MOJO MUSIC GUIDE VOL. 2:  ROOTS OF HIP HOP   -   Various Artists

YEAR:  2003
LABEL:  Mojo
TRACK LISTING:  Adventures of Flash on the Wheels of Steel  -  Grandmaster Flash,  Get Out of My Life Woman  -  Lee Dorsey,  Tramp  -  Lowell Fulson,  Itch and Scratch (Part 1),  In the Whole  -  The Bar-Kays,  No Strings Attached  -  The Mad Lads,  Give It Up or Turnit A Loose  -  James Brown,  Lucretia Mac Evil  -  Blood Sweat & Tears,  The Grunt (Parts 1 & 2)  -  the JB's,  Get Up & Get Down  -  The Dramatics,  Here I Am (Come & Take Me)  -  Al Green,  Gotta Get Away  -  Flaming Ember,  It's Just Begun  -  The Jimmy Castor Bunch,  NT  -  Kool & the Gang,  Bra  -  Cymande,  Flash Light  -  Parliament,  King Tim III  -  The Fatback Band,  That's the Joint  -  Funky 4 + 1
IMPRESSIONS:  One of the better cover-mounted cds produced by MOJO magazine over the years, this one provides the funk, all right.  Funk funk funk and some soul and rap as well.  Particularly fun to listen to is the cd opener of Grandmaster Flash's remix 12" EP utilizing his various past productions combined into an autobiographical turntable classic.  There's the much-sampled drum beat from Lee Dorsey's "Get Out of My Life Woman" as well as James Brown's "Give It Up or Turnit A Loose".  The early days of rap can be glimpsed with fun tracks "King Tim III" and "That's the Joint" by the Fatback Band and Funky 4 + 1 respectively.  This is one of Mojo's most satisfying listens from start to finish as it keeps the groove on the move!
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Adventures of Flash on the Wheels of Steel, Get Out of My Life Woman  -  Lee Dorsey,  Itch and Scratch (Part 1)  -  Rufus Thomas,  In the Whole  -  The Bar-Kays,  No Strings Attached  -  The Mad Lads,  Give It Up or Turnit A Loose  -  James Brown,  The Grunt (Parts 1 & 2)  -  The JB's,  Get Up & Get Down  -  The Dramatics,  Here I Am (Come & Take Me)  -  Al Green,  Gotta Get Away  -  The Flaming Ember,  It's Just Begun  -  The Jimmy Castor Bunch,  NT  -  Kool & the Gang,  Flash Light  -  Parliament,  King Tim III  -  The Fatback Band,  That's the Joint  -  Funky 4 + 1 
FACT SHEET:  MOJO MUSIC GUIDE VOL. 2:  ROOTS OF HIP HOP is a cd given away free with the September 2003 issue of Great Britain's music magazine MOJO.  It is the second in a series of 4 "music guide" volumes released at the time:  the others were Vol. 1: Instant Garage, Vol. 3: Raw Soul and Vol. 4: Blues Power. 

I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU - Al Green

YEAR: 1972

LABEL: Hi

TRACK LISTING: I'm Still In Love With You, I'm Glad You're Mine, Love and Happiness, What A Wonderful Thing Love Is, Simply Beautiful, Oh Pretty Woman, For the Good Times, Look What You Done For Me, One of These Good Old Days

IMPRESSIONS: The King of Cool and the Sultan of Soul! "As silken as bedsheets and as soft as a mattress..." in the words of author Robert Gordon. This album contains three of my all-time favourite Al Green songs: the exquisite title track and "Love and Happiness" as well as a breathtaking cover of Kris Kristofferson's "For the Good Times".

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: I'm Still In Love With You, Love and Happiness, What A Wonderful Thing Love Is, Simply Beautiful, Oh Pretty Woman, For the Good Times, Look What You Done For Me, One of These Good Old Days

FACT SHEET: I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU is Al Green's fifth album. It is the most successful album of Green's career making it to number four on the Billboard 200 and number one on the R&B chart. The album was produced by Green's steady producer Willie Mitchell. "Oh Pretty Woman" is a cover of the Roy Orbison hit and "For the Good Times" is a Kris Kristofferson song.