Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Really nice album. Smooth, nice guitar playing. A great addition to learn about.
The first funk album I have liked, probably because it leaned towards RnB side. Played it in the background while reading. Wings of Love was a standout.
I'm more familiar with the album that includes Strawberry Letter 23.... wait... what... this album also includes Strawberry Letter 23 I rate this 23 Strawberries 🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓 🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓 🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓 🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓 🍓🍓🍓 But only 4 stars...
This is a really good album. Shuggie Otis did most of the instruments himself along with singing, which is very impressive. I am very glad to have heard it and especially glad to now know of Shuggie Otis. I'll definitely give his other work a listen.
Solid mix of styles and moods
That was a fun listen. I had heard of Shuggie Otis before, but hadn't listened to any of his music. Glad I finally did. Plus one half-star for his bass performance on one of the very few Zappa songs that I like, "Peaches en Regalia."
Almost like he was creating his own genre of lower key r&b some beautiful music.
A largely forgotten soul/funk record from the 1970s that remarkably isn't mentioned among the finest records of the genre. I've never heard of Shuggie Otis, and considering 'Inspiration Information' is just as pleasing to the ear as any work by Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield and Sly and the Family Stone, it seems rather incredulous that this album isn't more highly regarded. A set of great soul/funk tunes with psychedelic and progressive hints, 'Inspiration Information' deserves a lot more love, and the fact that Shuggie Otis pretty much played all the instruments himself makes this album an even greater achievement. No doubt a young Minnesotan lad by the name of Prince Rogers Nelson was taking notes. I don't really have much else to say about 'Inspiration Information', other than that its a criminally underrated and undervalued record and you should really check it out if you like your funk and soul! Best songs: Inspiration Information, Island Letter, Aht Uh Mi Hed
Funky!
first listen pretty groovy
Possibly smooth to a fault, this is a deceptively excellent record.
A pleasant trip from relaxing and chill, and energetic groove.
Very groovy, pleasant surprise. Never heard of him. Album art 3/5
I love the story of a really great-sounding album that is essentially a bedroom recording.
Good
Ah! Poznam Shuggie Otisa, ampak ne ta album. (Kdor je gledal Pulp Fiction, ga pozna - "Strawberry Letter 23", čeprav je v filmu cover komada.) Fajn funky začetek z naslovnim komadom, s sledečo balado, "Island Letter", ki pa se razgiba proti sredini. "Happy House" je samo mal čez minuto dolg, ampak tak, fletn, dinamičen. In potem se začne "Rainy Day", najbl primeren komad za ob dejanskih zvokih dežja, ki trenutno lije zunaj. Chill, instrumentalen, lep. Naslednji je prav tako instrumentalen, ampak hiter, razgiban. Upam, da bo Shuggie še kj pel? Ne kaže dobro. "Pling!" je prav tako instrumentalen, zelo minimalističen komad, z istim ritmom throughout. Sem že pri zadnjem komadu, "Not Available", ki je sicer vsaj bolj zanimiv kot prejšnji, a še vedno le instrumentalen. Na splošno mi je bil fajn album, samo nisem pričakovala, da bo tolikšen del brez vokalov. Od devetih komadov je vokal na petih. (Mogoč kle loh napišem, da se pri poslušanju držim albumov v obliki kot so bili originalno izdani. Ne poslušam remastered ali reissued verzij. Sicer bi bil tu tudi vključen "Strawberry Letter 23" in še trije drugi komadi. Ki pa jih trenutno poslušam, ampak ne bojo vključeni v končno oceno, žal. Ker so far, so upgrade za album, ampak technically so pa vsi s Shuggiejevega prejšnjega albuma, Freedom Flight, iz 1971.) Ful sm kolebala, ampak po ponovnem poslušanju albuma, mi prevaga na 4 zvezdice.
Goede achtergrond muziek
I am One with the Funk. Grooving till the end of time
I liked this album
I smooth, funky, album. A great one to relax and listen to
This is a delight to listen to. Impressive that Shuggie played pretty much every instrument on the album.
Never heard of Shuggie Otis but this was a pleasant surprise. Very enjoyable.
Enjoying it more and more with consecutive listens. It sounds surprisingly modern, and at points even futuristic. Strawberry Letter 23. Amazing. I will say the tracks I most immediately connected with were the four bonus tracks that I believe were taken from a previous album, so one for me to check out.
Perhaps a little uneven at times, but I loved this, overall. This is the sort of thing that I was hoping this activity delivered. I knew the name Shuggie Otis, but had never really looked into his music. But so glad to hear this. Also, I usually get grouchy when I realize I'm listening to a later, extended edition. But, totally happy to here. I mean, who is going to complain about having to listen to Strawberry Letter 73? And, if you do, who broke you?
Steve Lacy, Childish Gambino, Curtis Harding - so many amazing artists owe a debt to Shuggie's sound. And that mustache. I can *kiiind* of see why the youth are trying to bring it back.
In my mind, I had slightly conflated this with Arthur Lee's Love; and there are some similarities in mood and overall auteur-ish approach. This is excellent. Crisp, melodic, funky.
Enjoyed my time with Shuggie, my kind of sound and I'd heard some before. I could also understand if someone said this is boring though.
4.5
Full of great easy going tuneage
Sweet thang
Fuck yea
This album made me not hate the miserable weather I was driving in! Freedom Flight was gorgeous
I found this to be an enjoyable, but also frustrating album. Every song has promise to go…somewhere, but he undercut each track with some odd vocal or instrumental part that kept them from being great. I can understand why there were no hits from the record, as nothing on here was going to be radio friendly enough. “Aht Uh Mi Hed” was the closest but still not quite there. A very good album. Almost a great album.
Um álbum excepcionalmente agradável, do começo ao fim. Grooves cintilantes e passagens atemporais. Algumas das canções instrumentais mais se assemelham a trilhas de call center, mas elas são a exceção. Ao todo, o disco mantém uma coesão invejável, com sua instrumentalização simples porém justa, e seus vocais repletos de alma. Não há muito o que reclamar aqui, talvez não seja o disco mais memorável ou desafiador já gravado. Muitas vezes, ele parece tentar jogar seguro. Falta um pouco daquele “edge” que você vê nos grandes clássicos de Jazz. Mas o que ele propõe, ele entrega sem falha. Isto é, uma coleção admirável de grooves suaves e momentos reluzentes. Muita alegria aqui dentro.
