Reviews (page 7 of 8)
And it lingers on ...
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.
Decent album, but I don’t know if I’d listen to it again. Just nice, chill music
Never listened to an album with three-four instrumental songs in a row smack-dab right in the middle of it. Very unique and cool format. Even in the songs with lyrics, some cool extended jams.
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.
Yea, not bad! I was vibing to the first half of this but it was mostly forgettable!!!
Couple decent tracks, but also a lot of filler. Songs with vocals are the best ones while the instrumental tracks feel more like interludes. Talented musicians on this album but felt pretty boring and same-y throughout.
An all caps album title, wayyy before it was cool to do so. This album is perfect for chipping ice out of your troughs and spouts. Crucial for making your house happy. I don’t think this will be groundbreaking analysis, but the songs where Shuggie sings are great. Very chill vibes that put you in a good mood, like my favourite on the record, Aht Uh Mi Hed. The songs where the vocals are not available (instrumentals) aren’t great, and that’s coming from a guy that digs instrumentals. I get a little Hall & Oates vibe off the title track, and since H&O is a guilty pleasure of mine (come @ me), I dig it. This is legit a decent rainy day album, I’m not even forcing a song title here. Decent job Shugster
For me, 3/4s of this album is great, the rest is kinda junk. Starts off awesome, the title track is probably my favourite song. Not into Island Letter but everything else is pretty good until we get to XL-30 which hurts my ears. Pling! makes me feel like I'm in a hotel lobby. Too bad Strawberry Letter 23 isn't included in the official album because it's a great song. Overall, love the funk! Just wish Shuggie could have written a complete album rather than throwing in those nonsense songs at the end.
This album starts off great, with some soulful good stuff. The rhythm guitar and keyboards throughout are great, played really tastefully and adding a ton to each track. The first five tracks are all quite good, building up an excitement for the quality of the album. Rainy Day comes on and it's a nice step back into a moody instrumental that I find to be quite nice. And then you're smacked with XL-30, some sort of dystopian circus soundtrack that absolutely sucked me out of the mood of the first half of the album. It's an awful song that reeks of unstructured jamming. When that's over you hope to get back into the groove for the final two tracks Pling and Not Available. You could easily fall back into the groove as those two fit better with the first half, but unfortunately the wake up call that was XL-30 lowered the veil over the second half of the album, and you can't help but notice that where the first four tracks are well put together songs, the last five really just seem like jams by comparison. I have a strong suspicion that our buddy Shuggie put together an EP of material but wanted to release an LP so he filled the rest of the bare minimum play length with a few jams and called it a day. It's too bad, there's some real potential in the first half of the album that ends up unrealized.
This album was fine.
Rad
Started out intrigued and liked it. After half way point it was not as interesting to me. I would give it a 3.5 if that was an option.
Wasn't expecting to like this but instantly did and head nodded all the way through - in a word 'funky' 4.6
Its a ver fun album
Did not know anything about Shuggie before… this kind of soul is so intense that put me to sleep. Loved a couple of songs, though!
Super long album with maybe one or two alright songs
Middle of the road album for me, nothing special.
Kinda cool, a little sparse in places
First few tracks felt like this record has a pleasing surface but no songs. Some nice woozy guitar but lacking in hooks... by the time Sweet Thing & Ice Cold Daydream wafted by I was revising my opinion. Then the final track just reinforces initial impressions.
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.
Starts very well but the end is dull prog/ambient/blues
Soul très sympa, love letter 23 c'est un banger qui le fait passer en 4 étoiles
Aht uh mi hed es un temazo histórico. Qué bueno que lo he descubierto. El resto del disco no puede mantener la misma calidad.
Wikipedia describes this as Psychedelic / Progressive Soul / Funk - I'd describe it as inoffensive soulful funky lift music and nothing to write home about.
Funky and at times weird, but ultimately it was a little sleepy for me. I feel like this would be an enjoyable listen to vibe to with the help of a recreational substance but without it, only a 2-star listen
This was fun but longer than it needed to be. Some of it sounded like hotel lobby music.
Cool vibe but I grew bored. It didn’t need to be almost an hour long. Funk/soul is a genre I like in small doses.
Best song: The title track
One of the most inoffensive albums i've heard. There's not much here, good or bad. Surprisingly, the bonus tracks on the reissue are actually really good, and much better than the rest of the standart album.
I am in for this ride. It goes from being a boogie soul album to a waiting room musak record?
So good
Solid album, but a bit indistinguishable. Liked island letter in particular.
Very laid back and soulful. Maybe too laid back for my tastes though I did find it a great album to listen to on a Sunday afternoon while relaxing
Good chilled out
Hintergrundmusik, paar gute Sachen dabei, aber kein großer Ohrwurm hängengeblieben
Great album to chill out to.
2.5
What a gorgeous album and what a find?!? So pleased to be introduced to Shuggie Otis too, I will certainly be listening to his other albums now! Really enjoying the jazz r&b blues and other great sounds of this. Also love the ideas behind the lyrics. Highlights included inspiration information with its squelchy bouncy beats and lush guitar parts. Such a top fee good track. And also Strawberry Letter 23, really cool idea for a song.
Yeah it was nice, loved the first song -i found it kind of a bit too long but yeah nice!
