Search - Various Artists :: Home Schooled: The Abcs of Kid Soul

Interesting, but weak collection

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 10/16/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Numero usually gives the best "picks of the litter" when it comes to unearthing obscure Soul Music, but they put a lot of litter among the picks here this time around.



We seventies children fondly recall the days when the success of the Jackson 5, 5 Stairsteps, and the Sylvers inspired many kids to form their own groups as the rappers of later generations would inspire kids of their eras. Almost every Black neighborhood of size in the 1970s had their own kid groups that sang and/or played instruments.



This CD is one of the few items I know of that document this phenomenon. Unfortuantely, while it can be admired for being adventurous enough to find the most obscure examples of the genre, these songs and artists do not represent the best of their kind as a whole. Prepuescent screechers mumbling lyrics they don't really understand tend to dominate this set. No threat to Joe and Katherine's brood from Gary,Indiana here.



However, this set is not a total washout. Some good kid stuff shines through on a few cuts. Patrizia & Jimmy's "Trust Your Child" is a tough and funky 1974 protorap about the generation gap. Patrizia's sassy and confident vocals to some really thought-provoking lyrics make this one a winner. The fittingly-named Promise contributes the "pretty but gritty" number "I'm Not Ready for Love." Sort of a female Jackson 5, this song really conjures up images of the 70s for those who weren't there and fond memories of the era for those of us who were. You will find yourself humming this one to yourself all day after playing it.



The Quantrelles, a girl group produced by Blues Legend Willie Dixon, does a nice job along similar lines with "Can't Let You Break My Heart" and Jr. & The Soulettes (none who were yet teenagers at the time) do an amazing instrumental called "2009 Cherry Hill Soul." Unfortuantely, the rest is strictly Amateur Night at the Apollo circa 1975 on a cheap tape recorder.



It would have helped had the compilers been a bit more discriminating. Ditch the screechy-voiced amateur playground warblers and mix the better tunes here with the likes of the Sylvers, Chee Chee and Peppy, 5 Stairsteps, etc. (The Jackson 5 are too easily available elsewhere to be included on such a set) and there would be a better representation of the 70s phenomenon of kiddie soul (perhaps this idea would work well in a sequel). But as for this, buy it used.

"