Re-listening to Albert King’s early 1970s tracks on Funky London was quite a revelation. When I first acquired the disc many years ago, the songs didn’t particularly strike me as outstanding. When I gave a spin recently, however, I found the music very funky. Albert King once said that he wanted to try to make the music more accessible for the younger generation and thus he created music with a more soulful and funky sound rather than another straight blues album. Being a Stax recording, the backup band consisted of members of Booker T & The MGS as well as the Bar-Kays. The tracks are a mixture of groovy instrumental work-outs mixed with a few slow blues numbers; Albert King’s guitar work sounds fresher than on most sessions and there are loads of great solos to be found on the disc.
Verdict : not essential Albert King, but very good nonetheless.
UMMAGUMMA 