Edwin
Starr
At long last we have the much awaited 2 on 1's from Motown legend Edwin Starr. Whilst these two albums from the beginning of the seventies were not his best recordings in comparison with his years at Ric-Tic, they do indeed represent a period when he graced the pop charts mainly due to the soul physchedelic era of which Motown played a big part thanks to the brilliant song writing talents of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong.
War & Peace' is by no means a psychedelic soul album but a mixture of classic Motown uptempo songs in the same vein as his two sixties classic albums 'Soul Master' and '25 Miles' (soon to be released as a 2 on 1) and these CD reviews should be read in conjunction with my audio on-line interview with Edwin by clicking here.
Edwin (real name Charles Hatcher) was one of the few 'old school' Motown artists still performing right up until his untimely death in April 2003, where he found fame (and no doubt fortune) in the UK amongst the northern soul fraternity where he is seen as a hero, and a visit to an Edwin Starr appearance was an absolute must. I had the pleasure of meeting this great man on a number of occasions over the last thirty years the most notable occasion being back in September 1994 where he agreed to jon me on my radio show where I put together a three hour Edwin Starr special.
The music itself speaks volumes and 'War & Peace' whilst featuring the 'new' sound of Motown at the end of the sixties still managers to capture the excitement of his output during the sixties. 'War' became an anthem in 1970 and whilst many believe the song was an anti Vietnam song, Edwin is on record as saying that the song was about the war in the university campus within the USA at the time, yet that said, the follow up to that ferocious call and reply plea 'Stop The War' DID have all the ingredients of an anti Vietnam plea, yet who could argue wit the man himself.
Uptempo goodies are a plenty as he takes on the Johnny Bristol song 'I Can't Escape Your Memory' which he talks about on the aforementioned audio interview, but for many it will be his classic northern soul outing 'Time/Running Back and Forth' that many will rate as his best ever recordings and both are featured here. Cover versions of other Motown classics are included especially 'California Soul' and 'At (Last) I Found A Love' (also covered by Marvin Gaye) and his rendition of the BJ Thomas hit 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' is actually soulful and a pleasure to listen too.
The other album included here 'Involved' really is a psychedelic affair following closely in the footsteps of The Temptations who themselves achieved massive commercial success with Norman Whitfield's formulae and cover versions of Temptations song in 'Ball Of Confusion' and 'Cloud Nine' are very much outdated in 2002 and do very little to stimulate ones audio appetite but a pleasant version of George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord' is given a pop style treatment which shows Edwin's ability to take on the pop standards with confidence and turn them into a commercial sound.
As with all of Motown's 2 on 1 series there are a coupe of bonus tracks and the inclusion of 'Love (the lonely peoples prayer) will please many as this steady beat classic is just oozing with gospel appeal and brings out the best in Edwin and even to this day remains a favourite amongst his huge following. Also as a bonus track is 'Lonely Rainy Days In San Diego' .
It's great to see Motown at long last putting out some material from Edwin who remains one of the all-time Motown greats thanks to his army of loyal followers in the UK. Whilst I suspect that this title will sell well, there is no question that the other 2 on 1 from Edwin 'Soul Master & 25 Miles' is THE one that everyone's waiting for.
Watch this site for a complete review of this CD soon and also watch out for up and coming 2 on 1's from Jnr Walker and the Isley Brothers. Things have never looked so good for Motown fans. Don't forget to check out my interview with Edwin and also Motown diva Martha Reeves.
Rating 7/10