Picked this one up in a Super Flea dig. I know, I know... where is this place? Super Flea is alive and well. Sadly, the record booth has vanished.
When I first heard the news I thought a fellow vinyl junkie was playing some kind of sick joke, or saying that it closed as some sort of diversion tactic. Seriously, when you have an addiction the paranoia is real.
My next trip back to my hometown I went to see for myself. I almost wish I hadn’t. The big booth had been split up. In its place were new vendors selling toiletries, airbrushed shirts, bootleg DVDs, and beaded jewelry. I wish that wasn’t my last memory of the place. The paranoia shifted into sadness and longing. Every time I play a record pulled from Super Flea’s massive selection, part of me gets transported back there.
I vividly remember the first time I played this record. Starting with the “Concentration” side, the intro is a bass-driven synth line with a lighter synth floating on top. A horn stab breaks through, then the drums and funky guitar riff burst in, followed by strings and female background vocals. The instruments take turns moving you all the way to the end.
Flipping it over to “Sing My Song,” it’s immediately clear they’re essentially the same track, but this time with Dennis on lead vocals. His inflection completes it in a way the instrumental can’t.
Writing this review made me curious. I checked eBay and Discogs and found this one currently going for $35. A long way from the 33 cents I paid at Super Flea.
If funky soul records are your thing, check it out.