangers, but there are some questionable sequencing choices -- for instance, slow-jam "Island" is the second damn track, killing the album's momentum just as it gets going -- and with 6 original album tracks intermingled with 9 bonus tracks, it plays more like a greatest hits collection than an album. So basically what I'm saying is, don't download this. Sike, get it, you won't regret it.

Track listing:

1. Love Town

2. Island

3. I Get Romantic

4. Handle with Care

5. Attitude

6. Shadows

7. Love Drums

8. Teddy Bear

9. Shower of Love

10. Lovin' on Borrowed Time

11. The Way You Do It

12. You and I

13. Doin' What Comes Naturally

14. Love Town (Foggy Mix)

15. Shadows (12" Mix)

A midnight madness

A moonlight gladness

Also listen to:

Shadow - Love Lite (1979)

Alexander O'Neal - Alexander O'Neal (1985)

Fantastic Four - Alvin Stone (The Birth and Death of a Gangster) (1975)

A lost gem of lushly produced 70s soul. Rich, layered vocals and ornate, orchestral arrangements. Not sure why more people don't rep this record; maybe it's the lack of a successful single? Whatever the case, any O'Jays fans should definitely hear it.

Track listing:

1. Alvin Stone (The Birth and Death of a Gangster)

2. Have a Little Mercy

3. County Line

4. Let This Moment Last Forever

5. Words

6. My Love Won't Stop at Nothing

Anything I see I want

I'm gonna take it

Similar listening:

The Stylistics - Round 2 (1972)

Billy Paul - War of the Gods (1973)

The New Birth - Comin' from All Ends (1974)

Soul/funk perfection from the great New Birth, a band formed via the fusion of multiple instrumental and vocal groups. Equal parts party-starters, baby-makers, and reflective space-out sessions.

Track listing:

1. End to End

2. Take This Train to Freedom

3. I Wash My Hands of the Whole Damn Deal

4. Lady Love

5. Pretty Music

6. Patiently

7. Echoes of My Mind

8. Do It Again

9. Comin' from All Ends

10. Epilog

Please don't stand still

If you like this, listen to:

Graham Central Station - Ain't No 'Bout-A-Doubt It (1975)

Mandrill - Solid (1975)

Boscoe - Boscoe (1973)

A masterpiece of epic, musically and politically radical Chicago soul.

Track listing:
1. Introduction / Writin' on the Wall
2. He Keeps You
3. We Ain't Free
4. If I Had My Way
5. I'm What You Need
6. Money Won't Save You
7. Now and Den

War is the precedent of peace

You might also want to hear:

Jerry Peters -
Blueprint for Discovery (1972)

Marsha Hunt -
Attention! (1973)

Res - How I Do (2001)

A true gem of artful but pop-oriented neosoul with tinges of reggae. How I Do is front-to-back tight, but I feel like I have to specifically mention "They-Say Vision", a minor hit that's one of my all-time favorite pop songs.



Track listing:
1. Golden Boys
2. They-Say Vision
3. 700 Mile Situation
4. Ice King
5. Sittin' Back
6. How I Do
7. If There Ain't Nothing
8. The Hustler
9. I've Known the Garden
10. Let Love
11. Tsunami

I wanna try that pill that people take
That makes them believe all the things that people say

You might also enjoy:

Eg and Alice -
24 Years of Hunger (1991)

Milosh -
III (2008)

Dr. John - Babylon (1969)

Mind-melting second album from this New Orleans legend. A dense stew of bluesy guitar, hammond organ, clattering percussion, saxophone, soulful backup singers, and the man's own gravel-throated vocals over raw, buoyant grooves. Bursting with life but heavy with sorrow and anger, and rough around the edges, Babylon is a serious head-trip of an album, but it's definitely one worth taking.

Track listing:
1. Babylon
2. Glowin'
3. Black Widow Spider
4. Barefoot Lady
5. The Patriotic Flag-Waver
6. The Lonesome Guitar Strangler

This is not the land of milk and honey
This is a place where people sell their souls out for money

You might also like:

Aum -
Resurrection (1969)

Larry Coryell -
Coryell (1969)

Jerry Peters - Blueprint for Discovery (1972)

A gloriously sprawling soul-funk odyssey courtesy of New Orleans composer/producer/singer/multi-instrumentalist Jerry Peters. How such a wonderful song cycle slips between the cracks is anyone's guess -- it certainly doesn't help that's it's never been reissued -- but do your part and get hip to it, then help spread the gospel.

