Monthly Archives: March 2007

Truck Turner!

Sunday: March 11, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Funk, Soul 3 Comments

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Artist: Isaac Hayes Title: Truck Turner Year: 1974 Label: Stax Format: Vinyl LP

Quick statement on this joint, contest me if you want…

THIS RECORD IS BETTER THAN THE SHAFT LP SOUNDTRACK

Want an explanation, ask me. Bottom line. Holy Grail

Corn Flakes from the UK

Sunday: March 11, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Boogie, Soul Leave a comment

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Artist: Flakes-1 Title: 1980 Year: 1980 Label: Magic Disc Format: Vinyl LP

Carnell “Flakes” Matthews!

I dug this up on accident, truly…I didn’t know anything about this cat, but I loved his record cover design…there is a hand coming out of a cereal bowl!!! how wild is that??!! Anyway, so I grabbed the joint and gave it a listen while I was in the record store, I honestly only like two songs on each side of the LP, but I liked them enough to buy the whole record. This LP has a mix of sounds…disco, hip-hop, and slow love ballads. He was an artist from UK, so I don’t know if he really knew his sound, so he was giving a bit of everything. I really like his disco cuts on here, they’re dope. This LP is rare, but if you can get your hands on it, check out “Sugar Frosted Lover”, that’s the dopest track on there.

For now…just peep the hot cover design!

Soul Supreme(s).

Sunday: March 11, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Soul 1 Comment

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Artist: The Supremes Title: New Ways But Love Stays Year: 1970 Label: Motown Format: Vinyl LP

The Supremes…MINUS Diana.

Now I was lurking in this record shop on the West side of lower Manhattan, where I saw this record, and the owner tried to charge me 75 beans for this joint! So naturally I backed outta there w/ a quickness. Went to this record shop in BK next, where I saw this SAAAAAAAME record in better condition and it was only 6 bucks…crazy right? That just let me know that some folks sell records but don’t WANT to sell records…if that makes any sense.

This is a cool record, nothing to write home about…but I like the cover and back cover photography, PLUS this joint is a gatefold w/ a die-cut in the middle. SICK.

If you see this laying around your local record shops, it’s worth a listen, but it’s not a classic.

The Sylvers

Saturday: March 3, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Soul 9 Comments

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Artist: The Sylvers Title: III Year: 1974 Label: Pride/MGM Format: Vinyl LP

Strong Statements:
This group is BETTER than the Jackson 5. BOTTOM LINE.
This is one of my favorite soul groups in the history of music. BOTTOM LINE.

Okay now I can begin. It took me like 7 months to dig this joint up…7 months! This is one of those recrods that slipped through the cracks, so I had no idea what it would sound like when I found it, but I knew it would be dope…ANYTHING that the Sylvers put their name on is classic.

This record has a bit of everything on it, as far as sound is concerned. They can’t really sing that great, but they know how to harmonize, and their song lyrics make a TON of sense (thanks to Leon Sylvers) and relate to issues of any generation. There is a song on here called “Even This Shall Pass Away”, and let me tell you…this song will make a connection to SOMETHING, or SOME POINT in your life. I threw this in the Holy Grail set after like…one listen.

Like I said before, Jackson 5 who? The Sylvers are the “real deal Holyfield”. For those who aren’t up on it, go do your homework, buy some early Sylvers records (go back to 72), then let me know what you think about em.

Heads up, their early records are hard to find, but once you come across em, you’ll find that the long search was well worth it.

Rat Own!

Saturday: March 3, 2007 Posted: Darien Victor Birks Category: Soul 4 Comments

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Artist: Bill Cosby Title: Rat Own Rat Own Rat Own Year: 1976 Label: Capitol Format: Vinyl LP

I can’t take credit for this dig. Or can I? I found this in my grandfathers basement after a Thanksgiving dinner, random right? The cover looked crazy enough that I just HAD to grab the joint. So after this record sat around my crib for like, two months, my boy L (aka Dookie) came to go through my records one day and popped this on…long story short, we were both in AWE at the fact that this was an actual record, not comedy, not some bs LP w/ wack cover tracks, Bill actually had a hand in producing this (and actually wrote songs), and it is an AMAZING LP, bottom line. I would recommend this record to those who want to be taken by surprise…RAT OWN! Peace.

PS. For those non-slang savvy folks RAT OWN = RIGHT ON, lol…

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