Movin' On

ライオネル・リッチー擁するコモドアーズが75年にリリースした3作目。すでにほぼ全作品のCD化が済んでいたとの印象がある大物バンドのコモドアーズですが、なぜかぽっかりとこの作品が未リイシューのようでした…。今回が世界初CD化となります。70年代後半のバラード・ヒットにより、そしてライオネル・リッチーのキャラクターの確立などもありファンク・バンドでありながらバラードの素晴らしさを第一印象に持たれているリスナーも多々いらっしゃると思いますが、この頃はまだまだ直球ファンク・バンドの面を推し出した内容。プロデュースはバンド自身とジェイムス・アンソニー・カーマイケルが担当、ご存じジェイムスは後のライオネル・リッチーのソロ転向時にも蜜月関係を継続、大成功に導いた名プロデューサーですが、この時代に関してはバンドの生き生きとしたキャラクターを存分に発揮させております。小気味の良いホーン・セクション、細かなビートを事も無げに刻む敏腕リズム・セクション、そしてお馴染み「ウェー、ウェー～」のフェイクが決まりまくっているボーカルなどなど、聴きどころは盛り沢山。もちろん後の完全無欠のバラディアーを髣髴させてくれるメロウ・チューンも肝で収録。さすがに天下のモータウン所属の一流バンド、ハズレがありません。なぜに今までCD化されなかったのか?とにかく要注目の初リイシューです!

R&B purists have often argued that the Commodores did their most essential work before 1977. It was in 1977 that they crossed over to the pop/adult contemporary audience in a major way with "Easy," and subsequent hits like 1978's "Three Times a Lady" and 1979's "Still" (both of which reached number one on Billboard's pop singles charts) certainly weren't the work of R&B snobs. Of course, Lionel Richie never claimed to be an R&B purist, although it is safe to say that the Commodores were still a hardcore funk/soul band when their third album, Movin' On, came out in 1975. From an R&B standpoint (as opposed to a pop or adult contemporary standpoint), this is one of their most essential releases. Those who love hard, gutsy 1970s funk can't go wrong with horn-powered gems like "Mary, Mary," "(Can I) Get a Witness," "Gimme My Mule," and "Hold On"; however, the song that Movin' On is best remembered for is the laid-back, gospel-drenched hit "Sweet Love." Written by Richie, "Sweet Love" is one of those secular soul tunes that isn't really gospel but borders on it; when Richie belts out the lyrics, "You got to keep on searching/harder/day by day," you feel like you're in the front row during an AME church service. And even though Movin' On is an LP that R&B purists rave about (rightly so), you can't say that it was ignored by pop audiences -- "Sweet Love" was a number two R&B hit, but it also reached number five on Billboard's pop singles chart. ~ Alex Henderson|

R&B purists have often argued that the Commodores did their most essential work before 1977. It was in 1977 that they crossed over to the pop/adult contemporary audience in a major way with "Easy," and subsequent hits like 1978's "Three Times a Lady" and 1979's "Still" (both of which reached number one on Billboard's pop singles charts) certainly weren't the work of R&B snobs. Of course, Lionel Richie never claimed to be an R&B purist, although it is safe to say that the Commodores were still a hardcore funk/soul band when their third album, Movin' On, came out in 1975. From an R&B standpoint (as opposed to a pop or adult contemporary standpoint), this is one of their most essential releases. Those who love hard, gutsy 1970s funk can't go wrong with horn-powered gems like "Mary, Mary," "(Can I) Get a Witness," "Gimme My Mule," and "Hold On"; however, the song that Movin' On is best remembered for is the laid-back, gospel-drenched hit "Sweet Love." Written by Richie, "Sweet Love" is one of those secular soul tunes that isn't really gospel but borders on it; when Richie belts out the lyrics, "You got to keep on searching/harder/day by day," you feel like you're in the front row during an AME church service. And even though Movin' On is an LP that R&B purists rave about (rightly so), you can't say that it was ignored by pop audiences -- "Sweet Love" was a number two R&B hit, but it also reached number five on Billboard's pop singles chart. ~ Alex Henderson