SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VARIOUS ARTISTS – THE WESTBOUND SOUND: WESTBOUND RECORDS CURATED BY RSD, VOL. 1

VARIOUS ARTISTS
THE WESTBOUND SOUND: WESTBOUND RECORDS CURATED BY RSD, VOL. 1
ORG MUSIC

Established in 1968, Westbound Records rose to prominence throughout the 1970s among Detroit’s premier funk labels. While their roster would include the likes of The Ohio Players, The Clark Sisters, and The Fantastic Four, their most successful release was Funkadelic’s seminal 1971 record, Maggot Brain. Now, Record Store Day has curated their first compilation album, The Westbound Sound: Westbound Records Curated By RSD, Vol. 1, that seeks to pay tribute to the label’s rich heritage and role within Detroit’s funk and soul movements of the ‘70s.

Appropriately, The Westbound Sound: Westbound Records Curated By RSD, Vol. 1 opens with Funkadelic’s “I Bet You (Edit)” from the band’s 1970, self-titled debut album. The song is an exercise in cumulative patterns that build upon one another to form a rich, psychedelic arrangement opening with the tight drums that sound as though they were recorded in a closet, going on to include the melodic riff and a chorus lush vocals. Beyond funk, George Clinton does not get nearly enough recognition as a songwriter, but “I Bet You” is a marvelous example of his abilities that demonstrate the sheer scope of the signature Parliament-Funkadelic sound as going beyond traditional ‘70s funk. The album continues with “Rhythm Changes” by The Counts, “Hung Up, Strung Out” by Denise LaSalle, and “Do Me Right” by Detroit Emeralds, all three of which cater to a specific era of late ‘60s and early ‘70s funk that feels foundational for the direction the style would take, while also nostalgic for early R&B of the generation before.

Across the 11 tracks, The Westbound Sound: Westbound Records Curated By RSD, Vol. 1 is without a moment of weakness. Instead, the compilation is a shines a light on lesser known funk artists of the like of Fantastic Four – “Alvin Stone (The Birth And Death Of A Gangster)” – Fuzzy Haskins – “Tangerine Green” – and Spanky Wilson – “Shake Your Head” – among others. The album grooves hard and while all tracks stand out as lost gems of Detroit’s stellar funk scene, the tracks that stand out the most are that of Westbound Records’ biggest stars, the aforementioned Funkadelic, and Ohio Players. The latter of two would be represented by “Funky Worm (Single Mix)”, a slow grooving, simmering song that exudes all sense of coolness associated with this particular era. Furthermore, the song features a high pitched, sleak synth solo that would greatly influence the sound of Dr. Dre, further establishing the essential connection that hip-hop shares with funk.

Record store day has done an excellent job with their first in the latest series of compilations. The Westbound Sound: Westbound Records Curated By RSD, Vol. 1 is a carefully curated collection that does not rely on the most acclaimed names of Westbound Records’ roster, rather using their platform to showcase a wider variety of ‘70s funk than most people know today. Furthermore, by doing this, Record Store Day live up to their very essence by compiling the experience of flipping through used vinyl at your favourite record shop only to find gold that you didn’t know existed prior to walking into that store. Through this, The Westbound Sound: Westbound Records Curated By RSD, Vol. 1 is not only a celebration of funk, but also the record store experience.

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