Omnivore Recordings: The South Side of Soul Street - The Minaret Soul Singles 1967-1976 - New Release Review
I just received the reissue of the South Side of Soul Street: The Minaret Soul Singles 1967-1972 and it's terrific! This 40 track (2 cd's) collection gathers all of the A's and B's of Minaret's soulful sides for the very first time. Opening the release is Big John Hamilton with The Train ... this is a terrific track with a pace along the lines of Stormy Monday, showing just how good Hamilton is as a vocalist and showcasing terrific guitar and piano riffs over stacked up horns. I'm sold already! Big Bad John is a rolling funky boogie with funky horns and understated guitar work. A high strutting R&B track you can smell the original sound when the sax kicks in... terrific! I Have No One is a beautiful vocal soul track with classic horn backing and understated guitar arpeggios. I Just Want To Thank You is another classic track which has roots in country...or does country have it's roots in soul. In any case, really nice. Genie Brooks is up next with...