Record Collector, September 09 µµµ
“A dozen albums over four double discs”
As the Philadelphia International stable of acts brought lush orchestral soul to the higher reaches of the pop charts in the early 70s, it was perhaps surprising that a gutsier take on the form was being peddled by a group of Caucasian Caledonians. AWB were a potent melting pot of styles, equally adept at throwing the jazz shapes of Quincy Jones or Lalo Schifrin, and aping the urban strut of Isaac Hayes.
The first of these reissues tells a story in itself: 1973’s Show Your Hand was a critical hit, its funk undertones drawing comparisons with Ohio Players, but sales were negligible. MCA rejected its follow-up, How Sweet Can You Get? (belatedly earning a release in 2003), and the band moved to Atlantic, where producer Arif Mardin helped them develop a more disciplined and commercial sound.
Mardin stayed at the desk for further albums, with 1978’s Warmer Communications arguably the pick of the bunch. It’s a master class in sophisticated soul that stands head-and-shoulders above the glut of the era’s cookie-cutter disco offerings, topped off with a bold cover of James Taylor’s Daddy's All Gone.
Terry Staunton
Mojo, August 09 µµµµ
All AWB LPs on four 2-CD set