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
I think it was really like funky and intriguing yet at the same time was boring? I think it could have given something but it didn’t. I just needed more. It was jazzy and cool but too short- if I had been given more to go off of I could have grasped more- but for what I heard I liked.
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.
Not really my style of music
Super chill and funky, definitely worth taking a deeper dive. Highlights for me: Sparkle City, Happy House, Sweet Thang, and Freedom Flight.
Pretty great funky and atmospheric. Side two was a different feel but also good.
lovely vibe
Unfinished funk. It has a 70’s incomplete vibe. Some cheap beats that lead nowhere interesting.
Soul just really isn't the genre for me, although I'm sure this album is great if you do like it
By the age of 21, Shuggie Otis had already chalked up an impressive resume. He'd released two albums with a roster of guest musicians, worked as a session musician for various artists (including electric bass on Zappa's "Hot Rats") and was referred to by B.B King as "my favourite new guitarist". It can't be ignored that he was born into a musical family: his father was bandleader, producer, "Godfather of Rhythm and Blues" Johnny Otis, who helped establish many of Shuggie's connections and had him playing guitar by the time he was two years old. Nepo babies… they're nothing new. On "Inspiration Information", Otis is out to stand on his own. He plays almost every instrument, incorporates drum machines in their infancy, and crafts an intriguing blend of delicate pop songs and soulful noodling. There's a really promising start, with the title track striking a good balance of languid soul and a tight, catchy hook. "Island Letter" is a nice mellow ballad, if not a showstopper, while "Sparkle City" and "Aht Uh Mi Hed" both have some good grooves hiding in the padding. At around five tracks in, though, the album evaporates slightly, with Otis seemingly losing his vocal mic halfway through. After the insubstantial interlude, "Happy House", there are no more vocals (or melodies at all) across the remaining four tracks. It's a strange way to sequence the album and means things go out on a bit of a damp squib. Otis saw the guitar as his primary instrument (above his voice), which would be fine if it featured slightly more here. He only lets rip in final track "Not Available" with some caustic funk rhythm guitar, and is in a more introspective mood in the jazz inflected "Rainy Day". The other two instrumentals are meandering, keyboard or organ-focused, and unimaginatively named ("XL-30", "Pling!"). Pleasant enough, and not actively bad, but ultimately it leaves the whole album feeling intangible, and not very cohesive. Some of the bonus tracks tacked on the re-issue (the hits "Strawberry Letter 23" and "Sweet Thang", along with the lengthy but proficient "Freedom Flight") showcase what could have been with this album. Shuggie Otis clearly had a knack for accessible, gently soulful singles as well as psychedelic, hazy guitar jams. It's a pity that we don't get a full commitment to either on "Inspiration Information": instead, we end up drifting in the nether-zone.
Nice to listen to, probably more of a 3.5.
I liked this, but the style isn't really my thing so nothing totally jumped out
Kinda nice background music for doing Down Stay with Doggos
Oh, this is really unusual. Smooth and soulful, but also quirky. I really like the songs where Otis sings, but some of the instrumentals are giving me flashbacks to the organ we had in the basement when I was a kid. Fave Songs: Inspiration Information, Rainy Day, Sparkle City, Island Letter, Aht Uh Mi Hed
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
This album is ultra-smooth. I especially love ‘Strawberry Letter 23’, and, while a very unique thought, ‘Rainy Day’ would maybe be a good basis for a mellow electronic song.
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 really really enjoyed this, it was very chill and groovy
Now THIS is some easy listening funk and soul! Perfect album to just chill out to.
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.
Ok music, not something I would listen to outside this context.
Very dope.
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.
I didn’t hate it the album just kinda passed through me, the starting tracks with the vocals were okay but I didn’t overly like his singing but then it goes full instrumental and my interest is gone. 3/5
yes
Totally devoid of any energy. Made me feel more tired after listening to this, than before starting. Listen to this album if you want to lull yourself to sleep. Starts promising then half of the album transforms into elevator music. Also I find Strawberry Letter 23 to be delivered better by The Brothers Johnson band. Best song: Inspiration Information (The only song that vaguely sounds interesting) Worst song: XL-30 (Dollar-store Tangerine Dream)
it felt so good listening to this
Great opening track
Lots of funk, was nice to listen to in the background while working but not something I found super memorable or that I’d return to.
R&B inspirat i ben produït. No emociona, però funciona i mereix una escolta més atenta.
It's an decent funk album. My favorite track is the title track. The artist showcases his musical talents well on this album.
Funky. Soft rock from a band I'd never heard of. Interesting listen. I enjoyed the song Miss Pretty, but overall the album was a no from me.
A lovely soothing soulful album. Drifts into the jazzy indulgence from time to time but it all works.
Another great album i've discovered from this list. The production on this album was good considering it came out in '73, it's a bit bloated particularly near the end but overall I thought this album was great. 8.4/10
My first impression was, “wow, this sounds like porn music.” The bow-chicka-wows were <i>very</i> bow-chicka-wowing. The funk was strong but not particularly notable?
First time hearing anything from Shuggie Otis, I loved this album. Great dynamics and feelings to the songs.
Didn’t really connect with this.
Boring
Inspiration Information is the third album by American singer-songwriter Shuggie Otis. This funky psychedelic soul album performed mediocrely at release, but was a beautifully introspective project. I recommend this to listeners that want to relax, but also want to hear something interesting.
