Search - Jimmy James :: Where Your Music Takes Me

Northern Soul/Disco Artifact

Randall E. Adams | Los Angeles, CA United States | 08/13/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is Sequel Records' excellent companion release to "Vagabond King," picking up where the other set leaves off. It includes the best of James' 1970s era work with Pye Records. There was a hiatus between James' first and second contracts with Pye and this set will not include the tracks released on other labels such as "Marble and Iron" and "Help Yourself." The material on here is sourced from three LPs and a handful of singles. There is some classic 1970s smooth soul such as "Hey Girl" and "I Know You Don't Love Me," as well as great bubblegum soul such as "Chains of Love" and "Dancin' to the Music of Love." Of course, there is also disco--not my personal favorite musical style--but James' version of this form occasionally wandered into suprising social commentary such as the lengthy "Now is the Time," an anti-nuclear message. More entertaining are the funk numbers such as "You Don't Stand a Chance" and another great 1970s social commentary "I Am Somebody." These tracks won't make you forget George Clinton and his friends but they are good period pieces. One of the cool things about Jimmy James' work during this period is that a large amount of it was written by the talented Anglo Indian writer/producer Biddu. Besides the merits of Biddu's songwriting and arranging skills this also means virtually no cover versions.I recommend this disc for anyone who enjoys the nearly forgotten pre-disco/post-60s soul sound and also for any fans of the British soul scene. It was really getting into gear here."