Search - Ohio Players :: Honey

CLASSIC FUNK & R&B FROM THE SUMMER OF '75!!

MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!! | Seattle & San Diego | 09/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can remember this classic Ohio Players album bumpin' and thumpin' from

8-tracks and record players all over my neighborhood when I was coming up!

From 1974-76, the Ohio Players were on some really funky-vibey-groovalistic

magical stuff, with a series of 4 slammin' albums back to back!

1974's "Skin Tight", early 1975's "Fire", late 1975's "Honey", and 1976's "Contridiction"!!

These have all since become 70's funk/R&B classics.

To me, they are very underrated as far as getting credit for how influential they were.

I hope that the show called UNSUNG on TVOne will do a special on The Ohio Players,

because they truly are unsung in music history!

Everything on this album was the bomb!--"Honey", "Fopp", "Let's Love",

"Sweet Sticky Thing", "Love Rollercoaster", "I Ain't Givin' Up No Ground"

and "Alone" all make this my favorite album from this very prolific time for them.

They also made a great christmas classic during the 1975 holiday season called

"Happy Holidays" which was slammin' as well!

The personality in Sugarfoot's voice was amazing coupled with the other

vocal talents within the band as well as their ridiculously tight musicianship!

But then, back in those days, you had to really bring it because there were so

many great bands and artists to choose from!--They were making REAL MUSIC back then! (-:

Larry Blackmon said that when he first heard The Ohio Players, it inspired him to

start his own band called the New York City Players, who went on to become CAMEO!!

His trademark "OWW!!"---Is straight from Sugarfoot's vocal antics.

Just buy any album from them between 1974 and 1976 and you can't do wrong!

If you want to go back to discover some of their earlier work when they were

on Westbound Records and labelmates with Funkadelic, there is an awesome compilation

of that material too called "Orgasm". There is also a great compilation of their Mercury

material as well called "Funk On Fire" that's pretty good!

So, If you ain't hip?--Please Get Hip!! (-:"

The Best Ohio Players Album in 5.1!!!

Elmer S. Hider | 09/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having already owned Fire on DTS 5.1 "dvd audio", I had always hoped to find HONEY on 5.1, as most retail stores have been somewhat of a letdown concerning their selection of 5.1 audio releases. I was very pleased to be able to purchase this through Amazon.



This is certainly the classic Ohio Players album if there ever was one: "Sweet Sticky Thing", "Fopp", and "Love Rollercoaster" are undoubtedly the finest 1970's-style R&B ever produced, and to hear it in full 5.1 surround sound is especially thrilling. Highly recommended for fans of The Ohio Players, or for anyone wanting to hear what Rhythm & Blues, Soul music, or funk-rock is all about."

Classic

Bill Your 'Free Form FM Handi Cyber | Mahwah, NJ USA | 10/07/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a little convuluted so bare with me. For years I have lived with the strange contradicition that one my favorate songs, and one of my most hated have the same name. I just reviewed Honey: The Best Of Bobby Goldsboro. This and the Ohio Players song are two totally unconnected peices of music. But if you enjoy playing as much as I do with extremes, keep reading.



Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey" is the epitome of clean white pop. Boy marries girl, boy buys girl cute little puppy, boy comes home from work and find girl is a stiff. Did they ever have sex before she inexplicably croaked? Listen to the song and you'll highly doubt it.



That was in 1968, and even then the track sounded painfully out of place with the times. Now: fast forward to 1975, the high of African American funk and up-front sexuality. A perfect example of both is this wonderful album. Look at this cover and you ain't seeing how big the tree has grown. Maybe something else is growing from looking at the sleeve photo, but enough said.





The Ohio Players actually started as a jazz group. Listen to this album and hear the evidence. This may be funk, but on the steamy title track, "Love Roller Coaster" and all the other tunes have jazzy chord changes. The horns, unlike in most funk, do far more than punctuate. They run complex lines that form the bones of these songs. Deconstruct "Sweet Sticky Thing." and the cadances sound like Charlie Parker.



Obviously, I was just having fun with this whole Bobby Goldsboro thread, but really, The Ohio Players Honey album is one of the best and most complex funk records of this era. All kidding aside, you really need to get this.



And you know the best part. This chick does not die."