Meandering but listenable. I liked a review that likened this album to a list penguin.
This sone funky shit.
Psychedelic soul, very pleastant listen and that Tarantino track, but not more than a 3
Very very dull, would listen to several songs without realising the track had changed. Accidentally listened to the start of the second album it's paired with on Amazon, exactly the same. That's enough Shuggie Otis for a lifetime I think.
Not quite for me. Half way through it seems like he gives up on singing, lots of instrumentals.
Disappointing, found the album quite lacking in all areas. Needed far more funk to liven it up. The instrumental parts are not interesting enough to have so many.
Not sure about this. Not a big fan of soul anyway but I just thought it was lacking something. The funk wasn't funky enough! Not enough bass. Inoffensive enough but didn't do anything for me. Recognised strawberry letter 23 but nothing else Shouldn't think I'll be listening again
Some very nice parts, unique
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Inspiration information, Aut uh mi head, Strawberry letter 23
3.5/5. This was good, I had no issue listening to it. It was nothing mind blowing, but it is a solid album.
neat actually
Love the instrumentals
nice chill jazz/soul
smoooooth
liked it. music to play if you own a studio apartment in ny and want to impress your date.
Yeah summer beer garden music.
Cheesy easy listening
Lovely cheesy funky shit.
I'd found out about this album earlier this year and enjoyed it... and enjoyed it again today! Couple of stand out tracks, but overall it was just a good vibe. 3.5
Glad I listened to the extra songs! Ice Cold Daydream was great.
Groovy, funky good vibe
Realy good funk/soul album with some really interesting instrumental parts. I will definitely listen to that one again.
Pretty good, I enjoyed this one! Not anything to shove you out of your chair, but still good stuff.
Doesn't stand out of the usual soul/funk genre from this era, but still good.
Very nice vibe and some great songs. The album runs out of steam a lot towards the end. Average stuff.
nautinnollista musiikkia. ei nouse ei uskalla nousta korkeimpiin korkeuksiin.. mutta ei sinänsä haittaa, kelpo jummutusta koko reilun puolituntisen, turvallinen. inspiration information.. nimikko... paras...
Funky, easy listen
This might be the most plain Jane album ever produced. Nothing in it stood out throughout the entire playthrough. If anyone needed an example of why this generator should have half stars, this is it. This is the epitome of a 2.5 star album.
Un album ma foi sympathique même si je me vois dans l'impossibilité de lui donner plus de trois pour une raison assez simple : étant en pleine écoute de celui-ci, je n'ai pas entendu ma cafetière à l'italienne totalement s'emballer dans ma cuisine. Café bouillu, café foutu...
Je commence à en avoir sérieusement ras la casquette de tous ces artistes pour hipsters retenus par Robert. Il semblerait qu'il n'ait pas compris le message que mon camarade d'écoute robpelletière et moi lui avons laissé il y a quelques jours de cela, en passant soigneusement à tabac sa compagne. Qu'à cela ne tienne, nous allons devoir monter notre protestation d'un cran.
This is one of those records that is impossible to categorize. Wikipedia has 5 different labels for what it is. And I love that about this album. Parts of it are a little too elevator muzak for my taste, but overall this sounds great and FEELS great.
Eh
The track Inspiration Information, is it the template for Hall and Oates? I don't mean that as a pejorative rather that they must have spent a lot of time listening to Shuggie. This is a nice record and again that's not meant as an insult. If someone put this on I'd happily listen to it again but I'd never consciously go back to it. The instrumentals feel like fillers and I did go back to the Johnson Brothers version of Strawberry Letter just to see why theirs worked better (the energy they bring to it maybe). Aht Uh Mi is a fine track and probably the standout after the opening son. I dont know much about Shuggie but wonder if he's time could have been better spent song writing and producing?
I didn’t get to spend much time with this one. Skipped through some tracks. First impression “good not great”, but I reckon I’ll come back to listen again and find out. Might end up a 3.5, but by the criteria I’m using I need to give it a 4 for now.
Until last year , the only Shuggie material I was familiar with was a 1969 album he did with Al Kooper (very bluesy) that I’ve had for years, an album called Giants of Rhythm & Blues, a 70’s album featuring greats like Louis Jordan, Shuggie’s father Johnny Otis, Big Joe Turner, etc, on which Shuggie plays guitar, bass & some piano, and his guitar on Peaches En Regalia from Frank Zappa’s Hot Rats lp. I knew he’d written Strawberry Letter 23, but had never heard it until last year, when I acquired a copy of the cd reissue of Inspiration Information, which include 4 tracks not on the original album, of which this was one. It’s a very laid-back listen, very 70’s, jazzy at times, funky at others, quite a few instrumentals, on which he plays just about everything. A talent who shunned the bigtime to do it his way. Really enjoy this album.
