Boots Randolph - Boots With Brass - 1970

I've been excited as hell for the past few days in anticipation for today's post and for some one's I have coming up. This last weekend I actually had a day off. Work has been really crazy the last few months and so having a Saturday to myself was a welcome treat. So how did I spend my free time. I photo graphed about 52 LP jackets and ripped about 10 LP's. A couple of them I hadn't listened to for a long time and upon listening to them again I got giddy with excitement to share them with everyone. This record is the first of those records, which I'll spread out over the next few weeks.

For those who don't know Boots and as a refresher for those who do, Boots made his name with the hit song "Yakety Sax" which everyone today would recognize as the Benny Hill music. Boots cut his teeth playing with bands and as a studio musician before that breakout song. He was primarily a country musician recording out of Nashville.

The great thing, no no great, the wonderfully fantastic thing about this record is that it has no country on it at all. I'm not dissing Boots' country roots and will probably post some of his earlier work at some point. This record is a rock and funk record. Released in 1970 it feels of the time. The studio musicians backing Boots up deserve some real praise here. Now boots is great, but the bass player and the guitarist make this thing into one amazing listen.

The album kicks off with "C.C. Rider" and is simply a revelation of funk. I mean it is so strong, that you could turn off the record after that song and feel satisfied. In fact you may want to just put that song on repeat to fully digest everything that is going on in that song before moving on. There is a bit near the end of the song where Boots hits this sustained note and it sounds like the band on Saturday Night Live. I mean that as a compliment. It really reminds me of the old E.G. Smith days.

Another great number is "Hi Heel Sneakers". It has a bit of a go-go feel and it definitely has some roots in "Yakety Sax", but then beneath the Randolph riffs there is this driving funky band that pushes this thing into the stratosphere of insanity. Make sure you take a breath before listening to this one, because once it starts you are going to be dancing, toe tapping, shaking your head, doing what every you do when a song just gets you going and it doesn't let up for two and a half minutes. There is no rest. It feels like a sprint from the first note.

The other songs are all pretty good as well. Somewhat to my surprise the weakest songs are teh Carpenters covers. There are so slow and laid back, that they don't seem to fit in as well, and it doesn't feel like Boots is bringing that much new to the songs. I really thought I would like them more, because I love the Carpenters, but therein may lie the problem. I can't help compare his Sax to Karen's voice and I prefer Karen's melancholy tones to his instrument hands down.

So treat yourself to something new, by listening to this vintage music from 1970.

Enjoy!

01 C.C. Rider.m4a
02 The Letter.m4a
03 Fire And Rain.m4a
04 Via Tirado.m4a
05 We've Only Just Begun.m4a
06 Light My Fire.m4a
07 Spinning Wheel.m4a
08 Hi Heel Sneakers.m4a
09 I'll Be There.m4a
10 (They Long To Be) Close To You.m4a
11 25 or 6 to 4.m4a
12 Take A Letter Maria.m4a

Here's the whole thing. Boots Randolph.zip