Month: February 2023

Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul
Original release 1969 on Enterprise Records

I’ve posted about this album before, in the early days of this blog, and will probably post about it again.  It’s just a class act through and through.  I had originally wanted to prepare something romantic for Valentine’s Day, even though I don’t personally care about it, and then considered one of Dione Warwick’s albums to commemorate the passing of Bacharach.  But bad luck and trouble came knocking again, with yet another school shooting in the U.S., this time at a place that I have a personal connection.  So, I don’t especially feel like doing blog posts and the work that goes into them right now. Continue reading

The Manhattans – The Manhattans Sing For You And Yours
Reissue CD on Collectables (COL-CD-5136)
Original release Carnaval Records CLPS 202

The Manhattans were a soul vocal group from New Jersey who stayed true to that format through thick and thin, while incorporating new elements into their sound.  Sometimes those elements clashed – for example, some tracks on this collection feature utterly unnecessary congas, played rather poorly. They get props from me for keeping their visuals on point: matching suits, maybe some white gloves (as in this cover photo), coordinated dance moves on stage.  They could have easily decked themselves out in paisley and big floppy hats and gotten away with it, but they didn’t.  Continue reading