Oakland Soul [Explicit Lyrics]

Track Listings

1. Gotta' Get My Drank On - Rik G

2. Tossin' and Turnin' - D'Wayne Wiggins

3. Holla' at Me - Digital Underground

4. Sendin You a Signal

5. Slow Hittin' - KZO, Request

6. Pow Wow Chowie - Mad Man

7. On the Slunder - Rik G

8. Don't Disturb This Groove - Money-B

9. Hide and Go Get It - Blu, E-40,

10. Always (Be My Lover) - Force One Network

11. Representin'

12. What's Your Sign? - D'Wayne Wiggins

13. F#uck the World - Mad Man

14. Mackin' Thang

15. Dead or Alive

16. It's All Good

17. Raise Up off These (Nuts) - Akil, , Tupac Shakur

Oakland Soul,Various Artists,Southern Music Dist.,60's,70's,Hip-Hop,Pop,R&B,Soul,Urban

Oakland Soul [Explicit Lyrics]

Tracks:

Oakland Stroke...
Don't Change Horses (In The Middle Of A Stream)
Just When We Start Makin' It
Can't You See (You Doin' Me Wrong)
Squib Cakes
Time Will Tell
Man From The Past
Love's Been Gone So Long
I Got The Chop
Below Us, All The City Lights
...Oakland Stroke

Amazon.com

Formed out of various Oakland-based bands in the early '70s, Tower of Power was the West Coast answer to the various rock horn bands popular during that period. But where their rivals relied on catchy horn charts and bland lyrics (Chicago instantly comes to mind), Tower of Power was funkier, grittier, and a lot greasier than any of their contemporaries. Back to Oakland isn't one of their strongest albums. After two promising openers, "Oakland Stroke" and "Don't Change Horses in the Middle of the Stream," the set slips into more shapeless jams and is hobbled by the band's tendency toward mundane lyrics. Fans can savor the strong horn section work throughout, but this isn't the logical starting point for newcomers to TOP--a better bet is their second album, East Bay Grease. --Tom Vickers

Customer Reviews:

East Bay... All The Way.......2007-01-02

What can I tell you about some of my homeboys... from the Bay. You gotta be ready for variety when you listen to ToP, because normal and ordinary is not them. They mix rock with soul with jazz with anything and everything else that sounds good. One of my favorites.

Excellent Groove, Never Gets Old, Squib Cakes Highlight.......2005-04-28

Several tunes on 'Back to Oakland' feature Tower of Power at their best. One in particular that keeps me coming back is the deeply funky instrumental track, 'Squib Cakes'.

Featured soloists include a short, mellow guitar solo from Bruce Conte, followed by Greg Adams' fluegelhorn that first lurks in the pedal range (leading one to believe it's a trombone!) and then soars brilliantly higher and higher to a dramatic finish.

Tenor madness abounds from lead saxman Lenny Pickett (known primarily for his work as lead Tenor for the Saturday Night Live band), wailing in-tune in the difficult altissimo range (jazz musicians call these 'freak notes' because they are not notes typically included in the range of the instrument ... ), while at the same time refusing to compromise on excellent rhythmic and melodic ideas throughout.

Chester Thompson completes the soloistic foursome with a chunky Hammond organ solo that takes you back to a smoky bar in LA in the early 70s - without the probability of cancer. Lyrical yet hard-driving, Thompson lulls us first into his solo space by filling in behind the band as they chant 'Squib Cakes', then takes off on his own flight, delving out perfect 16th-note runs as though Bach suddenly had learned some jazz Hammond himself. In the middle of the solo, as if to a testament to the tightness of the groove, Thompson lingers on a treble note in his right hand, chunks out chords so symmetrically with the rest of the rhythm section with his left, that in the days of hearing this on vinyl, I wondered if my record was skipping through that section!

To finish the groove, at the end of Thompson's solo, the horns return to fill in a bridge with quick triplets. After he closes, we're back to the head to close out the tune.

Even with so much to savor, this syncopated gem will leave you hungering for more, even after the final stroke of the last chord. The musicianship and tightness of their groove more than make up for the bland lyrics on the album's other tunes. I have listened to this album for 30 years and revel in its freshness every time I spin it. I recommend it as a definite primer for anyone wishing to explore Tower of Power's "sound."

- Kathryn Shut

ONE WORD: AWESOME!!!.......2004-08-13

I should have written this a long time ago. This album (CD) changed the way I looked at music, at groups, at the meaning of life . . . well, maybe not that drastically. But this album started a huge love affair between me and the Tower of Power. I'd never heard anything even approaching their level of musicianship, professionalism or tightness as a horn-based group. I'd heard a ton of groups up to this point in time: Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago and that group that made VEHICLE being the most prominent. Even Buddy Miles on his BUDDY MILES LIVE album (OOP) had a tremendous horn section But none of them highlighted the horn sections consistently. None of them could come close to this group of musical prodigies.

Every cut was a joy to listen to. Even the split-up version of OAKLAND STROKE was just a fun jam. My impressions of the group: Aside from Jimmy Smith, I hadn't heard a Hammond B3 sound so funky till I heard Chester Thompson. Aside from Jr. Walker, I hadn't experienced anyone who had such masterful control of their altissimo range till I heard Lenny Pickett. The supporting horns (Kupka, Castillo, Adams and Gillette) had their own vibe and despite a lack of solo time, managed to make a significant impact on every song. And for bass work, nobody was touching Rocco Prestia. In his true prime, Rocco's style was totally individual. David Garibaldi was what I considered a phenomenal drummer. All his rhythms were crisp and unique . . . playing off the sycopation of the bass, organ and guitar. He had a serious ear for rhythms. Bruce Conte was one of the most underrated of the crew, but his guitar work was ahead of its time. There were traces of jazz and some island influences that I hear very plainly.

Lenny Williams' vocals really set a definitive tone for this group. They were distinctive, fluid and heartfelt. His voice made the puzzle complete; put the icing on the cake; lit the cigarette after some mind-blowing sex.

My favorite selections: Without a doubt, JUST WHEN WE START MAKIN' IT ranks as one of my all-time favorite tunes. It exemplifies what the group is all about. It's jazzy, it's laid back, but it drives relentlessly, fills you with emotional fire and thrills your music sense to its fullest. Lenny's vocals are soaring and urging, Pickett's sax solos are powerful and sensual, the staccato background horns are poignant and dynamic, the organ break not only resets tempo, but turns into a thing of genius. CT creating a series of rippling, bubbling organ lines against the crescendo of the entire horn contingent and the incomparable Garibaldi drums - cymbals crashing, bass tom rolling, the incredible beat he lays down was too innovative. I was overwhelmed the first time I heard this. I must have worn out the vinyl from overplaying it. Actually, I have owned this album/CD around 12 times since 1973, from having to repurchase it after having it stolen or borrowed out indefinitely.

Other favorites: TIME WILL TELL, CAN'T YOU SEE, CITY LIGHTS. And no instrumental rocked my soul for a long time like SQUIB CAKES. Chester wrote a lot of songs in some other albums, but they all sounded like mutated versions of SQUIB CAKES . . . like distant cousins or wannabe next door neighbors.

In all, I really love this album. It's been part of my life for over 30 years. And it just sounds better everytime I put it on.

SQUIB CAKES!.......2004-07-24

Squib Cakes is such an awesome song. "Dont Change Horses (in the Middle of a Stream)" is great too. This is an awesome CD. GET IT

...like a bowlegged monkey.......2003-10-17

Of all the Tower of Power albums (yes albums) and CDs I own, this has to be the best of the bunch. You have the band at a great point in their history with one of the premier lineups. The stand out song for me on the album is "Can't You See", a great song, especially live. Other good tunes include "Man from the Past" and "City Lights", which I would suggest while spending some time up at Coit Tower in San Francisco. If you were to get one TOP CD, I would say to get this one.

Average customer rating:

Better than ever
Awesome
Garibaldi is back
List of Best TOP albums
Outstanding

Oakland Zone
Tower of Power
Manufacturer: Or. Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

Jazz Funk | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Soul Vaccination: Live
East Bay Grease
Monster on a Leash
Rhythm & Business
In the Slot

ASIN: B00008NFAG
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

Eastside...
Give Me Your Love
Get What You Want
Could've Done It Better
This Type of Funk
Pocketful of Soul
Remember Love
Oakland Zone
Life Is What You Make It
Happy 'Bout That
Stranger in My Own House
Back in the Day
Page One
...Eastside

Customer Reviews:

Better than ever.......2005-01-28

This is the funkiest album ever. Most of the band is back together again, and they are tight. Funk is about the rhythm, and you can tell that Dave and Rocco are having fun. If you have been a TOP fan from the beginning, as I have, you will be excited about the new songs

Awesome.......2004-07-24

There are some great songs on this Cd. "Gimme your Love" is great. Stranger in my own home is not so great. But most of the songs on this CD are good. The newer musicians of TOP are great. Especially Tom Politzer. Get this CD.

Garibaldi is back.......2004-07-13

Yes, David Garibaldi is back and that alone is worth the price of admission. The whole band is in fine form on this disc. My only reservation is that I don't feel the songs are as memorable as on other TOP albums. Maybe repeated listenings will change my mind. Still worth every penny.

List of Best TOP albums.......2004-06-21

1. Live and in Living Color- Great 10 min. sax solo in Knock Yourself Out by Lenny Pickett (the guy from Saturday Night Live)
2. Soul Vaccination:Live- Tower is one of the best live bands around.
3. Bump City- 2nd Album,You got to Funkifize,Down to the Nightclub.
4. Tower of Power- self titled 3rd album, What is Hip?
5. Back to Oakland- Squib Cakes, AWESOME INSTRUMENTAL!!!
6. Urban Renewal- Lenny Williams shows his soul with Willing to Learn
7. East Bay Grease- 1st Album, Knock Yourself Out is my favorite song
8. T.O.P.-Tower's comeback album, Soul with a Capitol S
9. In the Slot- Great instrumentals, Greg Adams shows his genius
10.Rhythm & Buisness- So I got to Groove, cool song
11.Souled Out- Listen to Diggin' on James Brown
12.Oakland Zone
13.monster on a leash
14.Direct
15.Power
16.Ain't nothin stoppin us now
17.We came to play
18.Back On the streets

Outstanding.......2004-05-06

One of the best in a long line of Tower Of Power great albums. They did a wonderful job of keeping their sound consistant. Larry Braggs is a great singer, Doc and Rocco keep the low end strong, along with the great David Garibaldi on drums. Emilio keeps the energy up, and the band follows the leader. Outstanding album, couldn't recomend it higher.