Pretty chill album, didn't like the western twang of Sweet Thang, but the rest was nice.
I really enjoyed this album. It had a really laid-back vibe. Sparkle City and Aht Uh Mi Hed were the standout tracks. The rest were all pretty decent too.
Some lite funk jazz stuff with smooth vocals. I like it that it’s content to groove and chill with some tasty bass lines. Some of the synths like on XL30 is pretty dated though.
Smoooooth, deep groves and soulful. Nice use of instrumentals for large periods of songs before the sweet vox. Kinda Stevie Wonder with a bit of MJ and a sprinkling of Otis? New sound and artist to me and found it very easy to listen to and feel its reverberations. Reminds me a bit of Bruno Mars and Anderson.paak. Too smooooth! This is a Sunday album. Way ahead of its time. Ahhhh he did Strawberry Letter 23?! Nice mix of packaged songs and experimental jazz/psychedelic
Two 1978 albums in a row, followed by two 1974 albums in a row. This one is a total escapism vibe with its psychedelic, Californian soul and funk being the perfect accompaniment to a hot summer's day, somewhat in the vein of Roy Ayres. I can also hear his influence on Michael Kiwanuka, whom I love, and you don't have to go far on the internet to confirm that, as Kiwanuka himself has cited it as 'my favourite album to escape to'. An incredibly mature album from a then 21yo Shuggie with a range of tracks from the totally chilled out (_Island Letter_, _Pling!_) to the more expansive (_Sparkle City_, _Aht Uh Mi Head_) , and my..... **Fave track:** Inspiration Information
Like this an awful lot, very cool, jazzy and proggy. Was bordering on a 5
Funky. Perfect Sunday morning sort of affair
A breezy, sweet, and very original album. The mix of R&B, funk, and psychedelia feels both very seventies and incredibly timeless. Listening to it, I was reminded of a favorite album of mine, Kaleidoscope Dream by Miguel, released in 2012. I wonder if Miguel was inspired by this album at all, or by Shuggie Otis' music in general. This is certainly a gorgeous album, and it feels like one that will reveal more with with each listen. For now, I'm giving it a 4/5, but it might end up being 5/5 after a few more listens.
Smooth. There’s a light psych influence here, but it never goes full trippy. It's pretty pleasant from start to finish. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Inspiration Information - Rainy Day - Pling! - Not Available
Very pleasant listen, recognised some tunes
The instrumentation, especially on the last track, is great. It's a lovely album to listen to with a cup of coffee. It's not pushing me to say it's a 5, but it's a very solid 4.
Crazy how early this album is on R&B, both the modern catchy kind and the maximalist approach that I've heard between the 70s and 90s
I have utmost respect for artists that can do it all, like Shuggie and Stevie Wonder and Prince. This album is pure chill and funk, but it is not quite perfect. While I think of lot of it was intentional style, I think I would have preferred more "organic" feel on some tracks. In particular, I wasn't completely on board with the drum machine, and it seemed like because Shuggie was overdubbing, some rhythm feels a bit sterile, whereas it would have had more soul with a full band. Still, the songs and there composition are outstanding, and many production choices are interesting and innovative even if they don't completely land. I see myself relistening to this quite a bit.
Not liking this music genre, for me it was too repetitive
Uuu I like. Funky. I love this kind of soul/funky music. Very nice, will definitely save this.
I was expecting this to suck but tbh it was very nice. Really enjoyed it. Pretty unique compared to rest of list, and some really pleasant stuff on here
A great listen.
A pleasant surprise - smooth, psychedelic, and full of pocket.
Cross between instrumental blues rock and smooth jazz, very easy listening
Thankfully, this album was much better than the first one I started my day with. “Inspiration Information” is a dreamy, laid-back soul album that was way ahead of its time. When I first started listening, I thought my Spotify had a glitch and skipped ahead because I didn’t think those production techniques existed in the early 70s. Until today, I had never known about this album, but I’m really glad I discovered it because I’ll definitely listen to it again in the future.
Very nice album
pretty goood
Great album but it felt like they ran out of material at the end and threw in instrumentals. Yeah it was the same vibe but it felt like it didn't belong
Me ha gustado bastante para ser la primera escucha
I love 70s soul. I am sorry not to have heard Shuggie before. What a joyful creation. 4/5
Groovy and full of interesting and pleasing sounds. There’s a tinge of sadness throughout that I enjoyed. One of the rare cases of an album having a singular sound and it not being a detriment to itself.
Bom disco e surpreendentemente variado, com faixas instrumentais de guitarra, tem groove, ótimos vocais e elementos de diferentes estilos, até de country e algo mais psicodélico.
funky
I feel like on the surface level, this album would get like a 3. A lot of the stuff here kind of borders on being generic funk and some of this album feels more like a concept than a finished product. There are a few songs that kind of come and go, like Happy House and XL-30. But there is something about the sound of this album that carries it over. I’ve never heard of Shuggie Otis before this. He seems like a very underrated artist, because it’s criminal that I heard none of this before. This is the chillest funk I’ve heard in a while. It’s so smooth and every song puts you in a state of ease. The real disappointment is that this album is only 30 minutes long. Like out of all the artists that made double albums, why not this stuff? For some people, this might be a lot of nothing, and I would get that. But everything worked so well here, that I’m bumping my rating to a 4. This was a very pleasant surprise. Favorite track: Rainy Day Other hits: Island Letter, XL-30, Pling!, Aht Uh Mi Hed, Sparkle City
Honestly… music to my ears! Hell, it’s probably music to anyone’s ears!
This Shuggie guy is fascinating. Wikipedia says this is his first album as an adult and then doesn't list another solo studio album for 44 years. And it's great!
wow i had never heard this music or really ever heard of this guy... i realllllly liked this! what I like to call 'morning music' music that is just downright pleasant to wake up to
Another never heard of the album or artist…glad to have listened.
7/10
Cool funky fusion
Pretty smooth and fun!
Dang this is so good. Stuff like this is such an easy sell for me. Shuggie.
This took me to Happy House out in Sparkle City.
I can't believe this is the Shuggie Otis album that made the list - but nonetheless its excellent. The title track is the highlight here, with some great (in their own right) jazzy pieces closing out. A meandering way to close out the record, especially when the work with sung vocals was very strong.
