Soulive Albums (13)
What The Critics Say
No Place Like Soul is Soulive's seventh full-length (eight if you count the remixed Turn It Out), and the band's debut for Concord's then-recently birthed Stax label. The longstanding instrumental trio has reinvented itself by adding a fourth member in vocalist Toussaint from Boston (former frontman of the reggae outfit China Band). On Breakout, the band used guest vocalists such as Chaka Khan, Ivan Neville, and Corey Glover to further diversify its sound, but Toussaint (son of a Baptist preacher and former church choir leader) is an equal member of the ensemble. The sound is gritty, nasty, and pumped up on most of the set's 13 cuts. While Soulive had matured in their previous incarnation perhaps as far as they were going to, the addition of a permanent singer finds them back in the cradle, learning how to rebalance their sound with an additional wheel. The results are mixed, and that's not a bad thing at all. While it roars out of the gate with the funk-drenched "Waterfall" with Eric Krasno's guitar dirtying up the joint, it's rooted more in the nastiness of Southern soul than Funkadelic. Where the vocal dredges up the grit and grease and meets the organ fills, organic breaks, and wah-wah guitar head on "Don't Tell Me," the volume (and adrenaline) rush is less effective, however, with the band's shoddy backing vocals and the instrumental rave-up so full-on it nearly feels like an organ playing with Living Colour and a different vocalist. It's got a stuttered rock-cum-New Orleans groove that feels stilted by the production, though it might work well live. But that's the only truly misguided moment here. "Mary" works well as a ballad, with a Spooner Oldham-Dan Penn feel, and Toussaint's vocal is flawless. The B-3 swells are in the pocket rhythmically, and Krasno's blend of electric and acoustic guitars accent the vocals beautifully. But it's Alan Evans' drum kit that gives the tune its teeth. The tough funk angle works best on tracks such as "Comfort," while a deeply Jimi Hendrix-influenced vibe fuels the wildly infectious instrumental cut "Outrage." The blend of funky breaks, fat bassline, atmospheric B-3, and Krasno's killer guitar work takes this cut up into the realms of Soulive's very best material. The slow midnight funk of "Mornin' Light" features Rashawn Ross' spare but effective trumpet lines filling the space between the bubbling dub-drenched Neal Evans bassline and Toussaint's ragged vocal, which is accented by the band's backing chorus and handclaps, giving it a gospel-esque "Wade in the Water" feel -- the church meets the club under a Caribbean moon. By contrast, "Yeah Yeah" is decidedly more urban, feeling more like Black Nasty with all male vocals. It's got the P-Funk-Ohio Players groove down, though its decidedly more skeletal production gives the tune its own identity. The dub reggae flavoring here mostly works very well, especially when it's combined with the band's other strong rhythmic elements, as on "If This World Were a Song" (though Toussaint's a bit over the top in his Bob Marley phrasing, without having the same crooning vocal strength). The Minneapolis by way of Lenny Kravitz-inflected vocal soul on "Never Know" wears a bit thin as well. The other instrumental here, "Bubble," is a spaced out bit of dub-strumental rockist funk. It meanders a bit and that's a good thing, since its rhythmic lines are so pronounced and its keyboard melody so robotic. The album ends with a beautiful ballad called "Kim" (written by Evans), easily among the best cuts on the disc. The drifting cosmic guitar that is equal part Shuggie Otis and Jimi Hendrix melds beautifully with Evans' lead vocal. The man can sing a ballad, and its lithe, languid melodic six-string lines are kissed with a limber bassline and a solid backbone snare and bass tom line; with all that B-3 swirling in the backdrop, it's psychedelic soul that's both pretty and tough. If there is a problem with No Place Like Soul, it's simply the same one that has been present since Soulive started recording: they do many things very well, and these are all ambitious musicians. Therefore, they can overreach, losing some focus on the whole while trying to get the individual parts right. That only happens in a couple of places here, and as a result, this is the band's most diverse and compelling project in a long time. There's no pose here; there's ambition and creativity and soul to spare. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The jazz-soul-funk trio's first album away from Blue Note since its early indie days, and only studio release of fresh material since 2002, is another classy old-school-inspired concoction. Guest vocalists pepper the set as Ivan Neville, Corey Glover, Reggie Watts, and especially Chaka Khan serve up their soulful best on about half of the album's tracks, with the rest dedicated to the instrumental '60s and early-'70s-styled funk jams the band is known for. Except for a not terribly innovative but energetic -- even frantic -- cover of Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic" with guest Robert Randolph, the disc boasts all original compositions. Most work well, but they sound like you've heard them before, maybe with a different title 30 years ago. "Freedom" in particular veers too closely to the Isley Brothers' "That Lady," blurring the line between inspiration and replication. Guitarist Eric Krasno's "Vapor" seems like it was grabbed from a John Scofield funk album and, for those old enough to remember, Chaka Khan's turn on "Back Again" can't help but be reminiscent of any number of Rufus tunes, right down to the double-tracked vocals. None of this is a deal breaker, though, because the bandmembers clearly have their hearts in the right place, shuffling through their musty albums like a deck of cards and landing on an ace more often than not. Those who come from the Crusaders era of jazz-funk will have no problem warming up to any of this, and when Ivan Neville kicks up his best Sly Stone on "Got Soul," it's nearly impossible to ignore the spirit -- just shake your hips and go with the flow. They're not reinventing the wheel, but the bandmembers' refreshing refusal to pander to a hip-hop audience by hiring a guest MC is not just commendable, it's unique. About the only concession the band makes to contemporary electronics is adding a few drum loops and distorting Cochemea Gastelum's rubbery alto sax on "Glad ta Know Ya," but even that sounds retro in its own way. Despite its title, the album is no breakout for the threesome, but it reinforces Soulive's groovalishious talents and remains a stimulating listen for established fans. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Collecting the jam bandy instrumental funksters Soulive is a great idea, since most people with passing interest in music know someone "way into them" and have probably come across a glowing review of their live shows. Then there's problem of whether you start with a live album or a studio album or a remix album or an album with plenty of guest spots. Steady Groovin' gives the newbie a smattering of them all, plus a couple numbers you won't acquire when you succumb to their Hammond organ-based funk and head back to the record store. The breezy and freewheeling "All Up in It" comes from the band's guest spot on DJ Spinna's Here to There, while the band's cover of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady" was only available on the Japanese edition of Soulive's Doin' Something. These are great bonuses, and what the compilers chose to represent the band's regular albums is pleasing, too. You get a taste of Soulive's live show, a bit of the band's work with Fred Wesley, and a touch of cerebral hip-hop courtesy of Roots member Black Thought. All that said, their traditional albums have a lot of thought put into the overall flow, but as an intro or portable sampler, Steady Groovin' succeeds. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Live in NYC (July 2004), Vol. 3'
Release Date 1/18/2005
Tracks 6
Label Pirate
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Live in NYC (July 2004), Vol. 5'
Release Date 12/28/2004
Tracks 6
Label Pirate
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Live in NYC (July 2004), Vol. 2'
Release Date 12/28/2004
Tracks 6
Label Pirate
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Live in NYC (July 2004), Vol. 1'
Release Date 12/28/2004
Tracks 6
Label Pirate
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Few of the DJs and producers on board are able to correct Soulive's polite dinner-music tendencies on Turn It Out Remixed. As a result, the disc will only appeal to a small percentage of the group's dedicated followers. Meshell Ndegeocello, the Beatnuts, J-Live, DJ Spinna, 2/5ths of Jurassic 5, and a small cast of lesser-knowns are present; the majority of these people are able to cast a grittier and more lively coating on Soulive's sound, but most of the attempts are for nought. You still get the feeling that the group is best experienced in a live setting. The remix of "Nealization" is one of the more bizarre cuts -- who could've predicted that an acid squiggle and a John Scofield guitar line would ever appear on the same track? ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For their third album for Blue Note, Soulive decided to record their winter 2002 tour, attempting to capture the spark that makes them such a popular touring band, and to that extent, they're largely successful. This is a tight unit, consisting of Eric Krasno on guitar, Alan Evans on drums, and brother Neal Evans on Hammond organ and clavinet as well as playing the bass parts on a keyboard or with foot pedals. The tunes are mostly up-tempo, soul-jazz groove jams that leave plenty of space for Krasno and Neal Evans as soloists. The crisp production captures the band nicely, but some of the fadeouts could have been handled a little better. The band is hot, and plays great, but stumbles slightly at the end. Stevie Ray Vaughan's beautiful "Lenny" suffers from an overly long intro and is played such that the melody is subverted and all that remains are the chord changes. "Turn It Out" brings them back to form but degenerates into an audience chant-along that surely should have been edited out. Soulive has all the elements fans are looking for, but a little trimming would have made for a stronger album. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On a mission to update the jazz organ tradition, Soulive maintains a tight groove throughout Next. Their approach involves narrowing the creative options, then turning up the heat within the confined space they allow themselves. Where drummers in old-school jazz organ groups played freely around the backbeat, Soulive's Alan Evans never misses the two and four. His brother Neal Evans imposes similar restrictions on himself by staying with essentially the same timbre on organ -- a thin, steamy sound, with a crisp percussive bite -- while Eric Krasno cultivates a shallow blues/jazz tone on guitar. A bone-dry production highlights this constriction, where every note and snare hit crackles in high definition. The songwriting is limited as well to riff-driven tunes with minimal melodic content. That leaves performance as the wild card, and here Soulive doesn't fail. From the relaxed pace of "Nay Nay" to the sprint clip of the Headhunters-flavored "Whatever It Is," the band demonstrates an almost frightening command of nuance in its rhythmic interplay and antiseptic articulation. On instrumental tracks, as well as when backing raps on "Clap!" and "Bridge To Bama" or moaning bedroom vocals on " Don't Know," Soulive makes a strong case on Next for consideration as the hottest rhythm unit of the moment. ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide
