[.ca] Tightening It Up: The Best of Archie Bell & the Drells

smoking grooves:
this cd by Archie Bell & the Drells is slamming.the grooves you can dance to all day & night.tighten up is a funk classic.the way a funky set is supposed to start.a must have.

Rhino Misses the Boat:
How could Rhino do it? The most electrifying bass intro of the 60s is left off the beginning of Tighten Up, one of THE funkiest songs of all time. No opening bass line! Not only that, but the linear notes disses Archie and the Drells' early albums, loading up on their mid-seventies disco crud. True, the album has the three big ones - Tighten Up, I Can't Stop Dancin' and Gonna Be a Showdown. But Tighten Up is the only song from their first album included on this CD. No I Don't Wanna be a Playboy, A Soldier's Prayer, Give Me Time, or any of the others. Whoever put this compilation together for Rhino is NOT an Archie Bell and the Drells fan. The minute I put the CD on and heard Tighten Up start with the drum roll and not the bass line, I knew I would be disappointed. Let's hope someday Rhino comes to its senses and releases whole albums of Archie Bell and the Drells, not this pathetic compilation.

How come?:
How come Here I Go Again is not on this cd?

HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! OOOH TIGHTEN UP...:
What? No TIGHTEN UP-Part 2? Although it wasn't the most original track layed down by the Drells, this light hearted b-side is very endearing and justifies inclusion for it's comic relief alone. (If you're not familiar with this song, it's Archie ad libbing dance instructions etc. over the basic track . The Drells chime in with a vocal refrain of "oooh tighten up...") Thankfully, we have the single mix of Tighten Up here. This has a very full sound with a nice reverb. Most compilations in the past have used the LP mix which is a very dry mix and the guitar (the hook of the song) is lost. The Lp mix does have merit, though. That's where you'll find the bass intro . All in all there is a focus on later material with this CD. Why weren't we given tracks from the first 2 LPs? I would have rather had a 2cd set --or even 2 separate releases (vol.1/2 ). There is a big difference between 1968 R & B and 1978 R & B , so if you're a fan of the latter this is a great CD. Unfortunately, most people are buying this to get the 60's tracks. Rhino should have realized this and delivered the goods.

Absolutely best of 70s soul machine:
If you like philly sound you love this record. Simply buy it, and listen to...

• Tighten Up
• I Can't Stop Dancing
• Do the Choo Choo
• Love Will Rain on You
• (There's Gonna Be A) Showdown
• I Love My Baby
• Girl You're Too Young
• My Balloon's Going Up
• World Without Music
• Don't Let the Music Slip Away
• Wrap It Up
• Dancing to Your Music
• Ain't Nothing for a Man in Love
• I Could Dance All Night
• Soul City Walk
• Let's Groove
• Everybody Have a Good Time
• Glad You Could Make It
• I've Been Missing You
• Strategy