Альбом сразу тронул. Буд слушать ещё и не раз, это точно.
Mangler lidt mere bid for at komme op på 5, men et lækkert album
DAMN WAS FÜRE STIMM alsoo bis jz findis sehr smooth und schön aber s hetmi nanig vill catched OHH aht uh mi hed findi megaa mengisch ischs fast so lo-fi mässig hahahah leideeer ischs chli für mich hindergrundmusig, ABER sehr gueti hindergrundmusig hahahaha freedom flight isch sooo sexy aber uuuhuere guet das isches 4i nöd iwie banger druff oder so aber eifach sehr guete r'n'b/soul/wases au immer genau isch
Surprisingly great...especially the start. Would 100% come back to this one. 4/5
So long as you stop at what is supposed to be the final track, it's a low 4. Lots of imaginative music and arrangements that take you in unexpected directions.
Shuggie!
I totally dug this! I really like the Sly and the Family Stone vibe. I would like to listen to more of his stuff.
Never heard of this guy but I did (mostly) like it. If this was just an instrumental album it would be 5 stars, but the voice - while not really bad - just didn't seem to go with the music.
Great album but the last few songs come from a previous album he did. Still it is incredible music that deserves to be in the list, just can't be a 5 for me.
Dig this groove.
Lovely chilled upbeat album, so nice to listen to on a sunny morning.
Really enjoyed this. A lot of psychedelic sounds but not overdone. Good mix of funk, soul and psychedelic I'd say. Saved a few songs for later listening. Was a good way to start my day!
This album was amazing. I can't believe it came out when it did. He was definitely before his time. There were some tracks that seemed like he was sampling himself. Really really great. Also the fact that he played every instrument himself in his home studio. Such a talent.
Mildly disappointed that Shuggie is a nickname for Sugar rather than Hugh, and that he's not a Weegie. Pleasantly surprised by the music though. I actually thought the final four bonus tracks were some of the strongest - discovered these were from previous album of his, so not sure if they should factor into my score. Anyway, a reasonably solid four stars
I had not heard of Shuggie before this, but man does he play a mean guitar on this album. It’s a great sounding record throughout, and I love the weird jazzy closing track.
☀︎wow ☀︎ça fait du bien après plusieurs jours de trucs moins cool ☀︎j’aime vraiment Freedom Flight ☀︎good vibes
i liked it alright
Not listened before Favourite tracks: Inspiration Information, Strawberry Letter 23, Rainy Day
Great album. Grooves from start to finish.
Don’t know that I will ever listen to the rerelease version that doubles the runtime, but I really enjoyed this. Mellow at times, funky at others. A good listen.
"Inspirational Information" is the third album by American singer-songwriter, recording artist and multi-instrumentalist Shuggie Otis. Psychedelic soul, progressive soul, R&B and psychedelic funk are the Wiki-listed genres. Sure, OK. This album was his first as an adult and producer. Otis also performed most of the instrumental parts including vocals, guitar, bass, drums, organ, piano, vibraphone, percussion and the analog drum machines....everything but the horns and strings. The album had wide-spread critical acclaim but commercially didn't do very well hitting #181 in the US and he was his released from his label Epic as he was dropped due to poor sales. The self-titled "Inspirational Information" opens with soulful overlayed voices. In comes an organ, guitar, bass and a slow funky beat. Otis has a high tenor voice. The song gets a steady groove going...very easing listening. Great song! "Aht Un Mi Head" has an electronic beat that sounds like a clock ticking. Keyboards, a tambourine. Otis singing about things that out of his head as gunshots fly above. Eventually, the bass, strings and a flute enter. Another winner. Wow, the second half of this takes a turn. "Rainy Day" is a jazzy instrumental. Jazzy guitar and electronic beats. Strings also. The closer "Not Available" has a jazzy and funky vibe. Guitar, bass, strings and, yes, a flute. This is an enjoyable, easy listening album. There is no doubt Shuggie Otis is one talented guy. Smooth, laid back, groovy. Otis with his tenor voice. I liked the selective use of instruments. It is really a tale of two halves with the first half of songs being more funky and soulful. He takes the second half in a jazzy, electronic and experimental direction. Most of the songs are primarily instrumental and he goes to work using those analog drum machines. Overall, this is definitely worthy of a listen.
Really like the groove on this. Funk and Soul, not much else I could ask for. Overall really good. 4/5 Will listen again
Shucks Shuggie! Loved this album! So many songs that went down soo well. Really good to study to in the background. So much texture and depth.
I enjoyed it a good bit. Shuggie Otis is very underrated.
Really liked this! Very groovy. Never heard of Shuggie Otis.
Unexpectedly fantastic.
Experimental, exceptional musicianship, ahead of its time in groove and beats.
I had heard that Shuggie was “Prince before Prince”, at least from the perspective that he was writing, arranging and producing his albums himself since he was 15 years old. At first that sounded like blasphemy but after I heard this, I get it. He’s in a more traditional lane than the more adventurous Purple One. But like Prince, he mixes styles from R&B to psychedelic soul, calypso and nuances in between. I love the whole album (except the palate cleanser “Happy House”, with the steamy vibe of “Aht Uh Mi Head” probably my favorite. Now in his 70s, I think Shuggie is still performing. If he’s ever in Denver, I have to see him. I’m lucky to have a 1974 original pressing (actually a DJ promo copy) that I picked up crate digging for a couple of dollars. Definitely worthy if you can find it! I give this one four out of five stars.
Best Song: Inspiration Information. Pure, shining, good-feeling vibes. What a musical ray of sunshine. Worst Song: XL-30. Completely unnecessary track. Felt more like a warm-up ritual than something that should be sitting dead center in the album. Overall: Interesting mix. It's great when the funk is funking and the grooves are grooving, but unfortunately those hit tracks are interspersed among too many quiet, sparse songs. I also felt like his vocals were such a tremendous addition to the mix, that I often ended up liking the purely instrumental tracks less than those with vocals.
Mellow and funky, defintly worth a listen in the morning when needing focus.
Never heard of this guy, but boy is this good?
4/5
Not really my style of music, but it's well done. I would listen to it again.
So chill and relaxing. I'll keep this album in mind for when I'm in that mood. Strawberry Letter 23 is familiar but I can't say for sure its this version I've heard before. In any case love the funky laid back vibe. New to me and good addition to this list.
