Kent 205 - Various Artists - Impressed! 24 Groups Inspired By The Impressions (2002) + Booklet - Rare Soul

Back in the day,unknown groups wanting to hit the big time in the Soul world thought that sticking with a winning formula would at least get them a foot in the door ? The Drifters are obvious contenders with their strong NYC influence and the Miracles soundalikes tend to copy Smokey's lead. There are noticeable influences from the Temptations, though I'm sure most of the groups copied their looks and footwork.  However the most influential group of them all has to be Curtis Mayfield's Impressions, particularly in their mid 60s heyday. The records may have originated from any part of the US, not just that swingin' Chicago stronghold.  If we analyse the music too much we could find a case against all of the selections on Impressed, if only because they aren't the Impressions, but some of them get damned close so why knock it ? Now to the tracks, the Players He'll Be Back(album posted yesterday), a beautiful ballad concerning a lost love in Vietnam, is one of the better known tracks, having been a fair sized R&B hit on its 1966 release. Less well known, but arguably as good, is the Pacesetters What About Me, Baby.....released on the same Minit label two years later. By then the bandwagon had moved on and although the song is of comparable quality it made no impact whatsoever. On the plus side however it has saved a small musical gem for our appreciation years on. The Astors' Just Enough To Hurt Me is a great song, one of those tracks you go back to re-playing. The next track the Enjoyables' 'Bout My Baby was dog rare until it was summoned up from Capitol's tape vaults to see the light of day for the first time since 1964. It's as fine a finger clicker as you could wish to come across on a CD.many long time soul favourites are here,from the Climates, Poets, Saints, Falcons,  Dontells, Brilliants and Sonics. If you don't know the tracks by the Presidents, Expressions, Voice Masters, Realistics, or any others then you're in for a treat! Apart from supplying excellent sleevenotes Peter Burns helped guide the whole project with suggestions for and against inclusion to have the co-operation of one of the world's foremost Impressions experts was invaluable to kent. The project is a worthy tribute to the Impressions IMHO.

AMM

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