R I P to the GREATEST to do it. Michael Jackson, without a doubt your music will live on, FOREVER!

Michael Jackson / I Can’t Help It

• I Can't Help It

This album is my new release as 1/2 of the design and music collaboration team, The Stuyvesants! A project created, developed, and executed by myself, Darien Victor Birks (Flwrpt), and Allan Cole (Algorythm). We brought our talents together to produce 25 instrumentals, t-shirts, logos and graphics which capture the sound and visuals of the 60′s and 70′s, an era that inspires so much of the music and design that we’ve grown to love. We’ve done this under the moniker “The Stuyvesants”, paying homage to our current place of residence, which is the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York.

Please visit the full website: THE STUYVESANTS

The Stuyvesants / Panty Dropper

• The Stuyvesants - “Panty Dropper”

The Stuyvesants / Greene Ave. Anthem

• The Stuyvesants - “Greene Ave. Anthem”

The Stuyvesants / Brooklyn’s Finest

• The Stuyvesants - “Brooklyn's Finest”

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Review / Funky, soulful, and raw! Those are the words that come to mind when I think about this lp from Kool & the Gang, Music is the Message. As I always say when reviewing one of their albums, anything that they released on the De-Lite records imprint was a masterpiece, without question. On this particular album one can begin to hear the band experimenting with their instruments a bit more, pushing the boundaries of their sound. This record gets my triple stamp of approval in every category, from arrangements, to the improvisational element that it delivers at times, to the grit, and finally, to that real life element that they portray in their lyrics and ad-libs.

Design / Who wouldn’t like this cover? They’ve carved their name into a block of ice (obviously by illustration, but you get the point). It’s everything that it needs to be…bold, eye-catching, and vibrant! Another experiment in the hand-drawn type department, for the win. Definitely one of my favorite covers.

Info / Artist: Kool & the Gang / Album: Music is the Message / Year: 1972 / Label: De-Lite

Kool & the Gang / Music is the Message

• Kool & the Gang - “Music is the Message”

Kool & the Gang / Soul Vibration

• Kool & the Gang - “Soul Vibration”

Kool & the Gang / Life Is What You Make It

• Kool & the Gang - “Life is what you Make It”

Kool & the Gang / Electric Frog

• Kool & the Gang - “Electric Frog”

Review / This was the first of the “Hutson” series. By far my favorite, Leroy put together a very soulful LP about love, borrowing influences from the funk and jazz genres. The production is superb and the lyrics are relatable. Hutson had a ground-breaking sound that went overlooked, the instrumentation and arrangements were razor sharp, and the sound held up very well for not having been constricted to one genre.

Design / Another great cover, from the type, to the graphic photography of Leroy and his lady. Check out the styling on both individuals (peep that cane w/ the mean lean!), it’s right on! Although posed, the stance is very believable. The warm color palette is working well here, set off nicely by her bright white fur coat and dress. Two thumbs up on this album cover.

Info / Artist: Leroy Hutson / Album: Hutson / Year: 1975 / Label: Curtom

Leroy Hutson / It’s Different

• Leroy Hutson - “It's Different”

Leroy Hutson / Cool Out

• Leroy Hutson - “Cool Out”

Leroy Hutson / Lucky Fellow

• Leroy Hutson - “Lucky Fellow”

Leroy Hutson / All Because of You

• Leroy Hutson - “All Because of You”

Review
This is a pre-recorded follow-up album to the self-titled “Sylvia” LP which was released in 1976. The single, “Sweet Stuff” was a big hit, so in an effort to cash in on that success, Sylvia quickly put out another full record…which is titled “Sweet Stuff”.

I love this record! I love all of her records, she wrote and produced them almost completely by herself. If you listen to her music, she had her own unique sound that nobody could duplicate. The sound was RAW and unpolished, the lyrics were risque, and the way she arranged her drums was ridiculous (her drums probably inspired the drum programming of your favorite producer). Anyway, this record is similar to her others in the sequencing department, meaning it loses focus from time to time, but that doesn’t detract from the quality of the music…just means she was experimenting and probably not trying to make a concept album.

Check out the sound!

Private Performance

• Sylvia - “Private Performance”

I Can’t Help It

• Sylvia - “I Can't Help It”

Sho’nuff Boogie

• Sylvia - “Sho'nuff Boogie”

Pussycat

• Sylvia - “Pussycat”

The Notion

• Sylvia - “The Notion”

Cowards Way Out

• Sylvia - “Cowards Way Out”

Design
It is what it says it is…Sweet Stuff. This is a nice illustration of a kid sitting on “candy mountain”, lol! What draws me in most, not surprisingly, is the hand-drawn type…gets me every time. The uniqueness of it is something that can never be duplicated. Overall, this is just a colorful, exaggerated, fusion piece…strong and communicates the message (well…slighty, because this album is DEFINITELY NOT about kids and candy!).

Review
This is Masterfleet’s one and only album, and rightfully so…they weren’t that good of a group. Less than average arrangements, mediocre writing, and more fluff than substance on this album. Another important thing is that they didn’t sound that original, just kinda like a combination of different 70′s groups. I generally don’t post records on my blog that I’m not too keen on, however, there’s one KILLER track on this LP that I needed to share with you all. Have a listen…

Check out the sound!

Let Love Stand

• Play

Design
This album cover is phenomenal! I tend to gravitate to covers that visually represent the title of the album. High on the Sea, and the members of the group are walking on water…rising above…surfacing, etc. (which makes perfect sense, this being their debut album and all). It’s straight-forward in approach, but they put an abstract spin on it with the silver body paint and the shiny (almost foil-like) body wraps…and they seem to be holding masks as well. The concept, composition, color manipulation and tension are gelling nicely here…

Another MAJOR plus is the typography. The font chosen for “MASTERFLEET” is awesome, and the profile silhouettes stepped in between the letterforms put this lockup over the top. The physical cover actually uses a metallic ink for the masthead, and that helps bring it off of the surface a little. Production techniques always put the icing on the cake.

Review
Arguably the BEST Marvin Gaye album within his discography. From my point of view, this is HANDS DOWN his best record. This was his first risque piece of work, that’s right, choir boy Marvin stepped outside of the box on this one, and succeeded in a MAJOR way. I Want You is an album that is synonymous with SEX, PASSION, LOVE, and LUST, amongst other things. It’s a series of “sexcapades” told through song in a sense, all of the lyrics are sneaky, one has to listen very closely to catch the subtle nuances of the writing.

Gaye teamed up with the legendary producer and songwriter Leon Ware on this one…I’m very sure that Ware influenced the nature of this album. His personality is to be FREE with any talks of sex, PERIOD. I think that Marvin felt this way all along (but blatant pillow talk on wax wasn’t excepted so much earlier in his career), he simply needed a co-pilot that was cut from the same cloth to help him feel more comfortable about expressing himself in such a way. In 1976, this was GROUNDBREAKING.

Again, I LOVE THIS RECORD.

Check out the sound!

Come Live With Me Angel

• Play

I Want You

• Play

Since I Had You

• Play

Feel My Love Inside

• Play

Soon I’ll Be Loving You Again

• Play

All the Way Round

• Play

After the Dance

• Play

Design
The Sugar Shack! This is a classic painting by the great Ernie Barnes. His style was unique, and riding in a lane of its own. I love the freedom in the poses, the exaggerated body forms, and the movement that these shapes create. It’s almost as if you’re in the painting, a part of the party. It captures a moment in an era where NOBODY stood on the wall at a party. I absolutely love this. An amazing piece of cover art for an amazing album!

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Additional info on Marvin Gaye