Something way different... and way funky !
Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 05/17/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Pieces of Piece are hard to describe...
Its the early '70s.... They're a funk band, but nothing is "primitive" or "one chord jammy" about them...
nor are they a bunch of funk musicians trying to play Jazz on a superficial level...
Jazz concepts are in the music, but its still straight up funk...
the catch is that the arrangements have a lot of hooks and concepts going for them...
In some ways you might think of them as a black version of Chicago (circa CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY) - -
Also if you are familiar with Donny Hathaway's LIVE and RIPPLE'S self titled RIPPLE, that might give you an idea of the direction we're going... Rasputin Stash fans (another Chicago group) might also like PIECES OF PIECE.
As for the group themselves, they were Syl Johnson's back up band... and house musicians for Chicago's classic TWINIGHT label (check out the compilation ECCENTRIC SOUL: TWINIGHT'S LUNAR REVOLUTION.)
Being such, they had the skills and ability to play very straight up group sound AM radio mainstream soul circa the label... however, as evidenced by this album they also had lot's of skills and concept going for them... arrangements on this album feature very tight and developed horn arrangements, a comfortably tight early '70s style down home funk rhythm section... musicians who were "studio quality", yet also from the streets. (I believe Donny Hathaway was a member at one time.) - - The organist (like most the members of the group) doesn't show off doing blatant in your stuff face, however, he can be really really slick at times. - - I guess you'd call them a straight up funk band... but one's who weren't afraid to experiment and break boundaries...
As for my favorite track: POLLUTION... There are two versions of it... instrumental and vocal (sounds like Donny Hathaway actually) - - a latin funkish social message piece with some really far out horn lines... and while song like I STILL CARE and CEASE FIRE show off their skills as a mainstream R&B ensemble, there is no doubt that the mystical 6/4 YESTERDAY'S VISION or the frenzic mind trip funk instrumental PEACE AND BLESSINGS are not your standard R&B house band fair.
Overall, the band might lack some of the charisma and over-the-topness that could have made them funk superstars (some members did join a later '70s incarnation of earth wind and fire), the fact is that this is some really substantive listening that belongs in any hard core funk collector's listening collection."
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1