So this album is vastly over-rated. It has a certain hipster cachet because it is willfully obscure. Shuggie Otis was a pretty fine guitar player, playing in his father's (Johnny Otis) band from a very young age, He played on Zappa's Hot Rats. He was invited to join the Stones and Bowie's band. This was his magnum opus, the result of three years' work in his home studio. And it shows. It is a slightly over-worked, psychedelic funk record, similar to There's a Riot Going On or some of Stevie Wonder's contemporaneous work. But not to Sly or Stevie's standard. OK, but nothign to write home about. But, because of it's commercial failure and Shuggie's subsequent reclusive nature, it built a reputation as a hidden gem.Hipsters have, I think, over-praised this record (see this Pitchfork review as a case in point: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17909-shuggie-otis-inspiration-information-wings-of-love/). I really disliked the meandering keyboard pieces on side 2; they didn't offer much. Interetsingly, after Strawberry Letter #23 *best known for the hit cover version by the Brothers Johnson a few years later), I thought "this album is really picking up." Interestingly, the review above pointed out that these tracks at the end are, in fact, bonus tracks on CD reissue that were drawn from other albums. This record is perfectly OK, but would be pretty weak without Strawberry Letter #23 and the other bonus tracks. Without them, this is a two star record, but I'll give it three with the bonus tracks.
Muy tranquilo, copado
I quite liked this album. It was mostly background listening to me - but background listening of the very best kind. The album is a very nice mix of soul & funk with a sprinkling of R&B & disco and some psychedelic shading to finish the picture. The original version of the album was a bit too short in my opinion, but it worked very well with the 2001 version extras.
This album was boring as fuck and idk why is it on the list of 1001 albums you need to listen to before you die. There are other albums that deserve your listen way more than this, as a composer i guess this guy has some merit but jesus i couldn’t help but snore cuz it all sounded like elevator music or some shit you play at a bland ass PG-13 dinner party
Comfortable to listen to. Can see another visit in the future
Soooo smooth that it put me to sleep.
The first half of this album was just ok. Just as it started to improve, it stuck me with boring, repetitive instrumentals that sounded like an extended song outro.
Gave the same to Lana Del Ray, which was WAY worse than this. Wish I could change the LDR review
Love Shuggie. Don't play this enough
Groovy and cool
Never heard of Shuggie Otis until today. From what I've read, his father had a band which Shuggie would start playing guitar for at age eleven. He had to disguise himself with a fake moustache and dark glasses so he would appear older and could play bar gigs with the band! So, obviously, a hell of a talented guy. I then learned that he played all of the instruments (except horns and some strings) and sang/wrote all of the songs himself. At 21! Crazy! Delving into this record, it is amazing! I don't quite know how to classify it though. Shuggie was obviously an innovator because there are touches of jazz/funk/R&B/psychedelic rock/blues throughout. Shuggie's voice sounds a lot like Jay Kay's from Jamiroquai, and by times, his music sounds similar as well, so I would bet that Shuggie was an influencer of Jay Kay's. Overall, this is a phenomenal record, and I am very happy to have discovered it! Will definately listen again. Favourite songs: Sparkle City, Inspiration Information, Aht Uh Mi Hed, Ice Cold Daydream, Strawberry Letter 23 Least favourite song: if forced to pick one, Freedom Flight (it was a psychedelic rock number that ran for 12 mins and change. There were wind chimes in the background for the whole song, and they just became a bit annoying after a while) 4/5
Was good
The ideal vibes for a peaceful, blue-sky Friday. Shuggie Otis manages to keep things moving steadily while still fostering a gentle chill.
It’s cool, Shuggie. You do your thing. And I’ll be moving on.
This lagged at the end but I'm not mad at it
Jazz. R&B.
Sweet shit.
It’s not a new record to me, but Inspiration Information was just what I needed today to take my mind off the job I hate and the nightmarish commute I endured today. Took me right Aht Uh Mi Hed, as the man said…a Funky, dreamy, psychedelic, jazzed out odyssey to escape every day life with. That Prince and Stereolab are champions of Shuggie Otis should tell you all you need to know. He was so far ahead of his time on this record that it’s become timeless.
felt bloated, way too long. vocals weren't pleasant to listen to, too much groaning. Would have been better as an instrumental. 2.
PRettz cool ambience albumm nothing fantastic though 2.5/5
Masterpiece of instrumental music. Really good and groundbreaking loved it and nothing to add. 5/5
Great background music, some nice vocals, nothing that I would say is absolutely amazing though it is all very pleasant.
As if Sly took a more soulful and orchestral approach. Also reminds me of a more talented and less coke-induced Thundercat. It's groovy, cool, and relaxed with noteworthy psychedelic effects. Each track is diverse and memorable, and there were only a few parts I didn't care for. Especially enjoyed the instrumental finish. Favorites: Island Letter, Aht Uh Mi Hed, Happy House
Écoute vraiment agréable, mais ne s'est pas distingué pour moi.
Listens: 2 Enjoyed: Yes Very relaxing/ groovy but doesn't really stand out too me. Don't really have anything particularly good or bad to say. Not sure if it's something I'd actively put on but I wouldn't skip it either
Hear influences of/from Grateful Dead, Beastie Boys, Tod Rundgren , Tommy Bolin, and Al Greene. Even the Casio synth beats are great.
Listnened Before? N I wasn't even aware that John Otis HAD a son, much less that he was a famous musician in his own rite. Now I know. Great album, great funky sound, mixed with lots of electronics. I really loved this. Good mellow listen. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Aht Uh Mi Hed
1970s soul R&B album. The first side features tracks with vocals, whilst the side 2 is almost purely instrumental. It's chilled and pleasant enough, but not one I'll remember this time next week. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Inspiration Information Date listened: 12/10/22
What a sweet, smooth little funk/soul album! So chill, I could listen to this over and over. Might have been a 5 with a human drummer. https://www.reviler.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/shuggie-otis-dog.jpg
Good vibes
Like a fusion of Marvin Gaye and Sly Stone this guitar-based soul grooves along beautifully. Excellent.
