Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Big fan
Sounded a lot like the Superbad soundtrack to me which I liked
Superbad soundtrack if they just smoked weed and sat on the couch.
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.
Enjoyed some, but I can’t really get into the softer stuff.
Doesn’t feel like it quite gets going and falls short of its own potential
It’s fine but from the era when R&B started to fall off
Despite a slight lean into instrumentation in the third quarter, this album is spectacular. Smooth funk, where the Standouts are Inspiration Information, Island Letter, Aht Uh Mi Hed, Strawberry Letter 23, and Freedom Flight.
Excellent
Ugh, I was so disappointed by this. I read his Wikipedia page first and I thought it was going to be funky and soulful. It wasn’t
OK. Didn't turn off!
Kinda a vibe. Mostly background music, but was relaxing and enjoyable
Unfortunately, this album is underwhelming. Some of the other reviews had this spot on, saying it's a bit of a tease and seems to promise something, but then ultimately fails to deliver. It's quite stripped back and restrained and doesn't deliver on the bigger grooves. Strawberry Letter 23 is a clear standout. 2.5 rounded up.
Mediocre.
Pretty poor, sounded like an older version of Jamiroquai, but without any hooks. As the album progressed, it got duller and duller, so I pulled the plug once I got into the bonus tracks.
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.
This album sounds vaguely pleasant, I suppose. The problem was it lacked almost every quality I hope to hear in music. No clever lyrics, no interesting melodies, the album was just generally boring.
Was ok
some pretty good instrumentals
I didn’t love this album, or even like it. On the other hand I dudn’t hate it, or even dislike it. This was simply boring. Lite Jazz meets drum machine, it seemed like something I’d hear in a tourist bar on some 2nd tier Caribbean island. 2/5
Easy listen! Would do again
new artist for me, liked it, funky, cool guitar and nice vocals.
Interesting mix of genres -- definitely more interesting than yesterday's Coldplay.
Ok, but a little boring
Good vibes. Simpsons: No
Absolutely loved this. Have already listened to the album a few times through. Also loved the related music Spotify played after it finished. 5 stars all round.
The music was ok but nothing special. Probably won't ever listen again
I knew Strawberry Letter 23 and liked it. The rest is the album was my kind of music and good but not great. Honestly a little disappointed as I was expecting a lot more
This album is fire! Great sound - funky, clean, pure. 5/5
Smooth and sexy. Greet Sunday listening … and today IS Sunday.
all double albums get 1 star. i don’t make the rules i just ruthlessly enforce them
Strawberry Letter 23 is ❤️
This is great. Lots of cool jams.
i have literally never heard of this album and its honestly criminal that i hadnt.. hidden gem on god 4.6/5
‘70’s soul
Experimental, smooth jazz
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).
I wanted to like this more than I did. I think Shuggie Otis is great and I love Strawberry Letter 23. There was something off about the production of this though, it felt really incomplete or something. Not as lush as it should have been in my opinion. Still, the songs were pretty great.
A serviceable funk album. Didn’t blow me away.
Like
Good lounge music, but not very memorable. Stand-out: Not Available
Just gotta say shuggie otis is a fantastic name. Especially if you go in to be an R&B musician. If listened to a few shuggie songs and definitely love strawberry letter. This album was more of that with heavy grooves, synth, and instrumental tracks as well. This was a very well made enjoyable album. A little long at points and some of the instrumentals could have been omitted but really it’s all pretty fun stuff. 7.0/10
This album was boring, even by this list's standards. The second half of the album just dragged on forever, and the first half wasn't very exciting or had much substance at all. Maybe it's an important album? But it's not apparent from listening to it.
Really good listen.
Easy to listen to, but ultimately it’s 70s porn music
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.
Interesting ideas here and there but overall boring album. I liked the first few tracks but lost interest before the halfway point
This was fine, but forgettable funk. Favorite songs were Inspiration Information and Not Available.
Awesome. Unreal guitar. Sounds like Miguel
rainy day
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.
Some really great funk tracks like Inspiration Information but also some fairly esoteric filler like Pling!. Overall sounds a bit like what would happen if Stevie Wonder took a fuck tonne of drugs.
Hat mir teilweise sehr gut gefallen.
