Lyn Collins: Do Your Thing
From Kings of Funk (BBE, 2005) Forthcoming, March 8.
M.F.S.B.: Family Affair 1973
From M.F.S.B. (Philadelphia Int’l, 1973). Also on Kings of Funk.
The Kings of Funk = Keb Darge and…the Rza? I’m not arguing with the pairing, it’s just a little unexpected since I’ve never seen the Rza take charge of a funk compilation but Darge’s BBE series has also brought aboard Josh Davis and Kenny Dope in the past. Bobby Digi and Darge put together an interesting selection for this upcoming 2xCD compilation. Neither is going for braggin’ rights by calling up their most obscure selections – instead, what you find on here is a solid collection of good songs whose main criteria is that…they’re good. It’s kind of refreshing actually.
Rza gets the first disc and highlights Lyn Collins’ sizzling “Do Your Thing.” This song was originally unreleased until it appeared on the Funky People Part 2 compilation that Polydor dropped in ’88. You have to wonder why no one bothered to put this out the first time: it’s one of the best covers of Issac Hayes’ classic that I’ve heard and opens with such an incredible brass hammer blow. Groove on!
On Darge’s disc, he puts on M.F.S.B.’s cover of Sly Stone’s “Family Affair,” one of the album cuts from the Philly group’s first album. I never paid much attention to the song before but this time around, I really felt the blend between the thick funk of the rhythm section and the light, sweet touch of the electric piano.
By the way – big up to Music For Robots, highlighted on today’s You Heard It Here First segment on MTV (which my man Jazzbo produced).
chatter