| Author | Message | ||
  Manny (manny) 4-Laureate Username: manny Post Number: 144 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.124.10.106 |
Hello, ladys & gentelmans, phillybusters and motowners, funk brothers and sisters! 1974 was the year of "Love Is The Message" and, from the same factory, issued another masterpiece, O'Jay's "Ship Ahoy". In fact, is very hard to me to separate the intrinsecal value of this great album and his (for me) sentimental value. This was my first vynil i buy with my money at 14 years old and was a authentic "iniciation" . Have gospel as in "Put Your Hands Together"; "Funk ("For The Love Of Miney"); Blues ("Don't Call Me Brother"); soulful ballads ("You Got Your Hooks On Me"); Boogaloo ("This Air I Breath"),... The incredible vocals!... And those jazzy big band instrumentations... The lyrics...The art direction of the jacket (Ed Lee designer and James Barkley's ship watercolor illustration),... 30 years after, Reuben Ford have recorded a cover of "For The Love Of Money" (previously was covered by Defunkt). Simply this is a masterpiece that have supered the test of time. We all in SD "Put Our Hands Together" (as a atribute to Eddie, Walter, the late William and all the great Philly musicianship involved) and tolds your opinion. Peace & Soul Food | ||
Manny (manny) 4-Laureate Username: manny Post Number: 145 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.124.11.139 |
Hola, Hello,...!! Have somebody here? Where are all the O'Jays fans of SDF? Nobody have a opinion of this great album? My spanish copy got a golden stick with the legend "Mejor elep� �soul� 1974 - Billboard�. Also, Patricia Godes, the best specialist in soul music critic in Spain is a O'Jays fan and this is his favorite album. (Now I makes a disdoublement of personality as Dr. Manny & Mr. Hyde and response to myself; smile or not!) -Dr. Manny: My favorite tracks: all the 8 tracks. Specially "Don't Call Me Brother". -Mr. Hyde: You're totally wrong, the authentic "bomb" of this album is "For The Love of Money". BTW, can you stop to disturb all the SDF'ers with your Phillysound obssesion, please? Peace & Soul Food. | ||
bigdaddyg2k4 (bigdaddyg2k4) 2-Debutant Username: bigdaddyg2k4 Post Number: 30 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 206.157.27.194 |
This an album that I loved since I bought the CD about 5 years ago, and its an essential part of my collection and a cornerstone of the Philly sound. The cover art of Ed Lee just draws you into the drama and context of what the album really means (the title track speaks of the inhumane and tragic consenquences our ancestors went through in their transcontinental passage into slavery), and the positive messages that it conveys in the other tracks ("Put Your Hands Together" is the quentissential "come together and celebrate" song, anchored by "This Air I Breathe" taking a page from Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" album in a call to order to stop ecological destruction). The backbone of this masterpiece are its two "Generals" (Producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff), their "advisers" (Arrangers Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, Thom Bell and Lenny Pakula), the "Army" (music provided by MFSB), and of course, the "Storytellers" (Walter, Eddie and the late great William Powell); who set the stage in not fighting a war to destroy mankind, but as liberators, consientious objectors, and visionaries who tells stories, bringing love to the world and setting people free with their messages of love, peace, understanding, togetherness and salvation to a world that sometimes fails to heal itself of its shortcomings. Congratulations to all involved in this creative monster of an album. The SACD version should be a sonic monster as well. | ||
Galactus (galactus) 3-Pundit Username: galactus Post Number: 39 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 207.144.253.114 |
Great album! I agree it's a cornerstone of Philly soul....a must have for any soul fan. It's very different from other O'Jays albums.....maybe it's the dark side of the record because of the title track.......but it's very effective....... Listening to old O'Jays recordings like this really makes me wish they had never parted company with Gamble and Huff. | ||
Manny (manny) 4-Laureate Username: manny Post Number: 150 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.124.10.133 |
Hello again, soulful friends! Hi, Bigdaddy! You're so right! Perhaps the most important of this masterpiece album is his social-conciousnes lyrics. I don't have the lyrics in the jacket and don't well understand when heard it. Grace to you now i knows "This Air I Breath" is about ecology. Hi, Galactus! The first times I heard the title track I pass because I think this was "pretentious" special effects (the sea and storm and the wood of the ship...). But more i heard more i apreciate, especially the very gospel-spiritual voices. Efectively, when I bought the "Serious" album, the first by The O'Jays after leaving PIR, I was deceptioned (except for a track titled "Friend Of A Friend") as for "Emmotionally Yours" (except some tracks) and "Heartbreaker" (except some tracks). Peace & Soul Food | ||
roger (roger) 3-Pundit Username: roger Post Number: 67 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.35.87.17 |
Hi Manny. I saw this thread yesterday and wondered why no-one had posted. I was tempted to come to your rescue and post myself, but decided not to as I was having a "Posting Free Day" .. See the SDF-ANONYMOUS thread for the full story behind that!! I bought this L.P. when it first got a U.K. release back in 1974 ( still have it!! ) and when I found it in the shop I was surprised to see that it was an imported U.S. copy .. doubly surprising as the shop I bought it in wasn't a shop that normally sold imports!! I suspect that CBS were unable to print up enough U.K. copies to meet the demand for records at that time. I agree with Galactus that it is a very "unusual" O'JAYS L.P. I love the title track, but I need to be in the right frame of mind to listen to it!! I remember that it got heavily played on Radio One at the time by STEWART HENRY, who's main interest in music was "Progressive Rock". For me the highlights (apart from the title track) are "For the Love of Money" ( there was a big "Rap" hit in the early 80's that used the backing track of that but I can't recall the title ) and the original version of "Now that I've found Love". Roger | ||