Nog meer prettige date-bij-kaarslicht-muziek, al dwaalt het af en toe af richting echte funk. Vijftig jaar na dato nog steeds vette shit. Weet je wat, ik ben in een goede bui vandaag. Maar dat komt ook weer door dit soort muziek.
Toch best een beetje een saai jazzy soul album. Je moet het van de drumcomputer en elektrische toetsen hebben lees ik. Vernieuwend toen, schijnt. Dan krijg je namen als 'XL-30' en 'Pling!'. Luister XL-30 en je hoort dat er nog een hele ontwikkeling nodig was op dit gebied. Tot je ineens de hit voorbij hoort komen. Smaakt inderdaad als een gezoete aardbei. Maar zit veel beter in elkaar dan alles wat we hiervoor op dit album hoorden. Ook het volgende nummer 'Sweet Thang' klinkt ok. Wat rustig en jazzy. Dan nog even 'Ice Cold Daydream' doorkomen. En dan een goed uitgewerkt (maar ook weer heel rustig) instrumentaal nummer. Dat met 13 minuten toch wel weer veel te lang duurt. In die tijd duik ik wiki op. Wat blijkt. Die laatste 4 nummers waarvan ik het wel waard vind om wat over te schrijven, zijn juist de bonus nummers, toegevoegd toen er een cd van werd gemaakt. Deze nummers stonden allemaal al op een eerder album uit 1971. Hoe krijgt de 1001 het voor elkaar? Altijd de meest verschrikkelijke debut-albums voorschotelen en dan juist nu kiezen voor de mislukte experimenten boven het staande eerdere werk. Zelf had ik deze artiest helemaal weggelaten denk ik. Als die laatste nummers er eigenlijk niet bij horen, is het toch een harde 2 sterren.
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.
Perfectly decent old school 70s R and B. Nothing bad about it but nothing stood out. I really hated the mixing and mastering on this album though, everything sounded out of whack
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.
Day64 - he has a smooth voice
I enjoyed this a fair bit, decent background music. Would give a 3.75 if possible on here.
Pretty funky, I enjoyed this one, mid 3.
Shuggie Otis funk. Great stuff.
Very smooth and calming just not for me
Sounds like music you'd hear in a lift, not terrible but very forgettable
Head to this? Pls
Love the jazzy melodies
A pretty underwhelming third album by Shuggie Otis. Full of extremely slow psychedelic soul and R&B there was no Inspiration Information to be found anywhere throughout. Truly one to put right to the back of the shelf in my opinion. Best: Inspiration Information Worst: Freedom Flight
This was really, Stevie Wonder vibes.
ottimo sottofondo, niente di più
Chilled-out soul.
It's decent I guess, but much like 90+% of jazz, it shouls be relegated to being just background music and nothing more.
(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.
Really enjoyed this. Will be back for more.
Very pleasant easy listen, nothing particularly special but solid background music.
Pleasant soul for pottering around the house, but didn't leave a huge impact. Another of those I'd never be upset to have on but would never pick out. Fave track: Strawberry Letter 23
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
Beautiful album. The type of album to chill out after a long day of work.
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
A very chill, feel-good synth funk record that I could absolutely see myself putting on while working or chilling out. The warm, early 70s analog synth and drum machine sounds are so cozy and well-done. Nothing earth-shattering, but very good music. 4.5 leaning 5.
Interesting. Might buy this on vinyl, cool vibe.
Das gefällt mir: langsam, schnell, Funk, Rock, Jazz
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
Too Long. Many meh songs then suddenly a Bee Gees sounding tune.
certainly had some cool moments, but the middle dragged. cut out the middle and we can talk.
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.
Some really nice elevator music here and I mean that in good way. This album is really easy to listen to. Nothing extraordinary but just some nice easy music to have on while working or going for a nice walk.
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.
Who? That’s why I have never heard of him. First album at 23 - ok. Hard to break into the music industry. One star
This is some nice mellow soul/R&B music. A bit funky, a bit jazzy, overall pretty solid. Slightly uninspiring perhaps (despite the name), but perfectly enjoyable. Also the 2001 re-release tacked on four songs from another album of his to the end of this one, and they're on the Spotify version. I didn't include them in my playlist since they really are from his album "Freedom Flight", not this one (it has a pretty different sound). Favorite song: Inspiration Information Other: Aht Uh Mi Hed 2/10/24
I like the ambition to mix so many instrumentals and flavors together. However, short of Strawberry Letter this sounds like Hobby Lobby background Jazz, a step up from elevator jazz.