Track listing:
1. If You Leave Me Now (Prologue)
2. If You Leave Me Now
3. Long Before You and I
4. Did I Step on Your Heart
5. Going in Circles
6. Love Song
7. White Shutters
8. Kuri Monga Nuie (Big Black Dog)
9. Lest We Forget

Wherever I am
Yes, I love it

You should also hear:

Billy Paul -
War of the Gods (1973)

Angelo Bond -
Bondage (1975)

Ava Cherry & The Astronettes - People from Bad Homes (1995)

Related:
David Bowie - Liveandwell.com (2000)

Raw, unfinished, early 70s studio sessions for a David Bowie-produced project, featuring then-girlfriend and backing singer Ava Cherry, that never got off the ground. In retrospect, it comes off as a dry run of Young Americans. And though there are some scratch vocal tracks strewn about, there's really a lot to love here, including a majestic version of "God Only Knows" that absolutely buries Bowie's version, as well as songs that he ended up rewriting and putting on his own albums, including "I Am a Laser" (which became "Scream Like a Baby") and "I Am Divine" ("Somebody Up There Likes Me".)

Note: "I Am Divine" was actually one of those super-secret songs that you had to rewind from the beginning of the first track to hear.

Track listing:
1. I Am Divine
2. I Am a Laser
3. Seven Days
4. God Only Knows
5. Having a Good Time
6. People from Bad Homes
7. Highway Blues
8. Only Me
9. Things to Do
10. How Could I Be Such a Fool
11. I'm in the Mood for Love
12. Spirit in the Night

And she looks like a magnet
And she comes like a warm rain

You should also hear:

The Diddys Featuring Paige Douglas -
Agony and Extasy (1975)

Daryl Hall -
Sacred Songs (1980)

Alexander O'Neal - Alexander O'Neal (1985)

Bulletproof debut LP from Minneapolis soul great Alexander O'Neal. A seven-song sequence of sleek, late-night slow jams with just a whiff of electro-funk, and endless replay value.

Track listing:
1. A Broken Heart Can Mend
2. If You Were Here Tonight
3. Do You Wanna Like I Do
4. Look at Us Now
5. Medley: Innocent/Alex 900/Innocent II
6. What's Missing
7. You Were Meant to Be My Lady (Not My Girl)

I was yours and you were mine

You'll probably also enjoy:

George Howard -
Asphalt Gardens (1982)

Kimiko Kasai -
Kimiko (1982)

The Stylistics - Round 2 (1972)

Immaculate second LP from Philly soul legends The Stylistics. Tastefully ornate arrangements color in tender songs of love and heartbreak, carried by lead vocalist Russell Thompkins, Jr.'s honey-sweet falsetto.

Track listing:
1. I'm Stone in Love with You
2. If You Don't Watch Out
3. You and Me
4. It's Too Late
5. Children of the Night
6. You'll Never Get to Heaven
7. Break Up to Make Up
8. Peek-A-Boo
9. You're as Right as Rain
10. Pieces

Late at night
When all the world is safe within their dreams
I walk the shadows late at night
An empty feeling creeps within my soul
I feel so lonely
So I go into the darkness of the night
All alone I walk the streets
Until I find someone who is just like me
Looking for some company

If you like this, listen to:

Sylvia Robinson -
Pillow Talk (1973)

Freddie North -
Cuss the Wind (1975)

Freddie North - Cuss the Wind (1975)

Oh hey hello there everybody. I went to the beach for a week and a half, and had anticipated doing a post or two while there, but like last year, I got sucked into a world of sun and frozen drinks, and just didn't feel like doing any of these dumb write-ups. However, I put this melancholic, should-be-classic album on late one night on the porch, and made a mental note to post it on here when I got back.

