Search - Voices of East Harlem :: Can You Feel It

Not one of their best

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 06/13/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"If you loved the CD "Right On Be Free" or was blown away by their performance in "Soul to Soul," you're in for a letdown here. The VOEH was a supremely talented group with their gospel/soul anthems of positive thinking, but things don't jell here. This CD features a number of tunes with pretty good lyrics, but the delivery and presentation lacks the power to compel the listener and the songs just don't have the memorable hooks that makes you want to hear them more than once (or even all the way through the first time). Hopefully, some better VOEH albums will see the light of day on CD."

Quintessntial "Free Soul" ! ! !

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 10/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although "Right On, Be Free" is infinitely funkier and more energetic, in many ways I like CAN YOU FEEL IT a bit more - - its slick and smooth, but in the funky Curtis Mayfield/Leroy Hutson/Danny Hathaway sense of the word.



Sadly, The Voices aren't so well known today. In many ways they were way ahead of their time, in other ways a product of it. As an example, their messages were the liberation theology of Rev. Jesse Jackson and the civil rights movement - - not so much talk about sin and salvation (something GOSPEL CHOIRS by nature are allowed to be). For this reason, I guess secular people may not have wanted to listen to a "gospel choir", and some Church folk may have found them too secular - - that's the only theory I can think of why they aren't as well known as I should be (but maybe I'm wrong... the truth is anyway, they weren't so much of a gospel group as a very large message and community oriented gospel influenced SOUL choir (perhaps the first and last?)



Whatever, this album is really great '70s R & B - - with the Voice's trademark tight and funky rhythm section, a really strong (yet incredibly young and tiny) front singer (who was also a dark good dancer - - get the video SOUL TO SOUL!) and great material.



All in all, if you're a '70s Soul Buff, remember this: its one of those great rare soul albums that has been out of print forever in the U.S. but you can find pretty easily on shelves in Japan - - so you know its good (we're usually too slow to recognize our own and its a darn shame !"