I liked it, it was mellow enough to work too and clean my house ... 4 stars
Ret groovy, lidt blusset, lidt funky
Super! Chilli vibes!
Nice walking jams, need to think about properly sitting down to listen to these as I’m sure it became background gumpf to just mulling over the day’s plans
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
fino za slusat al nisam bas dozivila album
Ok al nije nes memorable.
Soulful, funky bra album med fina instrumentala låtar
It sounded like it had potential in the first track, but doesn't really get up and go, veers close to being elevator music at points. Still a pleasant listen, but maybe was hoping for a little more.
Starts off like some early-mid 90s movie music for a sex scene, then about track 5 swaps to post coital music Average
Relaxing, funky, was waiting for the plumber to come in and fix the pipes. Bam bam chicka wow wow.
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.
This was fun, I enjoyed it. Nothing incredible about it, but generally really enjoyable background music. Enjoy some of the funky lines. Shame I can't give it a 2/5, so it will have to be a 3
Started off thinking i was going to like it a lot, but lost interest pretty quickly. Seemed like unfinished at times.
Inspiration Information is actually quite a decent album. It definitely is the best of all the elevator albums I have looked at. The music was handled well throughout the songs and didn't get tiring at any point. The vocals were pretty good too if a little underutilized. All and all, Its a pretty good album. Best Song: Aht Uh Mi Hed Worst Song: Pling!
I remember this album cover from somewhere, but can't remember it. Well it's a different genre from rock at least. First song, vibey, expected from funky genre. It's very chill, good background music. There is different sound in each ear, also some instrument in my right ear, and beat is in the left one. It included jazz, so not as bad as I expected. Second song, elevator vibes. This is so slow compared to the last song. He sings in a background vocals way. Main part in the song is the instruments, and paying close attention will make one discover new sounds in each 10 seconds(idk). I like that it's smooth and easy listening. There are different things going on, now it's piano in the left ear and some weird sounds in the left one, while the beat is in the middle. Long outro, but not boring. Third song, oh, it's already ear changing sounds. After two minute intro, the lyrics came in. It's monotonous, but it has a vibe I enjoy. Not as bad if you get it. Fourth song, lyrics are early. The name is weird. Slight diversity between the ears. It's getting to sound similar, but I guess that's the point. Nothing unique. Fifth song, it's a faster. There is weird pause of the best and star-like sound Starting, it was an interlude I think. Sixth song, this has an old jazz vibe. Was quite slow and less interesting, basically no lyrics?! Umm he has a Voice right, should use it. Same with the seventh song, he doesn't sing, it's weird ai sounds. I mean it is something but not I would listen to because I wanted to. 8th song, it started so good what happened. It's like lofi(idk). It's relaxing plus fun, I almost fell asleep. Outro was a littlee different. 9th song started differently, upbeat and stuff. Oh now it's upbeat info the winning minute back 10th song, finally he sings, before that there was different style i think. It's different with the Christmas sounds going now especially. He stopped singing and made me fall asleep again(almost). 11th song, again instrumental, I was rating this 3 starts, now that's a stretch. Just background voices were heard, not Something I wanted. 12th song, it's good, uplifting, and a little interesting. The lyrics are not much, but now it's rocky guitar, didn't expect that from this album. 13th song, 12 minutes?! For a literal elevator music, a good quality one I guess. The progression is fun, it's jazzy vibes now. Guitar is still playing. Obviously some weird noises. Why is this album a must listen I don't get it, I mean it was interesting and stuff, but not that much. Imma quickly say that, it was much worse than I expected, why does he not sing, I mean at least the instrumental could have been better. It came down from 3 to 2 star album, that 2 stars is because of the first few songs that actually had something, at least lyrics. It's chill and I get it, but this kind of songs ask for something, than just making it same and boring.
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.
