Eccentric Soul: Smart's Palace

by Eccentric Soul

Overview

The concept behind Numero Group compilations is almost impossible to resist: they find an obscure Midwestern funk or soul label that was operated as a labor of love out of someone's basement or garage in the 1960s and 1970s, one that attracted a reasonable amount of local talent and produced a regional hit or two, and they lovingly package a generous collection of tracks from that label's vaults, complete with detailed liner notes and lots of photos. But there does tend to be a problem: while there are always gems hidden in these vaults, there is also usually a fair amount of dross -- and even the best stuff tends to be obscured somewhat behind really crappy sound. Sometimes it doesn't matter, and the low fidelity only adds to the charm. In the case of this collection of tracks from artists who orbited around the Wichita club called Smart's Palace between 1965 and 1975, the poor sound quality is more frustrating than usual. Sometimes the lousy sonics are no more than what the song deserves, as on the resolutely mediocre "I'm Not Ashamed" by Baby Neal & the Smart Brothers, or the slightly more impressive "I Was Made to Love Her" by Theron & Darrell. But elsewhere, you find yourself struggling to hear what are clearly great performances hidden under a dense layer of sonic grit: Theron & Darrell's fun and uplifting "It's Your Love," L.T. & the Soulful Dynamics' "Everybody Needs Somebody," the Smart Brothers' brilliant faux-live "I've Got a Funny Feeling." Curiosity seekers and period completists will be thrilled to have this material, but more casual listeners will want to proceed with caution. ~ Rick Anderson

Product Details

Release Date:	04/21/2009
Label:	Numero
UPC:	0825764102728
Rank:	145074

Tracks

1. I'm Not Ashamed  -  Baby Neal  -  Smart Brothers
2. I Was Made to Love Her  -  Theron & Darrell
3. Tell Her  -  Jewels Band  - Fred Williams
4. Barefoot Philly  -  Smart Brothers
5. A Day in the Life  -  Chocolate Snow
6. Lorraine  -  Baby Neal  -  Smart Brothers
7. Everybody Needs Somebody  -  LT & The Soulful Dynamics
8. It's Your Love  -  Theron & Darrell
9. If You Really Love Me  -  Hard Road  - C.C. Neal
10. Inflation  -  Chocolate Snow
11. Don't Hate Let's Communicate  - Kenneth Carr  -  Smart
12. Herbie's Bag  -  Smart
13. The Dance Got Old  -  Jewels Band  - Fred Williams
14. I've Got a Funny Feeling  -  Baby Neal  -  Smart Brothers
15. Crazy About You Baby  -  LT & The Soulful Dynamics
16. Mercy Baby  -  Jacob
17. Dedicated to You  -  Hard Road  - C.C. Neal
18. Let Me Be Your Christmas Toy  -  Chocolate Snow
19. It's Like Heaven  -  Chocolate Snow

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Chocolate Snow   Primary Artist
L.T. & The Soulful Dynamics   Primary Artist
Jewels Band   Primary Artist
Kenneth Carr   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Tim Jacob   Primary Artist
Theron & Darrell   Primary Artist
The Smart Brothers   Primary Artist
John Smart Band   Primary Artist
Hard Road   Primary Artist
C.C. Neal   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Baby Neal   Primary Artist
Soulful Dynamics   Primary Artist
Fred Williams & The Jewels Band   Primary Artist
Fred Williams   Primary Artist
Eccentric Soul   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Paul McCartney   Composer
Fred Williams   Composer
Gafford   Composer
Welch   Composer
Jacob   Composer
L. Tucker   Composer
Smart   Composer
Buckner   Composer
Carr   Composer
Boothe   Composer
R. Smart   Composer
Tom Lunt   Reissue Producer
Rob Sevier   Compilation Producer,Reissue Producer
Dante Carfagna   Compilation Producer
Ken Shipley   Reissue Producer
John Lennon   Composer
Tucker   Composer
Neal   Composer
Blue   Composer
C. Smart   Composer