Country Funk 2: 1967-1974 / Var

Why only 3.5 stars? I still love just about anything that Light in the Attic records puts out, and I would still recommend this album. However, some pros & cons:PROS: (1) The cover of "Don't be Cruel" by Billy Swan is I think the best cover of a song I have ever heard. Totally different than the Elvis version, but man does it work, and in some ways sounds like it could have been put out today instead of 1974. Takes a few listens to as your brain processes the new direction, but once it clicks, it's on repeat city (2) Two other GREAT songs: "Me & Mr. Hohner" by Bob Darin and "Pay Day Giveaway" by Bill Wilson. I didn't know Darin wrote stuff like this until recently, his song "Light Blue" on Vol 1 is ridiculously good.CONS: (1) More like "country-soul" than "country-funk" overall. It's not that all the songs are bad (although there are a few clunkers, one that sounds like a bali-wood version of a Beatles song (really!)), its just that they ain't as truly funky as the first. Some seem to be labeled funky only because they are country covers of funk songs (but don't sound funky in their own right), or just use the word funky in the title. Rather than sounding like they found more country-funk, this comes across more like songs that didn't make the cut for the first Country Funk. (2) The in-depth liner notes are gone, replaced by an interesting but so-so little two page cartoon story. Pictures of the old album covers are still included, but the liner notes for some of the more obscure groups, as was the case with Vol. 1, would have been nice.Country Funk set a high standard, and IMHO this one just did not measure totally up. However, with it containing three must have songs, it is still worth looking into for most fans of Vol 1. And after Light in the Attic records exposed me to other great musician's I would have never heard of, like Sixto Rodriguez, it's also hard to put them down. Cold Fact .

I love Volume 1, and Volume 2 is another amazing set of songs from this amorphous genre. Neither one is better or worse than the other, but this album has a slightly different feel from the first collection. Overall, it feels a little more upbeat and maybe a little more cohesive as a collection.Volume 2 contains a few deep cuts from more mainstream country artists as well, but my favorite track so far is Me and Mr. Hohner from Bob Darin. I just hope there's another collection on the way.

This is a quality pressing and very unique collection of mashed-up-funkified versions of some country essentials. AWESOME!

Get the funk outta here! Hippie esque soul dipped gems on this one...some memorable, others are forgettable, but overall a decent play through.Volume one is worth the pick up as well.

GREAT MUSIC

Growing up in Northeast Maine,it seemed as if the only music that truly united the majority of people was country/western. My father was deep into jazz. But he also enjoyed a good deal of country as well. Some of the country music he would be was deeply rooted in the blues. But this was the mid 90's. And due to my own interests? I heard it as...well country funk. Musical discussions I heard around me outside the family gave me to think that such a musical foundation was preposterous. But I wondered why was it? There was certainly country soul. And what was country funk but that with a little more rhythmic elbow grease? When the first volume of this compilation series came out? There was the name right on the cover. It was a gratifying feeling to see that. However,the album was not readily available in my area. And I just didn't quite understand why that was. So when this second volume was? I was very excited and went right out to pick it up. I knew most of the names. But was curious to hear the grooves within. Billy Swan (of "I Can Help") fame brings a slow groove,spare instrumental flavor to Elvis's "Don't Be Cruel". Dillard & Clark's "Don't Let Me Down" has a similar effect about it. Bobby Darin's "Me And Mr. Hohner",Hoyt Axton's "California Women",Willie Nelson's "Shotgun Willie",Dolly Parton's "Getting Happy"-with its wildly grooving drum intro,Jim Ford's "Rising Sign",JJ Cale's sleek "Cajun Moon",Donnie Fritts "Sumpin Funky Going On" and Kenny Rogers And The First Edition's "Tulsa Turnaround" are all straight up funk from where I sit-filled with bouncing bass lines,often rhythmic horn charts and that strong bluesy melodic orientation. These represent my favorite songs on the album. Others such as "Townes Van Zandt's "Hunger Child Blues",Thomas Jefferson Kaye's "Collection Box",Jackie DeShannon's version of The Band's "The Weight" and Bill Wilson's "Pay Day Give Away" are more in the blues/rock vein really-closer to the Rolling Stone's early 70's take on blues/country-rock funkiness. "Nobody" from Larry Willaims & Johnny Watson With The Kaleidoscope is an electric sitar powered psychedelic soul groove with a decidedly counter cultural lyrical theme. The percussive final two numbers "Long Long Time To Get Old from Great Speckled Bird and Willis Alan Ramsey's "Northeast Texas Woman" both have a Afro-Latin influence mixed in-rather surprising to hear in this sort of hybrid outside Johnny Cash's mariachi horns on his hit "Ring Of Fire". Considering that JJ Cale and Dolly Parton are two country artists I know very well here,and are a fantastic example of some of the artists in the genre I heard some strong funk from before this compilation came out? There were still many surprises to be found on this album. Especially when it came to artists I didn't know,or didn't know too well. Turns out some of those unknowns to me,such as Jim Ford,were very well known for having soul and funky grooves as a strong element in their sound. Of course any genre of music can be played in a funky way. On these songs however,there is some country instrumentation but played around the rhythm more then the melodic style of the ballads and country swing that I was used to hearing in the music. Considering these songs were all recorded in the eight year period between 1967 and 1974? A good portion of it came right out of what I refer to as the funk era. Among musicians in those many genres,funk's rhythmic basis was becoming a strong cornerstone that a song could be built upon. For those people who are funk/soul fans,and whose friends and/or family are primarily familiar with country music? I highly recommend that you seek this CD out. It really allows for an understanding of a subgenre of music that not only existed,but still flourishes today.