Mostly just meh one or two nice tracks but was mostly bored
The title track was a funky surprise, and a few others were decent, but much of the slower stuff wasn't good for much more than background music. Still, I feel like the good outweighed the not-so-good.
I very much like this. Check out his single, Purple. Solid bluesy soulful rock.
Made for some pretty good background music, but not much else I'm afraid. 2.5
Very good music to start your work day to at 5am. Bill Withers type beat
Blind album and artist. Gives off vibes for sure and mellows me out, but these aren't my vibes and it ain't my flow.
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.
I just like old funk.
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.
Shuggie is The Best
Ayo this funky Best song: inspiration information Worst song: N/A This album goes on a little too long, not a top 1001 album imo, more like a top 3000 album
mildly satisfying
Funky soul
What a great find!! So much talent
Reggea Sound
There were a couple good tracks in this, but most of it bored me. I also feel like the tone was inconsistent. Favorite track was not available
Very chill Jazz/funk album. There wasn't a lot that stood out to me, but at the same time this is pretty good for 1974.
Shuggie got a funny name. Don't know this guy, seems like a lost funk/R&B cat, like a precursor to Jamiroquai or something. It's pretty good music, no denying it. I like the instrumental tracks peppered in here. Credit deserved for making this in the early '70s, it feels quite a bit newer than that. Favorite tracks: Island Letter, Happy House, Pling. Album art: The art on Apple Music is different, and it's kind of bad. The cover on here is much better, definitely fits the '70s. A shot of (I assume) Shuggie sitting on a chair in the sun. He seems very disgruntled, but this is a decent cover. 3/5
It's easy listening, its kind of groovy, its smooth, cool, and has a hint of the 60's abotu it. It also has a hint of 'elevator' musak about it. This isn't really my bag, it's inooffensive and, whilst it does play with soe dissonant harmonies here and there, relatively uneventful.
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.
it's so beautiful, 70s aesthetic, didn't get bored with it. heck if this is "elevator music" for most people then it's great "elevator music". i had so much fun and will probably listen to it again.
70s lofi. Great stuff
Smooth & mellow & kinda sat in the background like elevator music.
3.5
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.
Inspiration Information Strawberry Letter 23 Sweet Thang
Boring but not terrible I guess
Some pretty little ditty’s on here. 3.5/5
just not feeling it at all
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
I'm sure for the right crowd this is great but just didn't hit it off for me. Wouldn't even say I have a best song, it's all just very mediocre (not terrible though).
Vibey
Good vibes liked the more instrumental ones halfway through. Very comforting
This is everything you want from a soul album and more! Amazing!
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
I felt like every track almost pulled me in, with the feeling that by the end songs would finally be grabbing me enough and I'd be enjoying myself, but then halfway through it felt like the album gave up and became relatively boring instrumentals. Nothing bad, but we went from smooth vocals and neat progressions to what many would consider elevator music, and it left a sour taste in my mouth, even if I did enjoy the intial run of tracks on side A. Perhaps I could turn to enjoy side a enough to bump the score up a bit on this album, but as it stands I just leave feeling a tad ripped off, and not much else.
Not horrible, not great. Slightly tone-deaf, generic funk/R&B. Not sure there are any tracks on here that stand out to me.
Interesting mix of instrumental and voice
chill funk neutral
it's good but it's not SUPER for me i sort of glazed over quickly tbh (to be honest)
Eh, nothing special about this one. Not sure why it's in this list. It is not bad, just don't see anything that makes it exceptional.
Known before: Artist/Some songs Standouts: Sparkle City Not Available Ice Cold Daydream Strawberry Letter 23 Sweet Thang 8.5/10
Known Before: Standouts: 11. Sweet Thang 4.5
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
Pretty boring. Really chill and good for a rainy day. Low 3
Boring but inoffensive. Soft 2.5
Low quality production, but some good stuff.
So nice and chill, great sound
Для 1974 - хайп Местами вообще какой-то лоу-фай ловишь
Это более мягкий и суфлешный Джими Хендрикс!
жалко пацана, а альбик хороший даж вполне
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.
