Time: 54:37
Size: 125.1 MB
Styles: R&B, Funk, Pop/Rock/Jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front
[ 4:50] 1. Anna
[ 4:27] 2. Seeking Further
[ 4:40] 3. Diamond Girl
[ 4:57] 4. Temple Of Soul
[ 6:32] 5. Ode To China
[ 4:34] 6. Sunshine In Your Smile
[ 3:48] 7. Purple Haze
[ 3:41] 8. Salty!
[ 4:11] 9. Love Me Tonight
[12:53] 10. Jazzy Outtake
Temple of Soul is a sort of American equivalent of Tackhead, featuring top session players stretching out in search of their own thang – or rather, James Brown's, Jimi Hendrix's and Herbie Hancock's thangs, judging by the jazz-funk indulgence that is Brothers in Arms.
There's no doubting the pedigrees of drummer (and producer of 56 No 1 hits) Narada Michael Walden, E Street Band saxist Clarence Clemons, former JBs bassist TM Stevens and Vernon Ice Black, veteran guitarist with Aretha, Whitney, Mariah and Stevie; but – as ever when musos get together – the results tend to sound like themes from American cop series.
The lack of a proper vocalist dulls the edge, with limp Barry White pastiches and Family Stone-style line-swapping failing to disguise their shortcomings. Black, who has played with Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding, essays a suitably heavy, FX-drenched "Purple Haze". The most interesting piece is "Ode to China", on which Clemons adopts a raspy tone akin to Gato Barbieri for a collaboration involving Chinese violin and harp; there are more sensitive cross-cultural experiments around, but in these surroundings it sounds positively alien. ~Andy Gill
There's no doubting the pedigrees of drummer (and producer of 56 No 1 hits) Narada Michael Walden, E Street Band saxist Clarence Clemons, former JBs bassist TM Stevens and Vernon Ice Black, veteran guitarist with Aretha, Whitney, Mariah and Stevie; but – as ever when musos get together – the results tend to sound like themes from American cop series.
The lack of a proper vocalist dulls the edge, with limp Barry White pastiches and Family Stone-style line-swapping failing to disguise their shortcomings. Black, who has played with Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding, essays a suitably heavy, FX-drenched "Purple Haze". The most interesting piece is "Ode to China", on which Clemons adopts a raspy tone akin to Gato Barbieri for a collaboration involving Chinese violin and harp; there are more sensitive cross-cultural experiments around, but in these surroundings it sounds positively alien. ~Andy Gill
Brothers In Arms
