Love's a Real Thing is an excellent introduction into the wild sound world of West Africa in the '70s. As Ronnie Graham points out in his superb liner notes, the '60s were a time of assimilation for much of the popular music of Africa. Many bands were playing a hybrid of Latin and African music typified by the Congolese rhumba of Franco & OK Jazz. The '70s were a different bag, though, with the heavy electric sounds of Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Cream, and others seeping into the consciousness of a new generation of ...
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Love's a Real Thing is an excellent introduction into the wild sound world of West Africa in the '70s. As Ronnie Graham points out in his superb liner notes, the '60s were a time of assimilation for much of the popular music of Africa. Many bands were playing a hybrid of Latin and African music typified by the Congolese rhumba of Franco & OK Jazz. The '70s were a different bag, though, with the heavy electric sounds of Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Cream, and others seeping into the consciousness of a new generation of Africans who were also contending with their own emerging sense of identity. The results are raucous, exuberant melting pots of funky soul, psychedelic rock, and honey-sweet Latin horns mixed through the sensibilities of extremely talented African bands on the cusp of developing styles like soukous, mbalax, and Afro-beat. Senegal's Star Band Number One (aka Etoile de Dakar and confusingly billed here as No. 1 de No. 1), were already seasoned veterans by the dawn of the 1970s, and the sound of their "Guajira Van" with its sinewy fuzz guitar solo and talking drum stabs is glorious proto-mbalax. Elsewhere, there are songs more directly inspired by rock and soul. "Allah Wakbarr" by Ofo & the Black Company has a heavy acid rock guitar lead competing with a conga drum for the top of the mix. The title cut, "Love's a Real Thing" by Gambia's Super Eagles, is a gritty organ and electric guitar-driven soul number that could have come out of Memphis' Stax Records. One of the later period numbers, William Onyeabor's "Better Change Your Mind" from 1978, is sophisticated Afro-soul riding on an alien keyboard line. "Keleya" from Mali's Moussa Doumbia is the funkiest of the Afro-beat songs on Love's a Real Thing; its chunky organ solo and James Brown grunts beat out the more laid-back "Ifa" from Tunji Oyelana & the Blenders and "Awon-Ojise-Oluwa" from Nigerian studio veteran Gasper Lawal. There have been other series that have explored Africa in this vibrant and historic period -- the fantastic Ethiopiques, Dakar Sound, and Discotheque discs document Ethiopia, Senegal, and Guinea, respectively -- but what Love's a Real Thing lacks in depth it makes up for in breadth, and the fact that it surveys the whole region rather than a single area makes it a great entry point for them all. ~ Wade Kergan, Rovi
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Add this copy of World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's a Real Thing to cart. $3.83, good condition, Sold by Seattle Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Luaka Bop.
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Add this copy of World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's a Real Thing to cart. $4.99, very good condition, Sold by Service First Media rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Taylorsville, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Luaka Bop.
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Very good. Includes disc(s), case, booklet, and back artwork. May show slight wear. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality.
Add this copy of World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's a Real Thing to cart. $5.19, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Diamond rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Luaka Bop.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's a Real Thing to cart. $7.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Luaka Bop.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