Cool soulful, funky guitar album. Great to have going while working. 3.5/5
Solid
Beaucoup d'instrumental, très posé et un peu de clavier stylax
Knowing Snuggie played with Zappa I was expecting something closer to his early jazz music. Not so much. Funky but not that exciting to me
I love Shuggie Otis. Multi-instrumentalist, just do it yourself kinda player.
Dig it!
I didn't know anything about this artist or this album. I liked it a lot, a solid 4 from me - my evaluations being as subjective as possible; if an album and/or an artist makes me feel good, then I'm good ;-)
Good psychedelic rnb. Bit of sly stone going on, good stoner funk quality
Really wanted to to give this a 5 but there’s one or two tracks that pull it back, 4.7 really. Strawberry letter and ice cold daydream RULE
After weeks upon weeks of bland classic rock, and albums that are so horrendous they make you wonder how they are even on this list, this album was (mostly) a breath of fresh air. This album feels divided into two different moods, and then mixed into a semi-alternating track list of the two. About half of the songs are a relaxed, down-tempo, instrumental that feel like you're in a mostly-empty speakeasy at 2am on rainy Thursday. And the other half are head-bobbing, funky jazz jams with vocals, infectious style, and outrageous bass work. I think I preferred the latter ever-so-slightly more than the former, but overall it's a excellent, fun time with this album. The last few tracks lost me by dropping the jazz aesthetic and turning into just another set of bland 70's classic dad tracks. It's like when you're eating a perfectly nice banana, but you get to the lowest part and it's that brown mush that spoiled. Thankfully that take away from the first 3/4 of this album being a really good time.
So who was going to tell me that this is secretly one of the best soul/funk albums of the 70s, if not ever? Well, this list I guess. Robert Dimery, you have been absolved of your sins for now.
good album to put on in the background when you have friends over & don't want to put anything on that would make anyone complain. been looking for these!
Welp that was a pleasant journey. Wonderfully smooth vocals along with some tasty soulful/funky instrumentals dripped in some psychedelia. I could see this hitting different depending on mood, but for now it is a high 4. Standouts include the title track, Sparkle City, and Aht Uh Mi Hed. Happy House was a trip -- felt like the audio equivalent of a funhouse mirror.
4 stars, this album was a pleasant surprise. Strawberry Letter I have definitely heard in the past.
This is a weird one on Spotify because it looks like it might be two albums smushed together. I am deferring to Wikipedia on this one and am listening through "Not Available". Shuggie Otis is an incredible name. This is some great walking funk. Never really hit any notable highs, but it is just a consistently good groove that had me bopping for 30 mins. It feels like the opposite of Beach Boys where even if it's not my favorite funk/soul, I love the genre so much that it's hard to dip below a 4. I decided to listen to a bit past Not Available and it stayed great. Still not happy with Spotify on this one.
That was some incredibly funky stuff with the smoothest of singers. I was bumping along to that album the whole time. Don't think it is quite worth a 5 but it is very close.
This is some good shit. Never heard of Shuggie Otis before but really enjoying it. Rainy Day is a perfect Christmas Eve morning song. Funky and peaceful, but I found a lot of songs not really going anywhere. This is between a 3-4 to me
The groove makes it feel like a full band, pretty remarkable its him in a studio. I know these songs, whether played in another car commercial, or filling out a Khruangbin album
Underappreciated 1974 classic that languished in obscurity until David Byrne re-released it in 2001 (w bonus tracks) and brought it much-deserved acclaim. This is when I heard it. Knowing Shuggie played most of the instruments himself (not horns/strings) and employed an early example of a drum machine on some songs is cool but not necessary to enjoy this experimental soulful record. It could have used a couple more straight-up songs like the title track, which promises more than the rest of the album delivers. It's a classic, though.
How has Shuggie evaded me. So freakin' cool. Will be bumping this much more. Fun fact: played with Frank Zappa, which did not surprise in the least.
A very happy pleasant if somewhat banal listen.
🎧Excellent stuff. Had definitely heard of Shuggie but first time listening to his music
Pretty cool record. A few chill instrumental pieces that are really nice and the other songs are pleasant and catchy too. 7/10
Double length docks a point but it's otherwise a fantastic album.
That was surprisingly fun
Shuggie Otis is one of the "could have been/should have been" stories in modern music. He was a guitar prodigy, and performed with his father's band starting in his early teens. Inspiration Information was his third studio album, which Otis produced himself and played most of the instrumental parts on the album. The album did not find commercial success, and marked the beginning of a long, quiet period in Otis' career. After a few notable musicians described the album as an inspiration, including Prince and Lenny Kravitz, it was released in 2001, leading to a late resurgence in Otis' career. This is an incredible work of R&B and psychedelic soul, full of interesting, rich, textured songs. It's an album that should have been more famous, and had it been, Shuggie Otis could have produced more music...
Fresh to me
Funky. Cool album. Hadn't ever heard it. Easy one to get a bit lost in at times. Rainy Day is a great example. I liked it. Good one on the list.
I like the vibe here. On the right day this would be the perfect album. Making a cup of coffee, early morning sipping it as the Sun rises. This album isn't brash. It's hard for it to offend me. Aht Uh Mi Hed is my favorite track.
8/10 Really jazzy and smooth Favourite Song=Inspiration Information Least Favourite Song=Rainy Day
Super funky, dug the vibes. Was a new one for me!
stoner bliss
A good listen. The instrumentals were good. Vocal work was fine. Nothing stood out in particular, but it made for good background sound. 'Pling!' was my fave.
Shuggie Otis is yet another artist that I’ve never heard of. One more reason to love being told what to listen to rather than sticking with what I know! I quite enjoyed this album. It admittedly felt a little porny at times, but it is otherwise it is a fun trip and a definite rump shaker. The vocals are nice, but the funky bass and guitar shine through most here for me. #shuggieotis #inspirationinformation #albumreview #musicisitgoodthough #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie #funk #soulmusic #psychedelicsoul
chill jazz
amazing soul
Didnt kno he originally sang strawberry letter 23. Album was just good music, not much else to say
cool album - will listen to again
veryyy good
Very cool!
Pretty cool!
Out of all the albums that sound like ambient video game music this is my favourite album to sound like ambient video game music. I adored this front to back! Favourite track: Rainy Day.
