Soul Express CD Review  Buy this album from our CD Shop
THE B.B. & Q. BAND:UK Capitol 1982/2004 On The Beat - Time For Love - Don't Say Goodbye - Starlette - Mistakes - Lovin's What We Should Do - I'll Cut You Loose Another quality fully remastered slice of top-drawer early 80s soul. Many will know this album for the excellent and popular jogger "On The Beat" which seems to have been on every Capitol compilation since I can remember when! This set is very much dance floor in orientation, as we would expect from the late, great Jacques Fred Petrus. Not unlike his other brainchild, Change, this group served up some hot, hot sides in the 80s and we have other numbers such as the sparky and summery "Time For Love" which is still an amazing stepper which still gets the feet moving on the most discerning dance floors. This song has a healthy element of Chic in the guitar work, and the catchy hook is drizzled with tight harmonies and the soaring vocals of Ike Floyd. "Starlette" is another choice groove which owes a lot to the superb sounds of the Chic Organisation than anything else. Comparisons, some unnecessary, were made at the time about this, but all I can say is I love BB&Q and Chic and the sound is very much as fresh today as it was in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The tempo is mostly raised above toe-tapping level bar the worthy ballad, "Lovin's What We Should Do" which, again, is very Chic in essence. Although this only a seven track album (and track 7 is not a track that I would entertain) this is a showpiece of the genius and creativity of Jacques Fred Petrus and Mauro Malavasi from their base at Fondprint Studies in Bologna, Italy. From the loss of Jacques Fred Petrus in 1987 it would take 4 years to deliver any more worthwhile soulful dance from Italy in the shape of Arthur Miles. Following this song came nothing. This CD is testament to all concerned here. Again, I bought this superb CD for £6.99. This is inexpensive and Capitol / EMI receive a rare round of applause from me for being bold enough to release this quality of soul into the marketplace. More, more more! - Barry Towler Other CD Reviews Albums of the Month in 2006 Albums of the Month in 2005 Albums of the Month in 2004 Albums of the Month in 2003 Albums of the Month in 2002 Albums of the Month in 2001 Albums of the Month in 2000 Albums of the Month in 1999 Albums of the Month in 1998 Albums of the Month in 1997 Other CD
reviews |