I’m not sure why Eugene McDaniels has played a role in so many of the albums I pulled out for this last batch of “Records at Random” posts. Sure, I’m a fan of the man’s work, and if I see his name on a record it’ll usually pique my interest. But I can’t say I have an inordinate number of sides that benefit from his input in my crates. So I think the self-titled debut, released in 1978 by the Lifesong Records imprint, from ten-member Funk band The Voltage Brothers might be the last time his name appears in this space for a while.
Certainly it was McDaniels’ name that made me stop and pull out my money when I found the album on a shelf at a local vinyl depository, as I had no clue who the hell The Voltage Brothers were and didn’t recognize them or any of their songs as being of particular note. Further investigation into the band has turned up precious little in the way of enlightenment on who exactly these guys were and what they went on to. Although there is a touring “party band” of some renown that goes by the same name which could easily be them, but could just as easily be a group of random dudes.
Dearth of information aside, the record sort of speaks for itself. Though the entire disc was recorded under the production guidance of McDaniels, and a few songs were penned by his hand, the only tune that really bears a resemblance to his solo work is the Latin-Disco-flavored album opener “Happening In the Street,” which boasts an uplifting chorus section unquestionably written in McDaniels’ socially conscious, Gil Scott-Heron-esque voice. Elsewhere, the band, which more-often-than-not mixes their snappy Disco-Funk with smooth Soul and Funky-Jazz, come off very similar to The Blackbyrds. It’s a comparison that could probably be made for any number of tracks on the disc, but is most evident on “Feelin’ Good,” particularly the funkier-than-normal intro and breakdown parts, and the jazzy flute soloing on the outro.
Right off the bat the b-side offers a pair of unlikely covers; the band’s competent take on Herbie Hancock’s “Hang Up Your Hang Ups” (which illustrate how the band fits in with similar Jazz/Funk units of the time, including The Headhunters) and the Seals and Croft chestnut “Get Closer.” The latter is actually familiar to me as a sample source for some rapper, though I can’t remember exactly who, and is notable for a really promising intro that in the end doesn’t pay off exactly as soulfully as one might hope (in other words, it’s not as dope as The Isley Brothers‘ version of S&C’s “Summer Breeze”). Even so, it’s still a nice surprise, and a surprisingly fresh cover.
Flipping back to the a-side, the Philly-meets-Parliament (it’s the synths) slow-jam “Come Too Far to Turn Around” and the “Street Player”-ish Disco wallbanger “Unity (Is the Key)” round out the highlights on this largely forgotten document of the convergence of Jazz, Soul, Funk, and Disco during the late ’70s.
-El Keter