Love these albums. A must have for the summer

With lesser known acts rubbing shoulders with household names, this is another fine compilation from Light in the Attic. There are soulful country vibes aplenty but it's not as funky as the first volume. Nonetheless there's still an impressive and diverse array of songs on offer and much to enjoy.Billy Swan opens the album with a dramatically re-worked cover of Elvis' 'Don't Be Cruel' where he slows thing right down - it works perfectly and it very soulful (but not funky!). Bobby Darin's 'Me and Mr Hohner' is underpinned by a heavy bass line and takes in a cool organ break and Jackie Deshannon's turns in a powerful cover of 'The Weight'. Lady of the moment Dolly Parton gets happy on the up-tempo 'Getting Happy' (check out the sample friendly percussion and bass break on the intro) and 'Rising Sign' by Jim Ford sounds like deep southern fried Sly and The Family Stone and it's the best song here.Clocking in a couple of minutes shy of the hour mark, special mention must be made of the sound quality - it's superb. Where other labels fail with the mastering, LITA releases always sound amazing. Housed in a sturdy gatefold cardboard sleeve alongside a booklet with original release details and images of record sleeves, there's little in the way of liner notes but I suppose the music speaks for itself. Put on your headphones, turn up the volume, kick back and enjoy!

The law of diminishing returns suggests that this second collection of tracks in the Country Funk series should be a bit ropey but, hell, here's the exception to the rule. If anything, this is an even more potent funk gumbo than the first.There are some seriously low-down tunes on here and special note must go to Bob Darin's ode to his harmonica `Me & Mr. Hohner' which is all seedy streetlife and police hassle & Jim Ford's `Rising Sign' has one of the nastiest grooves I've heard in a long while. The incongruous opening track is a stunning reading of Elvis' `Don't Be Cruel' which appears to have been prescribed a course of serious downers and while not being possessed of `the funk' is one of the highlights here. Even Dolly Parton's `Getting Happy' is a surprisingly strong entry and my only criticism of both this and its predecessor is the lack of balance in offering female talent. Where some of the previous LP came across as a bit novelty and cash-in, every single track on here is killer and won't have you touching the skip button.All in all, across 17 peerless tracks, to these ears you've got a contender for compilation of the year which will also miraculously transform whatever vehicle you're driving into the General Lee. Indispensable.

Light in the Attic brought out some heavy hitters for their second volume of Country Funk. First off the sound is remarkably crisp and clear and the basslines shine trough.Billy Swann starts the proceedings with an ultra slow rendition of Don't be cruel. Followed by Bob Darin's Me and Mr Hohner a second track off his Commitment album. This a harmonica ditty with a killer bassline.Dolly Parton is represented with a happy song called Getting Happy and Jackie Deshannon covers The Weight. Dillard and Clark cover Don't let me down.Jim Ford's Rising Sign is probably the best one and also of interest is Donnie Fritts' Sumpin Funky Goin On.Of the more popular songs on here are JJ Cale's Cajun Moon and Willie Nelson's Shotgun Willie.All in all an excellent compilation of country funk.One can only hope that Volume 3 will appear sooner than the two years it took for this one to be released.

Trés bonne compilation de country funk; le groove est au rendez vous avec c e son d e l'amerique profonde mais electrifiée par les années 60 et 70 et d e superbes voix...