Reuben Wilson & The Cost Of Living - GOT TO GET YOUR OWN (1975)

[JSngry]

http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=kfr...p;ref=index.php

The Stards Seigh:

Monster funk from Hammond hero Reuben Wilson -- an album of hard-burning, bad-walking tunes that are a fair bit different than most of his other work! Although Wilson recorded some pretty traditional organ jazz for the Blue Note and Groove Merchant labels, this album has him working with his "Cost Of Living" group -- a combo who only recorded this one album, and which includes Richard Tee on keyboards, Bad Bascomb on bass, Bernard Purdie on drums, and both Houston Person and Pee Wee Ellis on tenor sax! Most cuts have some sort of vocals -- sung by either Sammy Turner or Kenny Williams, both of whom really fit the badass spirit of the record, and bring in a nice range of deeper themes from the 70s. There's almost a blacksploitation funk feel to the record at times, although the set's also got more of a soul album focus too -- a rare move for Reuben, but one that's made the album a favorite for years! Tracks include the rare groove classics "Got To Get Your Own" and "Tight Money" -- plus "Together", "Stoned Out Of My Mind", "What The People Gon Say", "Back Rub", and "In The Booth In The Back In The Corner In The Dark".

There's some keywords there that are likely to send some y'all runnin', so let me assure you - yes, run. Run like hell from this one!

But otherwise...DAMN are these grooves tight! Badass spirit indeed! Not really a "Reben Wilson Organ Record", but one helluva funky band record.

If you think you might want it, trust me - you do.

[ejp626]

I was able to test drive this a bit at DG. I hoped I would like it, but it left me really unmoved. For me, the vocals spoiled the jazz (which they almost always do on these projects) but it was nowhere near funky enough to compete with Ohio Players for example. But I also have felt that I have been buying too much lately and this was an easy one to cut back on, so take it with a grain of salt.