Fave track: "Sweet thang"
This is some great soul and funk.
Some funky lines, especially in Sparkle City. Gets a little experimental which may explain why it wasn't a bigger hit.
Cool funky tunes. Lost me a bit in the middle though.
So, I was really confused by something because when I searched for this artist on Spotify I couldn't find this album, not exactly anyway and so I used the Spotify link in here to take me to the web player to then listen on my phone which played the album I found in the first place. WHICH, I have come to learn was a Re-issue with bonus tracks, something I did not know until writing this! Another groovy instrumental(ish) album which I have so come to adore. I loved it a lot and listened to it many times. Though, I have to give it four stars because I think that while I greatly enjoyed it, I think this one requires more of a "right headspace" to listen to. Its been cool and rainy where I am the past few days and this album was perfect for the late night into early morning routine of getting ready and then unwinding. I also personally love this kind of music, but I don't think I know many other people that would want to listen a whole album of this like I do. So it gets a solid four stars, the music it does, it does WELL and there is quite a bit of variety in the songs (hence the ish earlier). This is already too long but the album is very chill, very groovy, and well worth your time if you like music from this era.
so fucking chill
This is my 885th album and truly the first album where I had never heard of album nor artist. And that's my loss. A deliciously slow soul/funk record.
I don’t know what rock I’ve been living under, but I’ve never heard of this guy. The latter half of this album is absolutely killer. If not for the first half being a bit of a bore, this would be 5 stars. 4/5 Highlights: Strawberry Letter 23 Sweet Thang Freedom Flight
There's a lot to love about this album. The beats are funky, the hooks are catchy, and Shuggie can definitely sing. Overall I really enjoyed it. My favorite tracks were Strawberry Letter 23, Sweet Thang, and the 10 minute finale.
I enjoyed this quite a bit. I think he is very talented, and his music is subtle.
Never heard of it, but enjoyed it pretty well. Kind of groovy music, and the singer has a really nice voice.
So groovy. Shuggie is cooler than I will ever be in this life or the next. However, I must admit I skipped a song or two. But when it landed it landed hard.
This was a lovely surprise. A fantastic blend of funk and soul with a more psychedelic sound, constantly shifting and refreshing. Strawberry Letter 23 sounded familiar and I have now found out that not only did it feature briefly in Pulp Fiction, it has been interpolated by both Outkast and Coheed & Cambria - wild
I like the vibes
Genuinely nice and funky tracks
Very chill. Very groovy. Very Zen
Damn, Shuggie kind of rocks. Just some great R&B/blues-esque music that was entertaining throughout. Could be a bit more polished/dialed in in some spots but all in all a really surprising and enjoyable album that I will listen to again. 7.5/10 (3.75/5)
Digging this and I'm only 60 seconds in!! Totally in my 70's mellow, soul, funk wheelhouse. Maybe a little to "soft" for me, but still a very very enjoyable album. Has a nice mix of some mellow funk-psych that I do like.
Perfect listening for a relaxed Thursday work morning. I knew Strawberry Letter 23 and loved it, and the rest of this didn't disappoint. The softness and sway of this is gorgeous, and I love the voice. In some ways, the songs are typical 70s soul disco fare, but something about the wooziness of the whole really elevates this to something unique. A great discovery.
SHIT THE BED. This was joyous from the first soulful vocals through until the final hammond organ sequence. It straddles folk revivalists with the cusp on soul taking some early steps towards disco. I love the social message as well. Why isn't this spoken in the same glowing terms as the What's Going On masterpiece? Amazing!
A mixture of funk, jazz, and ambient music. A colorful experience. Made for a unique album and listen. Lots of different instruments. Not completely sold on some of the songs. It sometimes drifts off and back in again. Standouts: Island Letter, Aht Uh Mi Hed, Rainy Day, Not Available, and Strawberry Letter 23
It was chill! Nice to crochet too! 😎
Yet another album that caught me by surprise. Good stuff.
This is super funky. Enjoyed it a lot. Strawberry Letter 23 was the highlight.
A great listen on the treadmill
I was really surprised by this one. Had absolutely no idea what to expect as I’d never heard Shuggie Otis before, but this was so enjoyable, musically and lyrically. It seemed very different from a lot of stuff from that time period, in a good way. I found myself really getting lost in the music when normally I’m more of a lyrics person. Fantastic album overall.
Very fine
Thankfully, this album was much better than the first one I started my day with. Inspiration Information is a dreamy, laid-back soul album that was way ahead of its time. When I first started listening, I thought my Spotify had a glitch and skipped ahead because I didn’t think those production techniques existed in the early 70s. Until today, I had never known about this album, but I’m really glad I discovered it because I’ll definitely listen to it again in the future.
Thoughts before listening: I don't know much about Shuggie Otis. 70s soul I guess, but I don't associate him with any songs. I do believe he's well respected so maybe more of an underground type guy. Review: Oh, Shuggie did "Strawberry Letter 23". That's a jam, as is this whole album. Super cool, laid back funky soul music with lots of jazzy musicianship and guitar solos. 4-stars
This is an interesting album. It's often funky, sometimes like soft jazz. Sometimes, it sounds like someone was playing around with an old Lorwry organ. I liked hearing the original veesionĥStrawberry Letter 22. Liked songs added: - Inspiration Information - Sparkle City - Sweet Thang
Never heard of Shuggie Otis before. After the first track, I was very confident this was going to be up my alley. It was funky, jazzy, and all those good things, but it got a little lost in the middle there and it was almost *too* chill. Highlights are the title track, Sparkle City, Strawberry Letter 23, and Sweet Thang
Didn't expect it to be so instrumental, which improved my opinion of it.
Groovy, man. Truly out of sight. This cat has soul and I can dig it. But that last jam, man, sounded like they just got a synthesizer and flipped pushed aome buttona for ten minutes.
Easy going, funky rhythms that set your whole soul at ease. I will never have anything negative to say about Mr. Otis' smooth arrangements.
really fun jazz, ending track was great
Great funk album that is really versatile and grooves hard.
