The Westbound Sound: Westbound Records Curated By Record Store Day (2024) Vinyl Review

Last year on Record Store Day we were treated to the release of A Decade In Love: Sun Records Curated By Record Store Day – Volume 10, which was perhaps the last in a great series of releases through Org Music, since I don’t see an eleventh volume on this year’s list. But don’t worry, this Record Store Day (which is this coming Saturday), Org Music is beginning a new series, Westbound Records Curated By Record Store Day. Like the Sun Records series, this series will feature songs selected by record store owners. I’d be curious to know just which record stores are taking part, and how they were chosen. But I suppose that doesn’t matter all that much. What matters is that the songs these unnamed folks have chosen, at least for this first entry in the new series, The Westbound Sound, are a lot of fun. Some of these songs you certainly know, songs like “I Bet You” and “Funky Worm.” Others you might not know. Westbound Records was founded in Detroit in 1968 by Armen Boladian, and the label’s roster included the great Funkadelic, Ohio Players and Denise LaSalle, among others. And now the label has joined forces with Org Music for a re-issue campaign. So let the funk and soul rain down on us and lift us up!

Side 1

This collection gets off to a great start with Funkadelic’s “I Bet You,” a song that has a delicious raw power and a wonderful guitar part. The record indicates the track is an “edit,” and while it’s not quite as long as the original six-minute version from the band’s debut album, it still contains a good amount of jamming. “Bet you never lose my love.” Oh yes, it always comes back to love. What else is there? Well, I love this track. That’s followed by “Rhythm Changes” by The Counts (also known as The Fabulous Counts), a track that is a lot of fun to dance to. No surprise, really, not with that title. Of course it would have a wonderful rhythm. This music is so alive, not only with that great work on percussion, but the horns. “We’re gonna turn the whole thing around.”

The record then goes more in the direction of rhythm and blues with Denise LaSalle’s “Hung Up, Strung Out.” “But every time I try to leave you, you laugh in my face,” she sings. Wow, that is rough. “You’ve got me hung up, strung out, and crazy about you, baby.” It’s a tough position to be in, but what a great vocal performance. And yes, this guy takes advantage of the woman, even as she realizes it. He cheats on her, and she runs back for more, turned on. Is she deluded when singing that someday he’ll need her? Maybe, maybe not. But what a wonderful song. It’s one of my personal favorites from this collection. It’s followed by “Do Me Right” from Detroit Emeralds. “Do me right/I’ll do you no wrong/Do me good/I’ll do you no harm.” This one has a smoother vibe, as he promises his woman he’ll treat her right. The lines about buying the woman a dress and an ironing board (“So you can keep your new dress pressed”) are kind of adorable. This song was the title track of the band’s 1971 album.

As soon as “Hot Rooster” starts, a funky, cool rhythm is established. And there is some playful guitar work, like little comments, which I love. This is a fun instrumental track from the Donald Austin’s 1973 album Crazy Legs. The first side of the record finishes with “Alvin Stone (The Birth And Death Of A Gangster)” by Fantastic Four. This song is from 1975, and the funk is taking on some elements of disco. I love the backing vocalists singing, “Whatcha doin’ with a gun in your hand/Don’t you know you’ll go to jail?” So good! “Don’t blame me for what I am/Blame it on society.” And toward the end, a violent scene plays out, complete with sound effects and screams, the vocalists taking on different roles.

Side 2

The second side also opens with a hit that starts with its beat, “Funky Worm” from Ohio Players. It’s a fun, playful, even silly number that features some unusual vocal work, like cartoon characters. “Oh, that’s funky, that’s funky/Like nine cans of shaving powder, that’s funky.” It sounds like he’s about to laugh when delivering the line “Don’t fight the feeling, don’t fight it.” And then he asks, “Do we get paid for this?” Once it’s established they will be paid, the track is suddenly over. This is the single mix. It is followed by “Tangarine Green” by Fuzzy Haskins. This is another fun song with a strong beat. Yes, this is a record you could play at a party and be sure of pleasing all your guests. Fuzzy Haskins was a member of Parliament-Funkadelic, and this song has that same kind of joy. I love how the music gets a bit weird at moments. This song comes from his 1976 album A Whole Nother Thang.

“Shake Your Head” was on a single that Spanky Wilson released in 1974. I believe it was released on Eastbound Records, which was a sister label to Westbound. “Some men just run around and do silly things/They say that they can give you all that money can bring/As soon as you believe them, you find out it’s wrong/‘Cause all the things they say is just a dance and a song.” This track features some really nice work on bass, plus some good backing vocal work. That’s followed by “Live Wire,” a fun number from Dennis Coffey’s 1975 LP Finger Lickin’ Good. There isn’t a whole lot happening lyrically here. It is mostly about that delicious rhythm, which will get you dancing. And there’s nothing wrong with that. “Get off your ass and dance.” This collection concludes with “Devil’s Gun,” the title track from C.J. & Co’s 1977 album. There is still a funky element, to be sure, but we are pretty firmly in disco territory now. “He’s watching us burn, he’s watching us burn/One day we’ll learn, one day we’ll learn.” This is the full-length album version, not the shorter single version.

Record Track List

Side 1

1. I Bet You – Funkadelic
2. Rhythm Changes – The Counts
3. Hung Up, Strung Out – Denise LaSalle
4. Do Me Right – Detroit Emeralds
5. Hot Rooster – Donald Austin
6. Alvin Stone (The Birth And Death Of A Gangster) – Fantastic Four

Side 2

1. Funky Worm (Single Mix) – Ohio Players
2. Tangarine Green – Fuzzy Haskins
3. Shake Your Head – Spanky Wilson
4. Live Wire – Dennis Coffey
5. Devil’s Gun – C.J. & Co.

The Westbound Sound: Westbound Records Curated By Record Store Day is scheduled to be released on April 20, 2024 through Org Music. It is a limited run of 2,500 copies.