wax on,wax off Vol.2

Welcome to the second drop of Wax on, Wax Off with Miyagi Records !

Bohannon - Self Titled

Bohannon aka the Unsung Godfather of Disco. If you've never heard his music, you've definitely heard his name repeated over and over and over by the Tom Tom Club ("Genius of Love"). Hailing from Georgia and a one-time member of Stevie Wonder's touring band, Bohannon specialized in pure, unadulterated, foot-stomping Funk. Bass-heavy, four-on-the-floor productions hinted at the birth of Disco many years before the genre became a commercial powerhouse. 

Dave Grusin - Discovered Again!

The cover art here betrays completely the content inside. Try to forget his 70s stash and choice in plaid, and think only of how this guy changed the face of Jazz Fusion in the mid-70s/early 80s. You'll find his productions everywhere during that era, most notably on the song "Funkin' for Jamaica" by Tom Browne. Bernard Wright, Don Blackmon, and Patti Austin got a little 'Grusin' touch as well. This album finds him at the beginning of that journey, leaning heavily on his lush Rhodes piano. Hip-Hop heads will enjoy the plethora of Dilla samples within.

Led Zepplin - II

Not only notable for being one of their best and heaviest albums, "II" deserves a listen based on the sheer will it took to bring it into existence. The writing, recording, and mixing of the record were all completed while they were in the middle of a UK tour and 3 U.S. tours. Subsequently, each song ended up being recorded in a different part of the World. But when you listen to the final product, you'd never know. That's the magic of Jimmy Page.

Led Lepplin - Untitled (aka Zoso / IV)

One of my personal favorite Zep albums. It's one of those records that you MUST listen to from start to finish to get the full effect. Perfectly Bluesy and Heavy. From the opening salvo of "Black Dog" to the ending sequence where the quiet, soothing calm of "Going to California" drops directly into the massive Beastie Boys-sampled, John Bonham drum break on "When The Levee Breaks." Also, contains the classic "Stairway to Heaven" which you may be psyched about, or cringe at the thought of.

Led Zepplin - Presence

This album represents Zep at a strange time in the band's existence. They were at the height of their popularity, touring endlessly. But prior to the album's recording, Robert Plant sustained injuries that hit the pause button on everything. With the band sidelined and their momentum taking a toll, they chose instead to record. The result was a straight-up, Hard Rock album dominated almost completely by Jimmy Page's guitar. Commercially successful but panned by critics, they would never record another album like it.

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - One Dozen Roses

Just to get this out of the way, "One Dozen Roses" = 12 Songs on the Album. Cleverness aside, this record contains the group's sole Billboard #1 hit. Despite being Motown's first successful act, one of the label's most recorded artists, and a group who recorded over 25 Top 40 hits, "Tears of a Clown" was their lone Chartbuster. Includes 11 other 'Roses' which flaunt that classic Detroit sound.

Urbie Green - Green Power

This is a guy, and record you've never heard of, BUT he's doing things you absolutely need to hear! Best known for his work as a Big Band trombonist, Urbie, like most Jazz musicians in the early 70s, dipped his toe into the 'electric Jazz fusion' pool. But how does a Trombonist go 'electric'? By using his custom "Green Monster" King-Vox Ampliphonic Unit, of course. That wonderous fact, coupled with how this was improvised entirely, gives the final product a sort of spacey funk feel as heard on Herbie Hancock's "Fat Albert's Rotunda" and Miles Davis' early 70's work.

Miss Wax On, Wax Off, Vol. 1? Check It Out Here

 

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