Chilling and pleasant
Pretty easy listening.
I didn't particularly love this album, that is up until the last four songs where I absolutely started to love every track on it. I later found out that version on Spotify was wrong in this track listing and the last four songs were actually from a different album by Shuggie Otis called freedom flight. I would have much rather listen to that because it actually had some really interesting compositional material that was the most memorable stuff on the album, and it wasn't even technically on this particular album from the list. Going to have to check that out for sure
Was good for the background
I really, really dug the sound of this album. But, I found that I mostly enjoyed the tracks with vocals. They seemed to have a lot to offer and really did something with the music ("Strawberry Letter #23" is outstanding), but where this album fell short for me was the instrumentals. They always started with a nice groove but then just kept going on with the same theme. They sounded cool but were just repetitive and got boring fast. I'd love to give this album a higher rating because some of it was SO good, but he lost me with the other half of the tracks.
pretty good, but not amazing.
This album was just a lot of good vibes. It was nice easy listening bordering on ambient funk. The first song somewhat stood out and the rest of it was good too.
Wow! This is the most wildly varied funk/soul album. I am so blown away by it. And is this the original of the mighty Strawberry Letter no. 23? One of the best tunes ever. It's surprisingly experimental. Can't believe it flopped at the time too, it's got tunes!
awesome!
I’d call it easy listening funk. Funky listening. Yup. Book it. It was looking like a solid 2 stars until I heard the unexpected and familiar bells of Strawberry Letter 23. What a lovely little ditty.
it felt like everything was filler for inspiration information, happy house and aht uh mi hed.
meh
Great funk
Oh my! Funky when he wants to be, soulful when he wants to be, highest highs and most excellent grooves. Shuggie Otis doesn't blow my socks off but there's nothin' in here I don't love.
this was great, glad im doing this 1000 albums thing.
Not my genre but it was ok I guess
great soul album. I especially like the longer tracks
Some really nice tracks and great overall vibe. It is too bad he is not more of a household name, but I am glad he is for me now.
Two of my favorite musical flavors: psychedelia and soul, perfectly balanced here, with early drum machines to boot! I remember when this was reissued on CD in 2001 and me and my friends devoured this album. Hearing these irresistible tunes and finding out it wasn't particularly well received in its time blew my mind and sent me on a neverending quest to find similar "lost" albums - but I'm not sure I'll ever find one that is both as amazingly ahead of its time and downright enjoyable as this one. Dude was 21!
Pretty good, I definitely prefer the vocals vs instrumentals but a funk/psych combo works well for me.
Never heard of this guy before but it was quite soulful and funky. Not as funky as I like, but still a great listen.
really not for me
Pretty catchy stuff. Good bit of funky groove, mix of soul and jazz etc. Impressive to see he wrote and played basically everything on the abum. Kept it to the golden half-hour length as well. Kinda surprised I'd never heard of him before. In reality this is a 3, maybe 3.5 if possible, but I can't let it sit just one star above the garbage I had yesterday. 4/5.
Started promising, and had some good tracks scattered throughout, but just did hold my attention just a lot of the more improvisational bits.
So fucking boring.
Bit of a confused album overall. Not bad per se just all over the place
Enjoyable listen
Enjoyed starts great but did tail off
I always wanted to know where the riffs came from on the soundtracks from 1970s porn. Now I know! The audio without the video just doesn't do it.
Spotify has sent Strawberry Letter 23 my way a few times, and I wondered what’s so special about this guy’s cover of The Brothers Johnson song, it sounds a lot like the original? Duh! Anyway, this is really smooth funky stuff, with nice understated guitar playing - the sort of thing rare groove DJs would love. It reminds me a bit of Sly and the Family Stone. It’s cool that, like Todd R, he played all (or most in Shuggie’s case) of the instruments. The title track and Aht Uh Mi Hed are great songs and I wish he would have continued singing on side 2. David Byrne was very wise to add Strawberry Letter to his release and I’ll give it an extra point for that.
I’m so glad that this criminally underrated album made this list. It’s unfortunate that so many people have never heard of Shuggie Otis, a child prodigy that played with Frank Zappa when he was only a teen, and you know that Zappa only recruited the best musicians. He also played most of the instruments and wrote most of the songs on this album. Aht uh mi hed is one of my all time fav soul songs, and Inspiration Information and Strawberry Letter 23 are also great. I think it’s unfair that the Brothers Johnson’s interior cover of the latter gets more airplay and recognition than the original. This album is a real hidden gem.
It started off so strong and I had so much hope, but it just fell flat after the first song :(
Glad I got a chance to listen to Shuggie Otis. All I knew about him was he wrote a classic R&B hit and Prince always said he influenced his music. A very soulful album with a surprise troubadour cut near the end.
Great!
Never even heard of him, although I recognised the famous song right away. Well made album, qreat musician, should have gotten way more recognition. But the lyrics too sweet for my taste
Nice soul/jazzy, which usually starts to bore me after a whole album, but was kind of nice to have on while I was writing the rest of these entries.
3/13, 23%
Good background R&B mood maker.
