Tower of Power - East Bay Grease
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Free Music Notes for East Bay Grease
Free Music Review: SUPERIOR-SOUNDING JAPAN 2008 REMASTER NOW AVAILABLE
Hit: 5 Stars
In 2008, WEA Japan released the entire WB Tower Of Power catalog in remastered form. All of the albums benefit from new mastering, and are worthwhile acquisitions for fans.
I found all of the remastered material to be superior to the Rhino 2CD "What Is Hip?" 1999 compilation set, except, surprisingly, for the material from the 3rd album, which sounds better on the Rhino.
Amazon does a haphazard job of stocking these remasters, so you may have to seek them from Japan-based retailers. Also, Amazon's prices are at least a third higher than buying direct from Japan, although shipping costs will cut into that percentage.
Here are the links for the `08 remasters:
East Bay Grease
Bump City
Tower Of Power
Back To Oakland
Urban Renewal
In The Slot
Live And In Living Color
Again, it's sad that American consumers have to obtain better sounding CD's from another country. WEA, and now WMG, have long maintained a corporate policy of not upgrading their catalog under the "they're-gonna-buy-it-anyway-so-why-waste-profits" philosophy, no matter that rival Sony has made a lucative business model out of remastering nearly the entire Columbia records catalog. Although this internal policy was mandated by the WEA regimes of the past, Edgar Bronfman, the current WMG chief, has maintained the status quo.
So, Tower Of Power now joins fellow WEA artists Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder, The Doobie Brothers, Tower Of Power, Neil Young, Van Dyke Parks, Little Feat, Van Morrison, America, Annie Haslam, Everything But The Girl, Roberta Flack, Todd Rundgren, Cold Blood and Paul Butterfield, just to name a few, whose catalogs either partially or wholly exist in better audio in Japan than here in the U.S.
It's a pathetic and frustrating situation.
Free Music Review: The first, and perhaps best, Tower of Power album
Hit: 5 Stars
If you have not heard any Tower of Power songs that pre-date "What is Hip?" or "So Very Hard to Go" (which are justifiably classic TOP and funk), check out "East Bay Grease." Six tunes may seem a scant offering, but it's packed with funky rhythms and hard-biting horn lines. The soul factor reaches a climax at "The Skunk, the Goose, and the Fly", while the delicate "Sparkling in the Sand" offers a contrast to the rest of the album. Most of the major TOP players (Kupka, Adams, Prestia, Garibaldi, Castillo) are here, and the album shows the group at its rawest, funkiest, and "greasiest." Pick it up while it's still available.Free Music Review: Oakland, the Avenues..knock yrself out!
Hit: 4 Stars
The SF Bay Area has been typecasted as Hippie central. Nothin' but Airplane, Dead, Quicksilver, jams that last way tooooolong.
So wrong!
Tower of Power was bred and born from the streets of Oakland,step brother of Sly And Family Stone from Vallejo. The CA. funk that still resonates to this day.
Late 60's, early 70's Nor. CA. bands were full of horn bands, Memphis/Stax influenced, i.e. Cold Blood w/ Lydia Pense, Mother Earth, and Loading Zone.
Tower of Power had the best musicians, a shoutin' soul singer, and the charts that made them high above all the rest.
This CD is their first. It is a template for Oakland funk; dirty horns, sweet harmony, and a bass that defines the Bay Bridge: tuff sturdy and don't mess w/ us.
This CD has some drop off in the ballad, "Sparkling in the Sand", but so did the LP. The main hit hard hurray of "Knock Yrself Out", still kicks out.
The LP is hard to find in good shape, it got played a lot. The CD is kinda hard to find..but worth it.
Free Music Review: BAY AREA BORN AND BRED
Hit: 5 Stars
TOWER OF POWER IS THE @#@#$%^%.WHEN THIS HIT THE STREET ,WE WERE BACK ON THE STREET BEATS AGAIN. A TOTALY NEW, AND IMPROVED SOUND MANY ARE STILL TRYING TO REGULATE IE...LIQUID SOUL COMES TO MIND,AND WHERE ARE THEY NOW?only lydia pense and cold blood comes close .If you don't have their stuff you DON'T have any clue. EAST BAY GREASE IS STILL A MONSTER ,THAT IS UNLESS YOU STILL NEED THE RADIO TO TELL WHAT IS HIP. ALL THESE TRACKS DO BELONG TOGETHER.and, SPARKLIND IN THE SAND IS STILL THE BEST SLOW PRE T.O.P. BALLAD. BUY THIS AND GET RE-EXPERIENCED.YOWSERS, THIS IS GREAT STUFF. GOD BLESS T.O.P. AND IT'S VANILLA SUBURBS. [...] HOLLA IF YOU FEEL ME. Free Music Review: A must for TOP fans, but for newbies, it's not the one to own.
Hit: 4 Stars
If you're a loyal TOP fan, you've gotta have it. But if you're new to the group and looking for a classic Tower album, I would recommend In the Slot or Live and in Living Color or Urban Renewal.