Search - Loved Ones :: Price for Love

Tuff, snakey, old-school R&B

James Daniell | 07/11/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First off, it should be pointed out that this band's a littlemisrepresented - the group isn't an oldies act, buta (now sadly defunct) 90s band that looked at 60s rhythm-and-blues as its primary reference. Easy mistake to make, I guess, those Mod outfits are pretty convincing. This short-lived San Francisco outfit only recorded two albums, this debut and the very fine "Better Do Right" the next year, before breaking up due to some members wanting to pursue a less bluesy direction. A great pity, as this album showcases a better-than-promising group handling a variety of R&B grooves with style and attitude. What's more, the band were totally in-the-pocket, I can't recall the last blues or R&B band that I heard with a guitarist so locked-in with the rhythm section. There are latin-styled rhumbas, straight-ahead shuffles, spare slow blues, they even give a big-tone guitar version of James Brown's "Lickin' Stick". While their second release is slightly better realised, this album is recommended for fans of early-Fabulous Thunderbirds, the James Harman Band or early Rolling Stones."