Favourites: inspiration information, island letter, sparkle city, rainy day, XL-30, pling!, not available, sweet thing. Pretty pleasant, I liked the non lyrical songs a lot they increased the album rating. 4/5
Chill beats for this sunny morning, I am so happy I am almost free of this job. Kind of just dissociated to the music but it was very nice. Favourites were the title track, Island Letter, Happy House, Rainy Day, Strawberry Letter 23, and Sweet Thang. I'm really on a roll catching up and am in a relatively hopeful and good mood which will land this album a rating of 4
Has some cool moments for sure. 4 stars
8/10
This is great. Enjoyed this a lot
That outfit he's wearing on the album cover is damn near everything. I only wish I could pull off that exact ensemble. I almost didn't want to listen after seeing the album cover, fearing that anything inside would be a disappointment after staring at that photo. Also: Shuggie Otis! Please tell me he's related to former Kansas City Royals centerfielder Amos Otis. Or don't. I'm in love with the name Shuggie Otis. I regret not naming one of my children Shuggie. I almost want to go out and find someone to have another baby with, just so we can name that child after Shuggie Otis. Or Amos Otis. I'm not picky. Turns out Shuggie wrote the epic song "Strawberry Letter 23". Christ, it just keeps getting better. Apparently, Prince was a huge fan of this album, and you can hear why. But hey, that's me. Like the Purple King himself, I am what has been described in certain circles as a tender lover. Those people aren't wrong. Neither is Prince. Sources suggest this might be the final album on this list. I've finally reached the end of this journey. Or trip if you will. And if it's truly the end, this is a suitable album to end with. Albums like this are what make this journey worthwhile. Finding something I previously never knew existed, and being absolutely overjoyed by it. So it's not the Beatles, Stones, Bowie or Dylan albums I was already aware of that are the winners here. It's PJ Harvey, who I threw more 5's at than I ever thought possible. And it's our man Shuggie Otis. I only knew Strawberry Letter 23, and that's only because it was used in the film Jackie Brown. But now I can go on a deep dive of Shuggie Otis and learn as much about him as I do Amos Otis. No relation!
Strawberry letter 23 is ace.
Terrific! 3.75
Big fan
I'm pretty new to Shuggie Otis, but this album makes me want to explore more of his work. I definitely hear new turns of the soul/R&B phrases here like Sly Stone, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder were also creating new forms of R&B around the same time. The analog synths on this album are of particular note--probably only Stevie Wonder was doing more with electronics in the R&B field at this time. Great rhythms and basslines, interesting arrangements, all around a great soul album.
Excellent
Genre: Psychedelic soul, progressive soul, R&B, psychedelic funk Progressive + Soul = great fun! Never heard this before. It's really great. Definitely will listen to again! 3.75
4.5 stars. This is great soul. Lots of instrumental only, but singing is good too. "Strawberry Letter 23" is phenomenal and "Ice Cold Daydream" is another standout.
Easy listen! Would do again
new artist for me, liked it, funky, cool guitar and nice vocals.
Good vibes. Simpsons: No
Smooth and sexy. Greet Sunday listening … and today IS Sunday.
This is great. Lots of cool jams.
Delightful. If you like this album then be sure to also check out his song Strawberry Letter 23 (which is sometimes included on re-issues of this album, but sometimes not).
Really good listen.
I am not sure I would have listened to this when it came out but I might have been stoned enough to appreciate it. It is a little to meandering for my taste generally, but I do like the swampier sounding songs like Happy House, Sparkle City, Miss Pretty. I'll be checking out his other records for sure.
I'd never heard of Shuggie Otis before, but perhaps I should have since he played with Zappa. This is an incredible piece of niche 70s music. Psychedelic soul had its day, but not many folks actually created music in this style. Inspiration Information is the record to exemplify what musicians did with this sound.
Ouderwetse R&B, rhythm and blues, met ook uitstapjes naar een soort Bee Gees achtige ballad. Maar wel altijd met een speels gitaartje op de achtergrond, met van die wah wah vervormers erbij. Zijn stem doet me wat denken aan Bill Withers. Het is lekker funky, soulvol. Het schurkt af en toe tegen de blaxploitation filmmuziek aan. Dat kan bij mij altijd wel op de nodige waardering rekenen. De eerste paar nummers beginnen als een soort traditioneel radioliedje, maar als de 2 minuten radio-edit voorbij is, dan volgt een instrumentaal stuk, waarop Shuggie zijn creativiteit even de vrije loop laat. Sowieso zitten er vrij veel instrumentale stukken bij. Die overigens wel fijn zijn om te luisteren. Ik had nog nooit van Shuggie gehoord. Met zijn muziek laat hij geen onuitwisbare indruk achter, maar mede door zijn naam zal ik hem waarschijnlijk wel onthouden. Bij de 2001 reissue krijgen we als extra oa Strawberry Letter 23, wat ik vooral herken door "I wanna sex you up", die hier inspiratie uit heeft gehaald. Leuk bonusje. Prima luisteralbum, niks mis mee.
Solid album. I don't ever remember listening to Shugie. I listened to this album and a couple others of his. I would have chosen his 1st 2 albums over this one on this list.
Shuggie Otis funk. Great stuff.
Love the jazzy melodies
(Only listened to the Original album, which ends with 'Not Available' Can't exactly say why, but I really enjoyed this. A really easy and chill album to listen to. The title song was great, and I felt like every sound was on point through the whole record. Great vibes.
Always so underrated as a musician and performer, finally some discussion around Shuggie Otis. This is a fun and funky record, it couldn’t be easier to enjoy. In the regular rotation. Four stars. Fave track: Strawberry Letter 23
Reminds me of a more guitar oriented Stevie Wonder. This album just sounds really good, especially the guitars, electric piano, and bass. The first track has a great blend of jazz and funk. Sparkle City almost sounds like something off of Head Hunters. Happy house feels like a late 90's hip hop or early Gorillaz song. I imagine these songs get sampled a lot. My only complaint is that some of this album is too mellow for me (especially the 2nd half). I really enjoy high energy songs (metal), but I can definitely see people digging the calmer songs a lot more than me. 4/5
Solid soul album with progressive and psychedelic flavor. The rhythm section creates a nice pocket groove - which amazingly was all played by Shuggie Otis! He’s got an undeniably smooth voice and is a talented musician and singer. The addition of strings and brass to some songs fill out the arrangements and set the mood. A few nice instrumental tunes. Enjoyable album overall.
It's just super chill and funky, great grooves. Not really sure what else to say, will probably be throwing it on in the future when i'm in the mood for this kind of thing.
