What You Need

『Rare Groove A to Z』掲載商品。72年LAで生まれたサイド・エフェクトはリーダーのオージー・ジョンソン含む男性3人に女性ヴォーカリスト、ヘレン・ロウを加えた4人組ヴォーカル・グループ。クルセイダーズのウェイン・ヘンダーソンに見いだされてFantasyと契約、ファースト『Side Effect』に続く2枚目となったのが本作。ロニー・ロウズ作の名曲「Always There」に歌詞をつけてカヴァーした冒頭の1曲は後にインコグニートによって再演、まさにアシッド・ジャズ的なサウンドの礎となった名盤。
P-VINE

Side Effect reached its creative peak with the Wayne Henderson-produced What You Need, which was the group's second album as well as its best one. This time, the songs weren't simply decent -- they were excellent, and Side Effect had a gem of a female vocalist to help bring them to life. The quartet's new female singer was Helen Lowe, who had replaced Sylvia Nabors. While Nabors was competent, the brassy, big-voiced Lowe was a treasure -- and she shows herself to be major asset on the hit "S.O.S." and a remake of Ronnie Laws' "Always There," which was originally a soul-jazz instrumental in 1975 but becomes a gutsy vocal tune thanks to added lyrics by Paul Allen. Equally strong are the funky "Honky Tonk Scat," the mournful ballad "Changes," and a cover of the Crusaders' "Keep That Same Old Feeling." Regrettably, What You Need was Lowe's only album with Side Effect, and it's equally regrettable that she didn't go on to become huge as a solo artist. ~ Alex Henderson