Shuggie Otis I never really heard this record but I love it. I could hear its influence on some of my favorite music. Such a cool voice and vibe. Also really great guitar playing. Also cool how he plays all the parts except for horns and strings. Old drum machine sounds are cool too especially on the instrumental tunes xl-30 and pling Groove on “not available” is so cool. I didn’t remember hearing the original strawberry 23- so different . I love the outro Ice cold daydream feels so good Freedom flight reminds me of “in a silent way” George Duke is so great I realized after that the last few songs were from other albums that they tagged on to the rerelease. Great album and will definitely need to listen more. 5
Love this record! This was one of my faves in high school/college but haven’t listened in a while. Its grant and cohesive all the way through. All the grooves and sounds are so cool, love the guitar playing. All the songs are really great and the instrumentals are really cool too. Sharon Jones does a great cover of inspiration information
I liked everything but his voice
I loved the vibes of this album and I was just able to groove to every song throughout. I wish some of the songs with just a beat had more lyrics because there was so much opportunity. Great album and definitely gonna add a few to the playlist because how coney these songs are.
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
Been mostly disappointed with my listening lately. This was fine. Sweet Thang was good. Probably won’t listen again.
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.
Thought I had never heard of him before, then along comes Strawberry Letter 23, and whoa, mind blown. Oh! Album is awesome. Another buried treasure unearthed.
Loose laid back funk with a jazzy feel and a tropical psych vibe. Busy rhythms with drums, bongos and more percussion doing polyrhythmic stuff and a tight bass sound high in the mix linking that to the array of textural instruments: acoustic guitars, flutes, strings and horns and cheesy keyboards. There's odd fill/noodle but no leads/solos really - like pure background jazz bordering elevator music. The singing is a bit tuneless and flat. Pleasant but dull overall, great for the pre-show music at your next coffeeshop poetry open mic. Favorites: sweet thang, Island letter, strawberry 23
La chanson titre est cool, /Sweet thang/ aussi, le reste ne m'a pas beaucoup marqué
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
Cool
Not my thing, but it's objectively good.
Never heard (of) Shuggie Otis before. This psychedelic funk was fairly easy to listen to.
Great vibes, good grooves, good singing. This album just grooves for me. Enjoyed the two listens and added to my library. 4/5!
This is some music to get down to or study. I really like the 70s feel here of smooth jazz alongside Shuggie's sultry voice. It does feel of the time and a somewhat hidden gem compared to the superstardom of Barry White or Stevie Wonder.
Could be background music at a party.
3.8/5 - not a bad song on the album. For something that is 50 years old it still feels fresh and unique.
funky
All i can say about this album is: 🎵🎶"Ooh baby sweet thang, sweet thang sweet thang!" 🎶🎵
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.
It's alright, it's got groove but not much bite. Not especially impactful.
The Apple Music notes claim that he played every instrument and sang every part, and between the ages of 20-23. That, in and of itself, is very impressive. This is a great background music album, I actually listened twice while at work. Solid album.
Had only ever heard the name before this post. Some nice sounds on this album by a talented multi instrumentalist. Will have a look at his back catalogue
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
Äärimmäisen kaksijakoinen levy. Nimikkoraita ja Aht Uh Mi Hed ovat olleet pitkään suosikkeja, mutta muu levy ei oikein sytytä. Vielä kun Strawberry Letter 23 on valitettavasti spotifyn bonusbiisi eri levyltä. Sen kanssa olisikin varmaan neljä, mutta nyt olkoon 3/5.
Kelpo levy! Tykkään äänestä. 3/5
фанк и психодел, но интересно! надо потом ещё заценить
cool cool
Smooth, and just ok
Rollo. Soniditos.
Decent album, if not the most memorable thing in the world. While nothing really stood out or wowed me, it’s clear Otis is a talented musician, and a good consistent album is much-needed after some of the schlock I’ve had to weather here lately.
