PEOPLE... HOLD ON. It's the ~~~ ILM 1970s SOUL/FUNK/DISCO ALBUMS POLL ~~~ results thread!

My number 1 coming up:

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36. The Stylistics - Round 2 (1972)
85 points • 6 votes • 1 number one

Album highlights:
'Children of the Night'
'Peek-a-Boo'
'You and Me'
'Pieces'

I love "Magdalena" in all it's showtuneness!

Donny Hathaway's "Magdalena" kills me. Is it a showtune? The verse is all ragtimey and sounds like it ought to be on the Toy Story soundtrack and then the chorus kicks in and the whole thing is just so good. Tuomos right otm though, dude had some pretty big, unconventional ideas for someone that might show up on the ILM 70s Soul Poll

Tuomas that's fair. I'm not big on being "real" but I much prefer the way showtuneness is handled in, say, Thom Bell stuff which is to say via Burt Bacharach. But agree to disagree. I was sort of being a prick earlier.

Fantasy is indeed a landmark. Might be the best pop expression of spirituality ever. It feels like somewhere in the middle the holy ghost really does intervene. But I don't dig the ballads on All 'n All.

Pieces of a Man is flawed but beautiful. Heron is like a fucked up, introverted version of Bill Withers. Both smart and intense but Withers is better on sex and Heron more evocative on desperation.

Round 2 shows some weaknesses imo. Russel Thompkins Jr. is the best there is at what he does when what he does is hyperromanticism. But I don't think he handles lust (Children of the Night) or genuine regret (the Carole King cover) well. It just ends up sort of awkward. Still, at least a half of this record is unfuckwithable.

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35. Curtis Mayfield - Roots (1971)
85 points • 10 votes

"Roots" is fine, but it's kinda sad how it already begins to show hints of Mayfield's decline. I guess it's really hard, after having released the perfect (solo) debut album, to try to come up with anything that'd equal it... Sadly he never did.

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34. James Brown - There It Is (1972)
86 points • 5 votes • 1 number one

Yes! Was saying how ranking Brown albums is a thankless job but this is my choice. King Heroin would be a dud if performed by anyone else but somehow I'm on a verge of tears by the time it ends. He truly cuts the beat while saying "cuttin'" on Talking Loud and it's one of those myriad moments that demonstrate that he is on a whole different playing field.

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33. Millie Jackson - Caught Up (1974)
87 points • 6 votes

Prefer the similar Soul Children album way down on the list.

Millie Jackson was my number five. I'd given up hope of her placing. Caught Up is an incredible record.

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32. Sister Sledge - We Are Family (1979)
88 points • 9 votes

Should have been a disco masterpiece but for some plodding filler and maybe an overused tittle track. Thinking Of You is sublime.

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31. Minnie Riperton - Come to My Garden (1970)
92 points • 8 votes

OK simmel, here comes your moment of glory:

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30. Stairsteps - 2nd Resurrection (1976)
94 points • 5 votes • 1 number one

Album highlights:
* 'From Us to You'
* 'Pasado'

Indeed! Just recently heard this and was amazed. Gave it the number one spot and judged all the other albums against it. A few that are yet to come match it in cohesiveness but this one is still a miracle. It just flows so well! Spectacular cover too.

I listened to it via this YouTube of the full album, that's why I highlighted the first two songs. Do you have any other particular favorites?

I had it at number 8, mostly thanks to your campaigning. I'd never heard of the group before.

Oh, I forgot to highlight 'Les Fleur' from Minnie Riperton's Come to My Garden, for the few people who haven't heard it yet.

Not just the high point of that album, but one of the most beautiful songs in music history.

Described it as a cross between Riot's murkiness and Stevie's silliness/prettiness in the noms thread and stand by that. Tell Me Why is the highlight imo but this album really does work better than it's individual parts.

Yes, even I can respect Les Fleurs.

Wow, the placement of this Stairsteps album is the biggest surprise of the list so far. Delighted to see it so high. I had it in my top 10.

I just listened to Come to my Garden again yesterday. It's such a lovely record.

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29. Eddie Kendricks - People... Hold On (1972)
97 points • 5 votes

Another classic. Eddie Kendricks is so underrated. His first five albums are all so good.

This is a great run of albums. Eddie Kendricks, Minnie Riperton, Stairsteps and Millie Jackson were all high on my list.

Frustrated by this album. Girl You Need a Change of Mind is a bolt of lightning from Olympus and then the rest is just run-of-the-mill material imo.

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28. WAR - The World Is a Ghetto (1972)
97 points • 7 votes

no way! xp

My People...Hold On, I'm On The Sideline, Day By Day are all-time classics imo

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27. James Brown - Sex Machine (1970)
99 points • 7 votes • 1 number one

Remembered this album at the last moment while scrolling the nominations list. It's a patchy sort of compilation, sort of live album with plenty of other random shit thrown in (Spinning Wheel? If I Ruled the World?). But there's too much transcendent music here to leave it off the ballot.

X-gau:

When he modulates to the bridge [of "Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine"] it's like the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters. After that he could describe his cars for three sides and get away with it (hope this doesn't give him any bright ideas)

Xgau otm about Brown in general. Growing up I felt like the "Brown is far and way the number one" orthodoxy will kick in but it still seems like a sort of peripheral view. I mean sure, everyone respects him but that's not quite enough imo.

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26. Funkadelic - One Nation Under a Groove (1978)
99 points • 10 votes

Considered voting for this one. Love the title track and Cholly.

Are you ready for the

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25. Aretha Franklin - Young, Gifted and Black (1972)
102 points • 6 votes

^^^ wonderful record if I don't listen to the Elton cover

xp

Growing up, One Nation was the Funkadelic record I always read about, and since it didn't sound anything like the Westbound-era Funkadelic I first encountered, didn't get the hype. Still don't think they needed to record something like "Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?" (would have thought it was obvious to their fans), but now see One Nation as prob the most consistent of their disco-era records. (tho I'd put on Electric Spanking if I only had to pick one)

Starting to think the Trammps got snubbed.

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24. Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (1972)
102 points • 8 votes

Album highlight:
'I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)'

Oh man, Aretha TOO LOW

xp - Ah hell, who am I kidding?

Growing up, One Nation was the Funkadelic record I always read about, and since it didn't sound anything like the Westbound-era Funkadelic I first encountered, didn't get the hype. Still don't think they needed to record something like "Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?" (would have thought it was obvious to their fans), but now see One Nation as prob the most consistent of their disco-era records. (tho I'd put on Electric Spanking if I only had to pick one)

― Dominique, Friday, October 21, 2016 9:21 AM (twenty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

100 percent OTM. It's the classic Funkadelic album I play least.

Young, Gifted and Black was a strong contender for number one. Aretha's voice is obviously great, but her piano is on another level on that album.

Favorite track is a three way duel between Rock Steady, Oh Me Oh My and April Fools...and All The King's Horses...and First Snow in Kokomo...and Day Dreamin

What a great album

I think Spirit in the Dark is even better (including her piano playing) but I love'em both.

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23. The Spinners - Spinners (1973)
104 points • 8 votes

Album highlight:
• 'I'll Be Around

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22. Sly & The Family Stone - Fresh (1973)
104 points • 12 votes