Funky Good Time: 22 Corners

Funky 16 Corners The Smoking Section has taken to posting sporadic funky gems on their site, which is heavily focused upon hip hop, its culture and the surrounding scene politics. There’s a bit of fashion and some vinyl toys thrown in for good measure. But it all fits into the broader interests that one might have if you happened to be a rap fan(atic).

It’s bizarre that at this juncture of the internets development, folks can make a living – or at least draw some income – by posting all too brief comments on new albums, toys or clothing. But folks don’t enjoy reading the way in which they once did. Sad.  But in the past, the funk tracks posted have touched on some cheesy ‘70s pseudo soul and even a Cannonball Adderly track which was pretty much some jazz spiced up with a funky back beat. A few days ago though, TSS gave us “Trespasser” from a group called Bad Medicine.

The track being released in 1974 sounds like it should. Laid back drums, supported by the wah wah of a guitar – the break being wide as the water is deep – and some prehistoric sounding keyboard melodies.

The only reason as to why anyone may be familiar with this particular track – unless you happen to have the original single, which I doubt – is that in 2001, it was compiled on The Funky 16 Corners. Stones Throw, a label as well known for its reissues as it is for it’s new rap fair, did a great deal of work to slap this comp together. Of course, for the crate obsessed, it most probably seemed like a sensible thing to do.

The disc, named for a track by the Highlighters Band, is made up of folks you’ve not heard of before. And only through this disc will you ever know about ‘em. Most of the bands collected here aren’t as musically together as the Meters or Mr. James Brown – but most bands anywhere aren’t. Regardless of that, the quality of the tracks collected here, for the most part, are of a more competent ilk than other discs like this. And in the past decade or so, the market has been engorged with similar works. It’s not to say that there aren’t a few moments here that seem superfluous – the revved up version of Archie Bell’s “Tighten Up,” given to us by Billy Ball and the Upsetters (no, not those Upsetters) is one. But that’s the exception.

As for the rest of The Funky 16 Corners, passing listeners might not be able to differentiate between these folks and Mr. James Brown. But of course, everyone on here owes that man a great debt.  There’s enough personality imbued on each track to make this more than a decent comp. And since it came at the dawn of the new millennium, was successful and mined some funk history, this disc could be considered a template from which others have worked. The detailed booklet accompanying this whole affair goes beyond other discs, though. That’s just the Stones Throw way.