Search - Slave :: Hardness of the World / The Concept

Back to the Funk - 10 Stars **********

M. A. Hicks | Sagamore Hills, Ohio | 05/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll always be a Slave fan. These guys from Dayton, Ohio were TRUE pioneers in laying down the FUNK for all time. I love these guys! And not just because I'm from Ohio, and my last name is Hicks, but I have no problem with it.



The Hardness of the World was Slave's second release, and actually it is one of their most underrated albums. What I like a lot about their style, is that not only are these guys masters of the instruments they play, they also have songs that have meaning.



There is a positive outlook for mankind stressed in a lot of the songs. Slave also takes no shorts, in pointing out that man is very detrimental to man. "The World's on hard". The album title says a whole lot. The very first track, "Life can be happy", is very indicative of this....."Remember that You can, be what You want to"....



And then, there are the vintage Slave funk gems.."Baby Sinister, and Volcano Rupture". Both tracks are over 6 minutes, and that's not to say that they were over-extended. The point is, one appreciates these instrumental masterpieces. Volcano Rupture never made a greatest hits CD, oh what a shame, because this was a monster, all out, mad bull wrecking jam which let loose the fury of Hicks, Adams, and Dozier (who I think was on drums on this track).



The Party Song, was one of those songs that did make one of Slave's greatest hits CD's, and true indeed, this song was a very good song, that had dance floor appeal, and gave the funk pioneers a chance to stress their versatile horn section.



"We can make love", is another in the line of fresh Slave ballads. This group had a special way of delivering the slow jams, and this track was a prime example. We all know what came in later years in the list of Slave ballads....for those that have the song "Thank You" pop into your mind, you know what I'm talking about.



I like "Can't get enough of you", because it gave Slave a chance to show what they had, as far as female vocalists. The almost Sly Stone inspired way the main vocals on this track were delivered, was very much complimented by the female backing vocals.



The "Concept" was released after the "Hardness", and at that time, I was proclaiming this to be the best funk album ever. Drac came back on this album as gritty as ever, turning "Drac is Back" into another Slave funk instrumental jewel. The guitar (Hicks) and drum work (Dozier, I think) is phenomenal on this track. Also, a high five to the horn section. 'Partay, Get Down Yalllll'



"We've got your party", is part 2 of "Drac is back". Just like "Slide" had his baby brother part 2, "Drac is Back" had to hit you with another dose. Slave was very creative in this respect, and this was a key ingredient in their musical formula.



What can I say about "Just Freak"? this track is the sh**. This jam tore the clubs up back in 1979. Everybody in the band got in on this one, and this was a very dynamic dance track that really did not receive the recognition it should have, in my opinion. Again, the drums, guitar, and horn section carried this song, and took the fungk to another level.



Slave will always be known for "Stellar Fungk". There's just something about this song, that compels you to listen. Is it that the song is over 8 minutes long. Not a minute is wasted tho!



"Thank You Lord" is a good interlude into "Drac is back".



I went nuts when I first heard "The way you love is heaven". Being a bass player/drummer myself, I was like in music school taking serious notes on Mark Adams dazzling bass chops on this track. Again, the female vocals just add that much depth to this song. The keyboards on this track play a major role, adding a soothing emphasis to Adam's bass playing.



"Coming Soon" is another one of those killer Slave tracks, that showcased the bands talents. Steve Washington "The Fearless Leader" had all cylinders clicking on this, as you could really hear the band coming together, and everything being augmented by the horns, vocals, drums, and Adams serious bass lines.



To have both of these albums together on CD was the perfect combination. These were 2 of my all-time Slave albums. It would be a fans dream to have all of the original band come together and do a tour, for old fungk sake.



If you grew up on the fungk, and original R&B then you know of Slave's impact on that genre of music. This stuff still carries enough weight to enlighten many up and coming musicians."

Highly Underappreciated Effort!!!!

TMACK79 | Berkeley, CA | 12/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a youth, I was one of many entranced by Slave's epic effort "Slide" from their self-titled first album. "The Hardness of the World" was released immediately thereafter in order to cash in on the group's popularity, and frankly (as the group itself admitted) was a pretty good, but not tremendous effort...somewhat uneven and uninspired. I do, in fact, appreciate that effort far more now than when it was originally released. It is decent selection with some pretty interesting tracks ("Party Song", "Baby Sinister", etc.), if you're a true funk fan (this album had no real chart winners). However...."The Concept" is simply one of my favorite albums of all time!!! I waited 20 years for its CD release. In my opinion, there is not one wasted track on this album. This is not a true dance album (Which I feel hurt its commercial appeal then, and perhaps again). "We've Got Your Party", "The Way You Love is Heaven" (both tracks which I undertook to extend and remix) are absolutely breathtaking, a luscious synthesis of funk, jazz with even symphonic overtones. It is apparent that this album was very much so influenced by the "Star Wars" crazy ongoing at the time. Brilliant, this album was relentlessly hard driving funk to the extreme.. Let me hasten to submit that the remaining tracks, "Stellar Fungk", "Coming Soon" and "Just Freak", notably, are absolutely no slouches themselves. Admittedly, lyric writing was never a strong suit by Slave, and this album is no exception. But the musicianship is absolutely enchanting. Like a select few in the funk genre, this album transended and took to another level what the music form could be. If you like funk, jazz, rock, etc. I believe you can find something to connect with in Slave's best effort, bar none."

Young, raw and uneducated talent

Lisa Webster | Columbus, OH | 04/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As the sister of Danny Webster (lead-rhthym guitar/vocals of Slave), I had the honor of hearing their recordings first hand in my home growing up. When I listen to this and their other recordings, I can truly testify that their sound is as new and fresh now as it was back in 1976. As a jazz mucisian myself, it very easy to appreciate the raw, unlearned talent that 9 very young men had in those days , especially in an era where studio theactrics, vocal manipulations and the overuse of music video reign supreme for those who think that have arrived without paying their dues."