I did like this but it got repetitive and a bit boring as it went on
Real and serious grooves. Wish the album was more bold and forward and ambitious in terms of structure because there were a lot of quiet moments, but I’m pretty satisfied with the way it turned out. 8/10.
Forward-thinking psych soul that sounds like a precursor to Thundercat and OutKast Listened to some tracks from 1971’s Freedom Flight (eg its title track and “Strawberry Letter 23”), confusingly tacked on to the end of this album, and also found them enjoyable.
Smooth silky funk and soul - which starts off with a great side an and a rather mellower and less memorable side b. Still it’s a pleasant listen and discovery.
I liked it, it was mellow enough to work too and clean my house ... 4 stars
It was great! very enjoyable and i heard a lot what reminds me of khruangbin, steve lacy and the internet that make music in akinda similar direction these days. Glad to heard it. I will def revisit this album in the future! 4.25/5.0
FYI all the songs were written and arranged by Otis himself, who played every musical instrument on the album, except for horns and some strings.
I really enjoyed this album, but I don’t have the words to write a proper review on it right now lol
Parts of this album felt like it could've been recorded today. I loved the warm tone throughout the album. It had me grooving while making dinner. Didn't really give the back half of the album a thorough listen so I'll definitely be returning to it and some other stuff by Shuggie!
Easy listening for sure! Started my morning off in a great mood. Will definitely put this on again for some background music when working.
I very much like this. Check out his single, Purple. Solid bluesy soulful rock.
pretty solid
This one is funky and laid back. The vibes here are good to relax to. The vocals are especially helping that. I also think that some of the instrumental tracks are better than the ones with lyrics. Anywho, this one is cool. It’s rather unremarkable though.
Overlooked and under appreciated—those are the Shuggie Otis career signposts. It’s easy to see why, but it’s criminal just the same. The title track, “Inspiration Information,” is no hit. It’s so ahead of its time that it remains outside of time, full of production touches and musical ideas that are bound to inspire listeners who can barely place it neatly in a genre. Is Otis making Rock, Soul, R&B, Electronica, or a new hybrid? That’s the magic and the mystery of these songs.
i don't even know what to say it's just so good holy shit i'm bewitched i've got no words to describe it. also knowing he thought about this and played almost all of the instruments on the record while being EIGHTEEN through 21 makes me feel like a complete failure so fuck you shuggie otis for fueling my insecurities.
Was not familiar with this before listening and am now obsessed. It is remarkable that so much of what Maxwell and Cody ChestNutt would do was done before in 74 by a basically forgotten musician. Great stuff that I will continue to explore.
Some pretty little ditty’s on here. 3.5/5
Very nice for an album described with the 'prog' field. It seems blues and jazz musicians got it much more right than the white people ever could
Vibey
Good vibes liked the more instrumental ones halfway through. Very comforting
Phenomenal. Somehow cool and warm at the same time. Irresistible soft drum machines complementing Otis's beautiful voice and guitar; gorgeous chord sequences. I love this.
Really nice, would listen to this while reading, doing homework, cleaning
it's good but it's not SUPER for me i sort of glazed over quickly tbh (to be honest)
Known before: Artist/Some songs Standouts: Sparkle City Not Available Ice Cold Daydream Strawberry Letter 23 Sweet Thang 8.5/10
Coming across gems like this might be my absolute favorite thing when it comes to listening to music. There is no feeling like discovering an album you’ve never heard of before that isn’t super mainstream and falling in love with it. And then being able to share that new discovery with others is awesome. Funk and soul music like this, that is softer and more mellow is by far my favorite. I do love some intense and upbeat stuff, but this is just the best. It’s so laidback, and gives me such a warm and comfortable feeling. I don’t know how artists manage to do that through music, but it feels great. Shuggie has a beautiful voice. And after Happy House, which was too short to really catch my attention, it goes strictly instrumental. Nothing wrong with that, those songs are just not as interesting with vocals. The last two are good though, especially Not Available. Rating: 8/10
So nice and chill, great sound
Для 1974 - хайп Местами вообще какой-то лоу-фай ловишь
Great time. Aged remarkably well, and there really isn't a weak link on this thing. The band seem perfectly in sync, and there is a distinct tight-but-loose dynamic throughout all of it. Only slight complaint is that I wish there was a slight bit more coherence to the project, but nonetheless an undeniably strong set of songs.
I liked everything but his voice
On Spotify, Inspiration Information is only available combined with "Wings of Love". I looked up the songs in Inspiration Information and based off of those particular songs. One thing is for sure, this albums' tasty. It delivers those satisfying funky grooves you want to hear. Very interesting grooves throughout, although the build-up is much more solidified than the actual grooves themself. Has me wanting more out of some of the songs that I don't really get. Funky, pleasant, different, and itches your brain, all while leaving me a bit disappointed with what they delivered vs. what I expected from their initial builds. Personal Favorites: Inspiration Information, Rainy day, Aht Uh Mi Hed
I've loved Strawberry Letter 23 since I saw Jackie Brown (granted the Brothers Johnson version not the orig), and the Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings cover of Inspiration Information is often on repeat. Had only listened through this album once before, and it was only last year! Shuggie is kind of the epitome of flying under the radar with nothing to prove to anyone, a one man Velvet Underground of the funk world. So many took inspiration. Aht Uh Mi Hed still really works for me. Second half of the album may be my favorite? Ice Cold Daydream really hits
Dang I can’t believe I’d never heard of this guy. Super funky, kind of jazzy, fun songs. Definitely enjoyed the listen
Very good soul/funk album. Not very familiar with his music -- think I only had heard one of these songs. A little surprised that he remains under the radar.
What a breath of fresh air! Smooth, clean and melodic R&B sat well with me today. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Shuggie Otis’ music before and I enjoyed it. Sounds like he was influenced by Bill Withers and Stevie Wonder (especially on “Miss Pretty”). It wasn’t technically on this album but the guitar solo in “Wings of Love” was ON POINT.
Pas mal dans le style soul un peu expérimentale. Je ne connaissais pas, à part Strawberry Letter 23. Plutôt cool.
What a good album. Beautiful sound and rhythm.
4.5
Not my thing, but it's objectively good.
Great vibes, good grooves, good singing. This album just grooves for me. Enjoyed the two listens and added to my library. 4/5!
3.8/5 - not a bad song on the album. For something that is 50 years old it still feels fresh and unique.