It's been a long time since this app has turned me, head over heels, into a fan of an artist I had barely heard of before. And it had to happen with Shuggie Otis. I only knew that Shuggie was the son of impresario, songwriter and musician Johnny Otis, of "Hound Dog" fame, but I didn't expect to immediately fall in love with this very, very special album. "Inspiration Information" is indeed a one-of-a-kind mix between progressive soul, enticing jazz dirges, psychedelic flourishes and proto-acid jazz instrumentals with cheap electronic rhythm patterns, all of this in 1974! "Aht Uh Mi Hed" is a ballad for the ages, which sees Shuggie using the hypnotic early drum machines once used in *There's A Riot Going On* so as to here create something smoother and far more delicate than what Sly Stone had created on his side. Those strings in the bridge section sent shudders down my spine right away. It's a shame this gem is not as well-known as it should be. The second side mostly comprising instrumental cuts is quite hypnotic as well. I would even dare to say that through this second side, Otis crafted the sort of timeless experimental split album that Bowie released not so long after. Under that light, *Inspiration Information* would be like a soul/funk version of *Low* or *"Heroes"* somehow--it's just that here the template is African American music instead of Glam Rock/Krautrock. At 30 minutes, this album is very short, but if you buy the 2001 reissue, you have four extra tracks from Otis' previous LP *Freedom Flight*, and they are gems as well--especially the 12-minute jazz odyssey that its title track was. But even without those four extra tracks, chances are that *Inspiration Information* is well worth your time if you're at least a little interested in progressive soul. Adding this great, great album to my list of essential keepers. And buying it right away. Number of albums left to review: 393 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 272 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 144 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 193
Ok, nawet fajne, dużo różności, trochę jazziku
Funky
Pretty good - did most of the instruments himself. Early use of drum machine. 3.8
Extraordinary without being too cocky. Great singer/songwriter „Soul“ which resists being its own reference while just being it.
a little too laidback for my tastes and a bit annoying but not bad by any means
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.
Hier haben die Absoluten Beginner ihren Beat fürs "Liebeslied" her! Das Album ist anfangs noch recht rockig mit Blues- und Funkanleihen. Später wird's dann rein instrumental in eine jazzige Ambientrichtung. Nicht meins.
Absolute gem from someone I've never heard of, nice one 1001.
Those Casio drum loops kill the vibe completely. Padding out the tracklist with 4 songs off his last album is lazy as hell too.
3.5
Faaaark yes, really enjoyed this album. Going to try and find it on vinyl.
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.
The first track on this album is superb. I think the album starts quite well but then I lost a little of the momentum in the second half. It's still very decent, but track one was my jam. I would say it could be a grower of an album for sure. Between a 3 and a 4. I would say a hiiigh 3/5
Kan backe det her
A quick but funky album, nice bass lines, would work well in the background as most songs don't have lyrics.
Toimii.. voi jopa harkita uudelleenkuuntelua..
Inoffensive, but not exactly exciting either
Ganska skönt album.
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.
Fantastic Soul album, really one you can sit down and enjoy on a Sunday evening
Heavy Bill Withers vibes. This is a really great soul record. Lots of instrumental. Experimentation is tasteful and interesting. Definitely will listen again
Great vibes here!!!
Sonzao, instrumental top
like this. i will be looking for more of his work
Two hours of inspiration and information! It's actually quite soothing. I'd probably listen to it again if I somehow stumble across it. But probably wouldn't search it out.
A smooth, soulful understated funk that definitely gives off the 70's vibe. Has a very Casio keyboard thing going on. Pretty innocuous, but also not much that stands out... the lead track Inspiration Information is good.
Funky but I felt like it was missing something
It's a mix this one. Very patient, very sensual, very calm and collected. But lacks a bit of a flavour. 3.5/5.
Too long
Happy house could have been a thundercat song. The rest was kind of forgettable to be fair.
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!
A warm hug of an album, with hints & echoes of a bunch of artists from Clapton to Prince, Funkadelic to Donovan. An artist I had never heard of, but really enjoyed and look forward to listening to again
The title track was a little interesting, but I didn't really get into this album.
Smooth vocals, groovy vibe. Nice listen!
To some extent this is quite the jam.
Sweeeeeet
No thanks
Cool record! Definitely the story of 'finding a following in the 90s' is very interesting also. Ultimately I think it's not the /kind/ of music that really turns my crank, but there wasn't anything objectionable about it whatsoever. An enjoyable record I would probably be happy to listen to again, though ultimately I think I probably won't.
kinda boring
Very pleasant, but nothing extraordinary. An interesting collection of songs though, with enough interesting things going on to hold the attention and stop it from becoming background music.
Feels like it's about to break into Stevie Wonder territory, but never quite gets there.
