SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DON JULIAN – SAVAGE! SUPER SOUL SOUNDTRACK (VINYL REISSUE)

DON JULIAN
SAVAGE! SUPER SOUL SOUNDTRACK (VINYL REISSUE)
REAL GONE MUSIC

Originally released in 1973, Don Julian took a note from Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes by creating the soundtrack for Savage!. Reissued for the first time, Real Gone Music has resurrected Julian’s opus, Savage! Super Soul Soundtrack with a stellar vinyl pressing.

The soundtrack opens with the title theme, “Savage”, a 10-min musical experience that, despite its cinematic tone, shines for its orchestration, songwriting, and performance. By all means, “Savage” would outshine any visual component it was paired with. The song is just so incredibly compelling that it manages to firmly hold your attention for its entirety. Opening with a brass fanfare, the song escalates at a rapid pace with the band following a series of rhythm shots as different members take a turn soloing over the structure. A special shoutout must go to Jimmy Vinson on the flute who absolutely steals the show throughout the album. “Savage” continues to include a loose breakdown for the drums to take centre stage amid a sense of organized chaos before and later builds a sense of climax with a percussion solo before closing with a return of the initial theme. The band is incredibly tight and the instrumentation, while feeling symphonic, is still very much rooted in funk, but feels refreshing. Ultimately, the band plays with dynamics and trades off between lead voices to ensure that “Savage” stands as an exceptional introduction to the album.

From the acoustic noodling and Harrison-penned, Beatle-esque style of “It’s A Sad Song”, to the charging blues and honking sax solo of “My Favorite Beer Joint”, or the Latin and jazz fusion collision that is “Janitzia”, Savage! Super Soul Soundtrack demonstrates a greater level of range that exceeds the funk of the opening tracks. Without a single moment of weakness – albeit even a moment less than great – front to back, Savage! Super Soul Soundtrack is a fantastic album.

In 1973, Savage! Super Soul Soundtrack was destined to fade away for two logistical reasons. For starters, the film was a B-movie from the Philippines that failed to reach the heights of its contemporaries (Super Fly and Shaft) and, secondly, it was released via Money Records, a label which struggled to reach the distribution for such a record. In this context, Savage! Super Soul Soundtrack truly is a lost gem that should be a bona fide classic for its exceptional composition and performance.

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