A really great, easy listen! Thoroughly enjoyed these last 2 hours which is a feat in music for sure.
Aht Uh Mi Head -> anscheinend Sample Inspiration für Riesenglied von KIZ Schönes jazziges Album. Kannte die Band bisher nicht.
Chill
Boring album.
I nice sound that I couldn't quite pin down to a specific genre. Almost like jazzy reggae elevator music? I think I'm way off. A few too many instrumentals too.
I wanted to like this but I felt stuck in an elevator. The longer it went, the more desperate I was to get out and move on to something else.
Pretty smooth!
Pretty enjoyable album with a bunch of influences. Freedom Flight is definitely the standout track on the album for me.
Solid. Vibin
Soul progresivo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
4.0
Pretty solid, did not mind this album.
Singer has a nice smooth voice and reportedly plays all or most of the instruments on this album. A true music lover, always a good start. It is pleasant sounding indeed and I enjoyed it. Nothing against the artist but it is dated to a time that I care not to revisit, 4th grade, Watergate, lousy pop music on the radio, the early 70s were a bit of a let down after the 60s. Even a 10 year old girl could feel it.
Ahh Shuggie Otis. Love that psychedelic soul sound. Great album and a good listen. However Freedom Flight and even kooper sessions I think are much stronger than this album and more true to the roots of his sound. Hopefully Freedom Flight will appear on the list because that is the album you need to listen too.
I had never even heard of Shuggie Otis before… why?? I really liked this record, and will definitely listen again. aAnd with a double album as an introduction it felt like a deep dive. Soulful, funky, jazzy, and… country rock blues (Black Belt Sheriff)?!
Fine. Not by preferred brand of funk.
Funky, smooth, a little slow. Don’t love it, don’t hate it.
Different album than the rest. Mix of genres, soft voice by Shuggie, catchy beats and riffs. Just not for me.
Расслабляющие мелодии и хорошее исполнение. Но не мой жанр.
funky, lots of wah. Some good grooves but not outstanding overall. Wouldn't turn it off.
This album makes me feel like I'm on hold but the company have given a bit more thought to their muzak. Or I'm on hold with Ann Summers or something.
Completely different to the album yesterday, but somehow exactly the same. Some very nice sounds that are gentle and easy to listen to, but nothing that is in any way memorable. Just read the Wikipedia page, and I know that album sales aren't everything, but it reached 184 in the album chart at its peak and the single hit number 56. It's not particularly influential I don't think, there's certainly nothing new here as far as I can tell. Literally no idea why it's on this list. 2/5.
Love this dude's name. I'm not sure if Shuggie is his birthname or a nickname. Or, maybe his first name is Otis and "shuggie" is like a cool adjective that describes him? Like, "Man, you are shuggie, Otis." Either way, that was the most interesting part of this album.
I was impressed with the range and sound of many parts of this album, but other parts were a little too saccharine for me. Overall I'd probably pick and choose some things to re-listen (I felt it was strongest on instrumentals with a jazz flavor) but probably not re-listen this massive collection of songs all over again.
This is excellent. Like Jarimoquai twenty years before Jarimoquai, with the added bonus of not having Jay Kay anywhere near it.
that strawberry song though, incredible.
If Jazz was groovy.
Cool album this one, enjoyed the laid back groove.
p316. 1974. 2 stars. This ain't aged well. Vague echoes of early Hall and Oates but without the melodies. The boy's got talent - he plays nearly everything on the album, and some tracks like Rainy Day, Sweet Thang and Freedom Flight show promise - but there's a reason why this didn't sell in the first place, and its because its utterly forgettable. Why is this even on the list?
Petit bijou que cet album hétéroclite et très personnel. La soul, le funk qui en constituent les assises principales sont des musiques qui ont l'habitude de prendre de la place, mais ici Otis les propose à partir d'un endroit intime, comme si c'était du R&B de chambre. La voix y est pour quelque chose. La guitare, idiosyncratique, est savoureuse. Un Hendrix qui se serait calmé. J'y reviens souvent, cet album est magnétique.
Great soul/funk. I was only familiar with Shuggie when he played bass on Peaches En Regalia with Frank Zappa. This record was fun. I can see how it influenced Prince and Lenny Kravitz.
I knew nothing about this album, can not recall ever hearing the name Shuggie Otis...one would think I remember that name. Quite liked the title track Inspiration Information, Strawberry Letter 23 seemed vaguely familiar, Aht Uh Mi hed and Happy House were also ones that really snagged my attention.
Some really tasty guitar playing going on here, plus some groovy slooooow funk tracks. Never heard this dude before, but this album has piqued my interest enough to take a deep dive into his back catalogue.
2 stars for the name, 1 star for the songs
Slight groove
Meh, not doing much for me
Too often smooth and ponderous, but admirable as a declaration of love for his heroes, who are also my heroes.
Black and sexy. Sticky sexy. Put this on when you want to get in the mood for love. I can imagine this record is great for date nights. Seafood, candles, open a fine bottle of white wine, and play this record. She'll thank you in the morning. Or not, maybe you have erectile disfunction, maybe she hates Otis, maybe she's sleepy. Then sit down on your couch, finish the bottle alone, and close your eyes while you sink slowly into unconsciousness.
Superb album. Totally dig this vibe, definitely something that I'll spend more time listening to. Just really enjoy how loose and mellow this is all the way through. Also, if I have another kid, I'm naming it Shuggie.
"Not Available" was, in fact, available. "Pling!" was a bit of an inaccurate onomatopoeia for that song. And "Aht Uh Mi Hed" makes it clear that spelling wasn't really Shuggie Otis' thing. But chill funk music was his thing, and he did it well. Nothing blew me away, but it was even and consistent.
Pleasant background music. I’m impressed that Shuggie wrote and played most of the music.
Sometimes I think of artists’ styles like a cocktail. Shuggie Otis, for example, is 2 parts Stevie Wonder-style soul, 1 part smooth jazz, 1 part funk rock and a dash of reggae, shaken and served over ice. The music goes down easy. The back half is particularly mellow and mostly instrumentals. I’m curious to hear more by him, especially more of the upbeat, soulful, funky songs. Apparently he wrote “Strawberry Letter 23” — for years I’ve loved the version by The Brothers Johnson but didn’t know it was a cover. (I first heard it on the Quentin Tarantino soundtrack for “Jackie Brown.”) His version (not on this album) is excellent too! Highlights: “Inspiration Information,” “Aht Uh Mi Hed,” “Rainy Day”
It's a nice album but it's a little too -backgroundy- for me. It was hard for me to be grabbed by the music without sitting intently and paying attention to everything going on. The vocals being so soft probably played a part in this. The track "XL-30" was cool- I think it's like mimic-ing what a robot would sound like with some early electronic sounds? That was unexpected and while I do like things like that, I think that it's just kind of added to this album for the sake of adding something different? I'd rather they got experimental in the other tracks and throughout the album rather than all at once to try to spice things up. Got nothing wrong with chill music but this didn't do much for me.
I really liked the sound, but it stayed a little too "low key" to engage.
All (artist, album, all tracks) new to me, as is often the case with this wonderful project, and, dang, there's some good stuff here. Love the groove on most of the tracks, real smooth funky feel, some excellent guitar performances, and sweet harmonies, but not saccharine. Thankfully, there are plenty of interesting things going on melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically, so it kept my ears engaged nicely.
A nice surprise. I like this one!
Better listen to Bill Withers
way too long first song is decent though
I can see this as a mid way point between contemporary and old school r&b. Very interesting.
Wow. Never heard of him. Pop the Spotify in the car on the way to work and then a big warm bath of an album comes on. Soulful, Steeley Dan guitar licks. Orchestra. Chilled grooves. Experimental jams. Semi psychedelic funk. A voice from heaven. Brilliant stuff. 4
3.75
The opening and title track really grab your attention from the get go and then it's all super chill. Strawberry Letter 23 is great but Freedom Flight takes the cake for me.
Really enjoyed it. Listened to it while the sun set on my balcony in the city. 7,5/10 Fave: Island letter
Struggled to get this to two stars but there were a couple of songs with interesting sounds
some really good songs and some songs that didn't engage me. The good songs; Strawberry Letter 23 and Ice Cold Daydream, Sweet Thang are really good. Wish there were a few more gems. 3 stars
Can't believe I had never heard this before. It sounds like walking through green fields on a summers day. Sometimes wistful, sometimes blissful, always tuneful.
very nice funky album
Not bad for background listening. I've definitely heard "Strawberry Letter 23" (although I had no idea of the title or singer).
4/27/2022 Today's Album: "Inspiration Information" by Shuggie Otis - This is an album that I didn't think much of just from the cover, but there is some funky, groovy, soulful gold within this track list. All fantastically recorded and produced, the 13 tracks on this album have an incredible flow to them as passionate guitar solos and expressive vocal performances make each track shine. There's this great wavy sort of vibe to the project that give it this really mellow and psychedelic tone. The vocals from Shuggie are expressive and on pitch and performed with such great tone and personality. I really enjoy how the middle tracks of this album like Rainy Day and Pling offer an instrumental break from the rest of the sung tracks. The first 4 tracks of the album kick it off by showing off everything that is going to make this album shine for the next 30 minutes after. The last leg of the album wraps things up nicely, going from the great hit Strawberry Letter 23 to the mostly instrumental Sweet Thang, and then finally to the funky Ice Cold Daydream. The final track is a 13 minute sonic journey with this slow building experimental feel to it. There's this really hard to listen to bass in the mix on this song, however, that just sounds really crackly and bad. It doesn't ruin the track as it only hangs around for about a minute, but yeah that is probably the worst part of the project. The rest of the track is psychedelic, memorizing, meditative, and most of all a great thematic closer to this whole project. Overall, I like a ton of tracks of this album and I think as a whole work, it offers a lot both in terms of hits as well as instrumental experimentation. Listen to this one if you love funky psychedelic jams, singer songwriter talent, or just vibing out to a long instrumental track. It's a great vibe all the way down and there's a ton for music fans to chew on. Highlights: Inspiration Information, Island Letter, Sparkle City, Aht Uh Mi Hed, Rainy Day, Pling!, Not Available, Strawberry Letter 23, Sweet Thang, Ice Cold Daydream, Freedom Fight Score: 8/10 Amazing funky psychedelic bliss
Nice enough jaunt
I liked it a lot, but there were more instrumentals than I was expecting which I think I would have preferred less of.
Super chill. Nice vibe.
Oké luistermuziek, maar niet zo speciaal
Skemmtilega létt-fönkí soul.
So awesome. Great mix of funk and soul with some early rock thrown on. I can see got this has been so influential for R&B
Chill album, with some nice instrumental bits. Didn't stand out too much, but was pleasant to listen to while working.
Easy listening but probably won't revisit
A wholly okay album. Inoffensive to the ears, there are some moments that stand out, but it never really gets past its 'easy listening' stage.
So strange that all the things they learned about producing music in the 1960's seemed lost at times. Why is this so muddy? Still, if you are going to get stoned and look out at the schoolyard from the back of your Chevy van, this is a really good album for it. (I have now learned that he produced it himself. Don't do that.) I'm not going to do any of those things. But it was a fine groove for being inside on a grey day in Cambridge.
I enjoyed listening to it but a little forgettable.
this is the most 70s album of all time
Glad to have checked this artist out! Good stuff, although a bit outside what I usually listen to.
Soul progresivo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.
Rollo. Soniditos.
Once upon a time, a man used a drum machine for his soul album and pretty much everyone was hyped about it
There’s no denying Shuggie Otis’ talent and musicianship - performing most of the instruments himself - and his songs are very pretty. But as an album, the focus seems to wander and meandering instrumentals with no real hook or draw lead to a disappointing record. Perhaps more collaboration would have seen Otis soar.
Lekkere soul-achtige muziek. Wat mij betreft mag het allemaal wel wat meer up-tempo op de vrijdag, maar ach, lekker voor op de achtergrond. ***
Vraiment une decouverte, bonne guitare, bonne production, du grouve du fumk il y a tout ce qu.il faut pour que j’aime. 4.95
A frente do seu tempo.
Funky & smooth & chill
What a revelation. Mostly instrumental pieces that are smooth and funky. Didn't want it to end. And that cover? Sheesh.
Loved this
He composed, played and produced on his own. Really nice (6/10) FT: Strawberry Letter 23, Pling!, Sweet Thang
Funky som f. Tittelsporet var gøy. Kanskje hakket mye pling plong på de siste låtene.
Hmmmmm. Ok album, but not overall remarkable/rememberable. Poor man’s Marvin Gaye. Smooth vocals, and some decent instrumental experimenting going on.
S'écoute bien, du bon soul. Plus un bon bruit de fond qu'un album qui a vraiment attiré mon attention
This album is a hidden gem, and one of the greatest I have ever heard. Filled with smooth beats, analog drum machines, Shuggie's voice, this is all I could ever ask for from a '70s album. 100% relistening, it's a shame Shuggie Otis never got the recognition deserved for this genius album that was far ahead of its time. Favorite Tracks: Rainy Day and Pling!
All right. Nice lo-fi vibes.
Somewhat palatable psychedelic jam band vibes. annoying mumble-y first half. frustratingly close to being good
the version i was listening to stops streaming after about 7 tracks. can't say i was disappointed. too smooth for me.
Sexual prowess diminishing with every breath. Jesus living in a dustbin, smoking cigars and doing crosswords. A filthy little dwarf ruining a picnic. A friend of a friend of a friend once told me never to eat the tits off tiger whilst it's laps at saucer of milk.
SHACK loves lamb chops
Oddly unfunky funk.
Oh man i love this weird lo fi r & b funky record so much. Where has this been my whole life? He used to roll with zappa. Of course.
Not a huge fan of this album but I'd give some of his other work a listen to see if I like it.
Hell yeah.
Mysigt!!
Jag gillade detta förvånandsvärt mycket. Även om det inte är exakt det här gitarrsounded jag är förtjust i så fanns det en asymmetri som jag uppskattade väldigt mycket.
I didn’t care for it. Not My tempo surely. Best I can tell you is if you dig ‘70s funk/pop this’ll hit for you…I don’t though.
This is gonna be pretty good. Yup, it's really good actually, but not quite a five, it gets a bit boring at times. Didn't know "Strawberry Letter 23" was on this album too, but what a nice surprise. 4
I like shuggie… this is a bit more soulful that some of his r’n’b output. Still good!
Un secret amagat del r&b setenter d'un artista llargament oblidat. No és cap obra referencial a descubrir, però sí un bon tractat del génere, amb cançons especialment aconseguides com 'Aht Uh Mi Hed' o la que li dóna títol
Very good funk type of music! No bad songs
I like this! It feels like a prototype of so much neo-funk to come.
Inspired music
Basically nothing. This genre of music is just white noise to me. "Rainy Day" really sounds like a rainy day somehow, I'll give him that. Sounds like a song I would listen to while I'm having a headache. Nothing else caught my attention.
Felt like a solidly good album. Not my favorite by a mile but it's smooth and calming. That's all you need for a Tuesday
has some nice songs on it but i don't get why its called psychedelic also some of the songs are basically elevator music so it evens out i guess
9.5
could be one star, nothing good about it except its chill, very boring
Side A has pretty good soul that takes the extra step with embellished arrangements to make the songs sound a bit better. Regardless, it never really stuck with me much. Side B gets adventurous with jazz and a particularly interesting electric organ solo over a programmed beat. This was more compelling that side A, I feel, but the whole record would need to grow on me.
Rainy Day et Pling! c'est les lofi beats to relax/study to des années 70.