Empieza muy bien con "Inspiration Information" y también incluye su canción más escuchada "Strawberry Letter 23". No está nada mal lo volveré a escuchar.
Groovy as fuck but kinda forgettable
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
A very very strong five stars for this one. Never heard of him but obviously incredibly influential on a lot of people. Listened to it five or six times now and loved it more every time.
I’m not sure if I believe in divine inspiration, but this album is making me believe in extraterrestrial inspiration. This album stands out with no clear predecessors or successors. Funky!
this is so sick! funky but also weirdly shoegazey? for an album from the early 70s it sounds shockingly modern but also extremely old. really really great
Lots of similarity to Stevie Wonder and other 70s R&B with some interesting jazz tunes
Disintegrates into noodling in the background
Sådär, med några små pärlor.
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 enjoyed this smooth and funky music but didn’t find it especially memorable.
I really liked the funky sound here.
Really enjoyed this. Funky and relaxing.
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.
I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS
Música un tanto psicodélica con ritmos tranquilos, en su mayor parte instrumental, donde destacan melodías suaves
Strawberry letter 23’s a banger but could live without the reat
Lekker een beetje pielen op een orgeltje, een funky baslijntje, drums omdat het moet, her en der een subtiel koperen blazertje en af en toe een keer een stukje zingen. De nummers met zang zijn voor mij niet de favorieten, maar het breekt het album wel lekker een beetje. Een prima album om de dag mee te beginnen. Omdat ik positief verrast deel ik een 5 sterren wildcard uit. Geen legendarisch album vol iconische nummers, maar wel een top album-ervaring.
One of those unexpectedly fun albums you get from this project. I'm not sure it's a classic, but it was good to listen to.
Most recognizable song is 'Strawberry Letter 23', which was later made famous with the Brothers Johnson release; this later version was used in two different Tarantino movies.
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.
Good vibe, good tunes. What's not to like.
Very easy listening. *Note - I need to re-listen. Standout: Sparkle City
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
Glemt allerede
I don’t get the hype. I read that a lot of early funk and soul bands were inspired by or liked this album but I just don’t get it. It’s pretty boring and no song stuck out to me.
Pleasant, but boring.
I didn't hate it.
Funky as hell, i love this one!
usikker på ka detta e, men da va ikkje så altfor ille
Huske kje, va sikkert greit
Just an all around fantastic album.
BL: Shuggie Otis is a artist I became aware of earlier this year when i discovered "Sweet Thang" on a random spotify mix whilst playing Dead Island, that warranted it being added to the playlist. Lets see how this album holds up AL: Very good rare groove cut, I didn't think it was particularly mindblowing but can appreciate its place and why for the age he was at the time it was made this was particularly good. I'm sure i'd grow to appreciate it more with a relisten. FT: "Inspiration Information", "Sparkle City", "XL-30", "Ice cold daydream" 3/5
It's got a great vibe to it, but it lacked something as compelling as Strawberry Letter 23.
It's nice and all, but not sure it's anything really special. Seems like fairly standard 70's funk/R&B. 3 stars.
Exactly my kind of music. Chill, funky and dreamlike.
Jazzy and introspective. It could be better and more impactful with some less duration, but it's good.
Really enjoyed this, glad I listened!!
It's bearable when he's not singing
it was pretty alright 2.5/5 but ill give it a 3
3.5
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.
man, I was so looking forward to this but it's kind of... boring. Smooth jazz meets soul/funk. Strawberry Letter 23 is still a jam but the rest of the album is just ok.
Felt kind of slow and boring, just not for me I guess
I liked it! Can't believe this was the first I ever heard of Shuggie Otis
Shuggie Otis is great. Just kind of always heard his name--being name dropped by Beastie Boys will do that--but never listened to one of his records. This is just a smooth groovin' jam. Great songs, great sound, great record.
Otis was a good guitar player before and after the sessions documented here but this recording captures a very special moment, one where everything clicked. A true classic.
Solid background music and instrumentals. Not anything that stood out specifically, though.
fairly typical album of the period. Sounds a little like Marvin Gaye's Here Dear, also a 'must-listen'. 3/5.
Great soul / funk album. I always thought the production could be a bit less lo-fi, but it does not matter.