Melbourne’s own Soul Safari chat about their favourite soul albums of all time, on the verge of the release their own full length Live at Bar Open EP.
D’Angelo – Voodoo
My favourite album of all time would have to be D’Angelos second album Voodoo. When I first heard it I was 13 and it smacked the pop/rock out of me. I would listen to it and love the melodies, bobbing along and really just thinking I was cool. As I listen to the same album now at 21, I realise the level of musicianship and clarity in their playing. I’m sure I’ll appreciate it even more in another ten years. (Ben – bass)
Stevie Wonder – Songs In The Key Of Life
When I was asked to pick one of my favourite soul albums, it just came down to picking a Stevie Wonder album. So I chose Songs In The Key Of Life. I just think that Stevie is a genius. His songwriting is incredible, completely original, his singing is amazing and his music is timeless. I believe that this album is a piece of timeless art. (Nikko – guitarist)
Sam Cooke – Night Beat
Released in 1963, this album is one of the great singer’s most intimate recordings, and also one of his last. A number of slow, blues-inflected grooves, the organ, piano and guitar manage to sit beautifully together with the bass and drums, while still allowing Cooke’s powerful and captivating voice to soar above it all. The album is a great introduction to Sam Cooke as there aren’t any weak moments, and the stripped back instrumentation really allows his vocal skills to shine through. (Tom – guitarist)
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
For me it contains everything I want to hear in a soul cut. Soaring honest vocals, the right amount of loose groove, double tracked drums and a full orchestra backing! I mean it was written in protest of the war in Vietnam but to me it proves how music from the soul is ageless and forever relevant. (Sam – drummer)
Jill Scott – Experience
As a lyricist, performer and poet, Jill Scott’s Experience album has everything. An album I can listen to and each time I hear it find something new, and intricate that I have never heard before. The quality of her vocals and the use of voice like an instrument is mind blowing. It’s an album that constantly surprises me. The re-thinking of some of her hit songs and the variation to rhythms and the original ideas through this live performance mean that though I’ve had it for years and years it is new each time I hear it! (Lisa – singer)
Get to Soul Safari’s EP Launch at Bar Open on Friday April 11, 10pm, free entry. These guys love the music so much that everyone through the door gets a free copy!
