juli 30, 2020

The Brothers Johnson - Winners (1981) - €10,00

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Winners is a studio album by the Brothers Johnson, released in 1981.
From 1975-1980, the Brothers Johnson enjoyed a very lucrative association with producer Quincy Jones -- one that brought them both creative and commercial success.
And when that association ended after their fourth album, Light Up the Night, their popularity faded.

This is the first album of The Brothers Johnson not to be produced by Quincy Jones, and as much as I love the brothers, I do have to admit that it shows. In the absence of Q's perfectionism that brought us such classic soul and R&B albums as Off The Wall, Thriller, Give Me The Night and The Dude - to add to the brothers' four preceding albums of their own - we're left with something that is pleasant and listenable, but that doesn't quite blow your socks off.

All of those things said, you can still see the brothers' talent here, as they instead self-produce in the wake of Q's exit from long-time label A&M to Warner Brothers. The first three or four songs seem to be based quite deliberately on the template of their previous album, Light Up The Night, with The Real Thing and Dancin' Free comparing reasonably well with the corresponding openers on the aforementioned LP, Stomp! and the title track. Sunlight, meanwhile, seems to be the Winners equivalent of the Rod Temperton classic, Treasure. Again, so far, so nice.

Then, things start getting a bit weirder as the influence of the brothers' new collaborators, various members of Toto, takes hold... with the likes of I Want You and Caught Up exhibiting a more arena-friendly rock sound that you just don't really expect from The Brothers Johnson... or necessarily actually want. Do It For Love, meanwhile, is a pleasing return to a more traditionally Brothers Johnson-esque sound. But even with all of the experimentation on view here, the album just lacks those Quincy finishing touches that so often turned potentially average albums into very good or excellent ones.

So, in summary? Still worth picking up if you're a fan of the brothers, or of the more general funk and R&B of this period... 
Side A
A1.  The Real Thing - 3:48 
A2.  Dancin’ Free - 3:45 
A3.  Sunlight - 3:43 
A4.  Teaser - 3:46 
A5.  Caught Up - 4:01 

Side B
B1.  In The Way - 3:27 
B2.  I Want You - 5:13 
B3.  Do It For Love - 3:40 
B4.  Hot Mama - 3:23 
B5.  Daydreamer Dream - 4:00


Credits

George Johnson - vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, handclaps, backing vocals, string arrangements, producer, writer
Louis Johnson - vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, bass synth, backing vocals, handclaps, writer
David Paich - piano, keyboards, synthesizer, writer
Steve Porcaro - synthesizer, keyboards, writer
Jeff Porcaro - drums, writer
James Newton Howard - synthesizer, string arrangements
Greg Phillinganes - synthesizer
Jeff Lorber - synthesizer
Steve Ferrone - drums
Gerald Brown - drums
John Robinson - drums
Paulinho da Costa - percussion, cowbell, handclaps
Steve Lukather - guitar
David Williams - guitar
Lynn Davis - vocals, backing vocals
John Schuller - Clavinet
Jim Gilstrap - backing vocals
James Ingram - backing vocals
Augie Johnson - backing vocals
Marian Jones - backing vocals
Wanda Vaughn - backing vocals
Lalomie Washburn - backing vocals

Companies, etc.
Production

Notes
Release:  1981
Format:  LP (Gatefold)
Genre:  Soul / Funk
Label:  A&M Records
Catalog#  AMLK 63724
Prijs:  €10,00

Vinyl:  Good
Cover:  Good


http://www.ad-vinylrecords.com/product/brothers-johnson-the-winners-lp/

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