With 21 slabs of pure, joyous funk complete with huge drums, blistering horn charts, pulsing basslines, stacks of wah-wah fuzz guitars, and enough energy and rhythm to rearrange the stratosphere, this delightful set of rare and independent California funk releases from the late '60s and early '70s is as much a nonstop dance party as it is an affirming revelation. It never stops grooving -- from the opener, Water Color’s “All Bundled into One,” a release so rare only one copy is known to exist, to the closer, a cover of
Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” by Mr. Clean & the Soul Inc., this is one powerful document. None of these sides was a national hit, and most didn’t even crack the local airwaves, but it’s not because they lack quality. There is so much to marvel at here, including the above-mentioned tracks as well as Arthur Monday’s thundering and slightly spooky “What Goes Around Comes Around” and the charging horns and percolating guitar of J.G.D. & the New Breed’s “North Richmond Breakaway.” It’s joyous funk as deep as the ocean is blue. You can’t go wrong with this one. ~ Steve Leggett