Organized Con Funk Shun

70～80年代に活躍したファンク・バンドの雄で、現在も活動を続けるコン・ファンク・シャン。このたび初リイシューされた本作は73年にメンフィスで録音されるもリアルタイムで世に出されず、バンドがマーキュリーでブレイク後の78年になってようやくリリースされた、いわば幻のファースト・アルバム。後の姿とは異なるアーシーなグルーヴが剥き出しで良好です。
bounce (C)轟ひろみ

Being that this was Con Funk Shun's first album, it set the stage for what was to come during their reign as a premier R&B group. During this time, the group was under contract to the Memphis-based Crankshaft Productions, Inc. and under the direction of Ted Sturges. The album covers everything from funk to R&B/soul to jazz; "Love in Me" offers a spirited alto sax and melodious guitar rhythms, blended smoothly with the velvet vocals of Michael Cooper and Felton Pilate. "Love in Me" segues into the horn exhibition of "Seascape," featuring Pilate, Karl Fuller and Paul Harrell; the track is jazzy, mellow and soulful, but set in a ballad tempo. However, the featured ballad on the album is "Do You Really Know What Love Is For." Lyrically speaking, the song is a good indication that Con Funk Shun was a young group with maturity destined for success; the track is complemented by a young Felton Pilate, whose tenor nurtures the song graciously. ~ Craig Lytle