In contrast to the many soul veterans who who have turned to urban contemporary sounds in the hope of staying on the staying on the charts,
Tower of Power has stuck with the type of horn-driven, live-sounding funk and soul that put the Bay Area band on the map. Tower was long past its prime by the time
Monster on a Leash was released in 1991, and had experienced its share of personnel changes. Lead singer
Tom Bowes, although a passionate and competent belter, is hardly on a par with
Lenny Williams. Even so, this is a respectable and decent effort from a band that remained artistically viable by staying true to itself. Unapologetically '70s-sounding, the album falls short of the unmitigated excellence of
Back to Oakland and
Urban Renewal, but isn't significantly different in its approach, content or attitude. While novices would do better to start with either those gems, this is an album that diehard Tower enthusiasts shouldn't pass up. ~ Alex Henderson