Funky stuff. I first heard of Shuggie Otis from Al Kooper's second "Super Session" album. That record had mostly blues tunes on it, so I was glad to hear some funk on this album. It reminds me of Sly Stone's "There's a Riot Goin' On". The only problem I have with this is that it starts off strong, then tapers off towards the end.
Uu olipas aika tiukka levy! Tykkäsin itseasiassa tosi paljon. Hyvä kokonaisuus ja huippubiisejä jotka oon kuullut aikaisemmin vaan osana soundtrackeja tai sitten muiden coveroimana. 4/5
cool cool
Extraordinary without being too cocky. Great singer/songwriter „Soul“ which resists being its own reference while just being it.
Funky and groovy
me re gustó owooo 8/10
Pretty relaxing music but couldn't help be distracted with the Hotline Bling sample I had heard on at least one song. 7/10.
Never heard of this artist before. Great opening track, with some relaxing soulful tracks that follow. Psychedelic soul is a genre I've not listened to before but greatly appreciate. Happy to have been introduced to this artist, who I was surprised to learn did almost all the instrumentals on this album.
Kan backe det her
This squeezes out a fourth star for the great production and forward-thinking compositions, even if some of the early songs dragged a bit long and not every one of them was a shining star.
Great vibes here!!!
like this. i will be looking for more of his work
Now this one is for sure setbreak music as it's on the list and I listened to it in that context last year. Strawberry letter 23 is a jam!
Smooth vocals, groovy vibe. Nice listen!
To some extent this is quite the jam.
Mistook this for some mediocre soul music at first but then it got weirdly psychedelic with great instrumental parts. Never heard of Shuggie Otis before but this is an excellent example of a good find in the 1001 album list.
Ah! This was nice! Kinda aimless, but atmospheric. BT - Aht Uh Mi Hed - Island Letter
Lots of similarity to Stevie Wonder and other 70s R&B with some interesting jazz tunes
Criminally underrated. Will never understand why he is not massive. This isn't my favorite of his but that's still better than most.
I really liked the funky sound here.
Strawberry Letter 23 by The Brothers Johnson is a favorite of mine. I was surprised to discover that the song’s author created music in his own right. I liked this 70s groove.
Tempted to give a 4. Interesting read about some of the history, and I listened to it twice.
Mjög gott, lögin fara ekki allaf í þá átt sem ég vildi (Ice Cold Daydream t.d.), en hér er margt subbulega töff og skemmtilegt. Mið-áttundi tugur í góðum gír. Mæli með hlustun.
Nice soulful, jazzy, r&b type album that flows well. While I do like the general sound, it all feels a bit too samey towards the end of the record. 7 out of 10
I didn't hate it.
Just an all around fantastic album.
It's got a great vibe to it, but it lacked something as compelling as Strawberry Letter 23.
Hard to believe the cat was only in this teens when he made this. And one wishes so many of the artists to follow would have made such judicious and tasteful use of the drum machine. Bumper-car bass lines and dreamy-trippy vibes generally. One recalls the hype around this record's rediscovery or rerelease in early aughts ... and it seems to have got even a bit better since then. Still, one's not quite ready to go all Stevie Wonder on the comparisons though.
I liked it! Can't believe this was the first I ever heard of Shuggie Otis
Nice and short. Pretty relaxing too. I was a little sad that there weren't more vocals on this album, because his voice is nice. The instrumentals were nice though. My favourite song was Inspiration Information.
Huge fan of this album. I started listening to it on the train, and unfortunately fell asleep. Not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because I was dead tired. Round 2: unreal. I really enjoyed the last 7 songs. So good.
Loved the instrumentals mixed in there. Really good music. Can't go wrong with good soul 8.1
This rare gem of an album is a vibrant taste of what I would describe as early 70's funk/fusion. Hip and cool throughout. Delightful. As an aside, Shuggie was featured by Frank Zappa on Hot Rats. What more needs to be said?
Sounds an awful lot like an album by a dude name Shuggie should sound. Mellow groovy, with tinker-y electronic textures and a way laid-back vibe. "Rainy Day" and "Pling" are '70s at its seriously chillest.
Soul très sympa, love letter 23 c'est un banger qui le fait passer en 4 étoiles
Funnily enough recognised the first song as Madi's boyfriend covered it. This album massively grew on me as it went along. And really enjoyed the 12 min song at the end. Could totally picture smoking weed and being blissed out to this album. Will definitely listen again . Great combo of psych and soul
A luvly bitta stoof
THIS BOPS Almost can't believe this is 1974; just a great sound and I don't know I'd have picked out that all the drums are a drum machine (aside from some obvious tracks like "Pling!"). Sounds great and very organic. Keyboard/organ sounds are especially perfect. Note: at 1:28 of "Pling!" you can hear coughing in the background. That's it - nothing magical about it; just that I love and miss when stuff like that would either be missed or they'd just be like "screw it" and keep it in the track. Perfection is boring. Lack of a real killer track or 2 (although "Magic" is pretty great) keeps this down a bit but this is a keeper. 7/10 4 stars.
A lot closer to timeless than I expected it to be - a lot of it sounds current. Sweet Thang is a 7* out of 5, and the rest of the album is very good.
This is just a really cool album. Very chill and relaxed instrumentals on most songs, but with some nice vocals when they appear. It's a pretty quick listen as well. I'd never heard of this album previously. It's very interesting that it is an early album with regard to the use of drum machines. I didn't even notice. The drums fit into the music very well and don't sound too clunky the way a lot of early drum machine stuff does. It's very tasteful work 4/5
Not bad! Easy listening 70s funk enjoyed on a cold snowy day.
Could definitely hear his influence on Prince. Hard to believe he played all the instruments on this. Beautiful guitar work
I had honestly never heard of Shuggie Otis before, which is a shame. To realize he was only 20 when Inspiration Information was released and this is his third album. It's honestly impressive. At times his voice reminds me of Jay Kay from Jamiroquai. I feel Shuggie must have been an influence on them. This album has a nice smooth feel. It is a relaxing listen. Certain songs are stronger than others. While some are a little more forgettable. But given his young age this is some serious talent. I definitely want to check out more of his music.
This is a jam. I really enjoyed him. Last song is a hell of a groove. Made a favorite list. I would say Jeff Beck worthy.