Track listing:
1. Cuss the Wind
2. My Whole World Ended
3. Love to Hate
4. Sun Comes Up
5. Gotta Go Get Your Mommy
6. I Loved Another Woman
7. Oh Lord, What Are You Doing
8. Rainy Night in Georgia

I feel like it's raining all over the world

You should also listen to:

Maxayn -
Maxayn (1972)

Millie Jackson -
It Hurts So Good (1973)

The Diddys Featuring Paige Douglas - Agony & Extasy (1977)

Soul/funk/disco that's fit for the stereo in heaven. Gently psychedelic, ridiculously chill songs about stuff like having sex in outer space, with a blurry, synth-y, analogue sound that would sound right at home on a chillwave record.

Track listing:
1. My Special Love (Disco Mix)
2. Intergalactic Love Song
3. I Love You Baby
4. My Special Love
5. Strange Love
6. Your Love Is Like a See-Saw Baby
7. I Love You Girl
8. How Long Have You Loved Him

L  O  V  E

You might also enjoy:

Sylvia Robinson -
Pillow Talk (1973)

The Kaplan Brothers -
Nightbird (1978)

Billy Paul - War of the Gods (1973)

Monumental, ornate psychedelic soul. Given Billy Paul's then-recent success with "Me and Mrs. Jones", it would appear that his record company was prepared to throw some money his way, and he took full advantage by producing the kind of compositionally and instrumentally ambitious album that can be hard to pull off, especially back in the day, without the proper budget. Spacious songs with a cloudy, shimmering feel courtesy of an extensive backing band that incorporates horns, strings, harp, synth, and more.

Track listing:
1. I See the Light
2. War of the Gods
3. The Whole Town's Talking
4. I Was Married
5. Thanks for Saving My Life
6. Peace Holy Peace

The time has come for bad things to end
The time has come for life to begin
The time has come for the war of the gods

If you like this, you should also listen to:

Phil Flowers and His United Family -
Alpha and Omega (1973)

Angelo Bond -
Bondage (1975)

Sylvia Robinson - Pillow Talk (1973)

While the rest of the cool kids can stay hating, I personally think it's great to have one day a year where everyone's allowed to drop pretenses and celebrate romantic love, connection in all its many forms, and doing it. Here's a sweet, slowburning, stone classic for facilitating all of those, especially the latter.

Track listing:
1. Pillow Talk
2. Give It Up in Vain
3. Sunday
4. Don't Leave Me Starving
5. My Thing
6. Didn't I
7. Had Any Lately
8. Not on the Outside
9. Coward's Way Out

If you had to make a choice
You'd do it again, and again, and again

You might also enjoy:

Maxayn -
Maxayn (1972)

The Deele -
Eyes of a Stranger (1987)

Bernard Wright - 'Nard (1981)

Funky jazz and jazzy funk led by keyboardist Bernard Wright, who at the time was just 18. Slick, synth-y arrangements counter-balanced by a sharp, hard-hitting rhythm section. Some of you will instantly recognize "Haboglabotribin'" as the source of a sample from a deep cut off of a certain 90s G-funk classic.

Track listing:
1. Haboglabotrin'
2. Firebolt Hustle
3. Music Is the Key
4. Spinnin'
5. Just Chillin' Out
6. Bread Sandwiches
7. Master Rocker
8. We're Just the Band
9. Solar

All other rides are chicken feed

You should also listen to:

Ronnie Laws -
Pressure Sensitive (1975)

Wayne Henderson -
Emphasized (1979)

Tatsuro Yamashita - Spacy (1977)

Lush, breezy, jazzy soft rock from Japanese guitarist/singer Tatsuro Yamashita. Smooth bass-lines, sax solos, string rushes, twinkling pianos, and much more make for an infinitely pleasant record.

Track listing:
1. Love Space
2. 翼に乗せて
3. 素敵な午後は
4. Candy
5. Dancer
6. アンブレラ
7. 言えなかった言葉を
8. 朝の様な夕暮れ
9. きぬずれ
10. Solid Slider

Can't let you go

If you like this, check out:

Shakatak -
Night Birds (1982)

Akira Inoue -
Splash (1983)

Shadow - Love Lite (1979)

Driving, funky disco workouts and soulful slow-burners courtesy of this relatively obscure trio, all three of whom were members of the Ohio Players. Music for falling in love by the light of a mirror ball.

Track listing:
1. I Need Love
2. No Better Love
3. I Enjoy Ya
4. Love Lite
5. Say It Again
6. Get It

You'll never find no better love than mine

You would also like:

Kilo -
Kilo (1979)

Teena Marie -
Starchild (1984)