16 Slabs Of Funk

Alternative Press (8/02, p.90) - "...Surprisingly powerful...can still energize any gathering."

BMG Heritage's 2002 collection of The Jimmy Castor Bunch, 16 Slabs of Funk, doesn't cover as much ground as Rhino's 1995 set The Everything Man, but concentrates instead on Jimmy Castor's early '70s work for RCA Records. This means there are crucial tracks missing -- no "Hey Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You"; no "Bertha Butt Boogie"; no "Supersound" (to mention the most obvious tunes missing in action, and this isn't even counting a sampling of his earlier doo wop material tacked onto the Rhino set). So this really isn't the first place to turn if you want to hear The Jimmy Castor Bunch, especially if you want all the best stuff on one disc. However, if you want to dig deeper into his funky prime, this collection is a necessity, since it contains just three tracks from the Rhino comp; with the remaining 13 tracks being wildly funny, wildly funky, jams that may be silly; but for sheer enjoyment, The Jimmy Castor Bunch falls just below Parliament in their flamboyant goofiness. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine