Digital Roundup: 7/13/15
The Gary Burton Quartet, Live in Tokyo: A six-pack of tracks released in 1971 to document Burton and company’s then-recent jaunt to Japan. If it sounds like an EP from the number of songs, don’t kid yourself: there’s not a single selection that comes in at under five minutes in length.
Digital Underground, Sons of the P: When you’ve had a hit single as popular as “The Humpty Dance,” it’s always hard to figure out a way to match its success, let alone top it, so Digital Underground just kept on doing what they’d already been doing. Sons of the P definitely didn’t soar to the same heights as its predecessor, Sex Packets, but it did score a couple of hits (“Kiss You Back” and “No Nose Job”) and served to extend the group’s time in the spotlight. If you liked what you heard on their debut but never got around to checking out their sophomore effort, it’s never too late.
Judy Collins, The 60’s Collection: One of the defining voices of folk music and the whole singer-songwriter scene, Judy Collins delivered a strong series of albums in the ‘60s, starting with her 1961 debut A Maid of Constant Sorrow and carrying on through 1968’s Who Knows Where the Time Goes? As you might expect from the title of this set, both of those efforts are here, and in between the bookends you’ll also find Golden Apples of the Sun, Judy Collins 3, The Judy Collins Concert, Fifth Album, In My Life, and her commercial breakthrough, Wildflowers.
MC Lyte, The Very Best of MC Lyte: There was a time when female rappers were seen almost as a novelty, but if MC Lyte ever heard you say that of her, we expect she’d knock some sense into you pretty darned quick. This compilation is an excellent sampler of Lyte’s best work, including no less than five tracks to hit #1 on the US Rap Singles chart: “Paper Thin,” “Cha Cha Cha,” “Poor Georgie,” “Ruffneck,” and “Cold Rock a Party.”
Tenderloin, Let It Leak/Bullseye: A little bit boogie and a little bit blues, Tenderloin arrived from Middle America too early to enjoy any of the benefits reaped by future Americana superstars like Ryan Adams and the Old ‘97s, but these two albums have enough rockin’ riffs to get anyone on their feet and dancing to the beat.
The Bucketheads, All in the Mind: Beware anyone who claims to have see The Bucketheads in concert, because they almost certainly didn’t. In fact, the “group” was created by Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez as a way of exploring a side of music that he wasn’t able to do within the context of Masters of Work. The end result was a dance smash that DJs loved, particularly the singles “The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall Into My Mind)” and “Got Myself Together.” Sadly, it was the only album Dope ever released as The Bucketheads, but let’s just be grateful that we got this much.