Manny (manny) 4-Laureate Username: manny Post Number: 152 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.124.11.34 |
What's Up, friend Roger? Hope that keep on have many sunin' days in London! Yes, the track "Ship Ahoy" features some rock flavored guitars that is worth for progressive rock lovers (as many other Philly or soul tunes). My spanish copy only included the credits of writers-arrangers and only says �m�sica de MFSB� (very explicit!!). I think many of my fave guitar rock in Philly Int. tracks are by TJ Tindall (as in "K-Jee" or the intro of Billy Paul's "Brown Baby"). I was recently decieved when i read in a book of Funk Music (by Rickey Vincent) that "For The Love Of Money" is used in a adversiting TV spot for a credit car! This is, IMHO, a total �prostitution� of the original sense of the social-conciousness lyrics! Bad Times For The Lyricism, friends. Peace & Soul Food | ||
dvdmike (dvdmike) 4-Laureate Username: dvdmike Post Number: 108 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 65.208.234.61 |
I loved this album as well, although the LP itself was released in the fall of '73. | ||
Manny (manny) 4-Laureate Username: manny Post Number: 154 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.124.12.117 |
Hi again, soulful friends! It's happen something funny about what was the year "Ship Ahoy" was realised. (Ep, friend DVDMike, I don't doubt of you!) The golden sitck in the front-cover of my copy says �Best Soul Album 1974 - Billboard�; DVDMike says this album was issued in 1973. And, in adition, in the label of my copy, says � (P) & � P.I.R. 1975!! The "promedy" is 1974. (29th, 30th or 31th Anniversary? This is not important for an immortal album!) Peace & Soul Food | ||
DyvaNaye (westside314) 6-Zenith Username: westside314 Post Number: 414 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 209.212.74.216 |
'Ship Ahoy, Ship Ahoy, Ship Ahoy Ship A-hoooooy....' Very moving album...I still play that O'Jays classic untill this day... 'Listen to the CLock on the wall...it's moving , moving much to fast...I love this feeling and I want this feeling to last, ooh...' There is NOTHING that can beat the romantic-gospel-gritty-GREASE that the OJays put out in their music...Eddie Levert can whip circles around the best of them...and when ever I see his son perform, I think 'where's your daddy?'...Gerald is great, but he aint his daddy... | ||
Manny (manny) 4-Laureate Username: manny Post Number: 160 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.124.11.124 |
Hey, DyvaNaye! Also, we can celebrate the 32th Anniversary of the "Backstabbers" album. I also likes it a lot. The track you mentioned and all. Is in another "spirit", IMHO, some more latin-flavoured (the intros of the title track, "992 Arguments" or "Shiftless, Shady, Jaleous Kind Of People" have some reminiscences of Rumba!). For my opinion, "Backstabbers", "Ship Ahoy", "Survival" and "Message In Our Music" are the best four albums by the O'Jays (with the complement of their live album in London) and also are totally differents. One is more soulful, other more experimental or rock or gospel flavoured... The common denominator is the great vocals by evocative Eddie and crooner style Walter, grandious instrumentation and lyrics. Peace & Soul Food! | ||
Destruction (destruction) 3-Pundit Username: destruction Post Number: 32 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 199.173.224.20 |
I love Blue Magic, The Delphonics, Intruders, etc. but Ship Ahoy was my first fave Philly Sound lp...and remains so to this day. Funny thing is, I didn't really care that much for the title track....but loved everthing else, top to bottom. Holla Manny. | ||
DyvaNaye (westside314) 6-Zenith Username: westside314 Post Number: 419 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 209.212.74.211 |
Agreed Manny...those are the best four of the eary 70's Ojay's... But in the late 70's they had 2 monster albums which I knew did well in NY, 'Identify Yourself' and 'Once Is Not Enough'...my friends and I had fun with those recordings...I hung out with a elite group of people who appreciate great soul music...and until this day we still listen to our great sounding stuff. | ||
Wonder B (wonder_b) 5-Doyen Username: wonder_b Post Number: 315 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 80.14.113.239 |
I remember seeing The O'Jays (opening act was Stephanie Mills) at the Greek Theater in L.A... Seeing the sun come down on the hills while listening to this dream music... ahhhhh it still gives me the chill! That moment was magic... I love music....... Wonder B If you mess with the 'fro, you gotta go! | ||
Manny (manny) 4-Laureate Username: manny Post Number: 164 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.124.12.250 |
Hi again Cornelius Brothers & Sister (DyvaNaye) Rose! Hola, Destruction! I understand the reason why this album is your Phillysiound fave, friend. Hey, DyvaNaye!, when I says this is, IMHO, the best four albums, i should to add that have many songs (not albums) wich I also likes a lot. From "Identify" and also from "The Year 2000", i think you referred to this album when mentioned "Once Is Not Enough". I likes "You're The Girl Of My Dreams" from this album. And "What A Woman" from "Love Fever" Lp; and "Undecover Lover" from "Let Me Touch You" album. And "Take Me To The Stars" from "So Full Of Love" or the live track "Stand Up" from "Travelin' At The Speed Of Tought". And my fave Walter Williams vocals of all-time: "She's Only A Woman" (from "Family Reunion"). And, of course many tunes of the sixties, "Just Another Guy" and "Let It All Out" especially. You're so privilegiated, WonderB! I only see O'Jays one time live at TV at the 30th Anniversary of Bob Dylan. Never in person! Peace & Soul food |
