Phil Upchurch - Lovin' Feeling '1973

Tracks list

       Phil Upchurch's sophomore date for Blue Thumb is a move away from the
heavy, fuzzed-out, distorted funk of his Cadet sides, and a decidedly more
direct move toward the laid-back West Coast sound. Having left Chicago a year
earlier, he recorded Darkness, Darkness with Tommy Li Puma and a host of Cali
musicians. The texture and easy groove of the music on that album must have
agreed with him, because here, on Lovin' Feeling, he shines by indulging in the
smooth grooves with a funkier hand on his fret board. The mood is decidedly a
jazzy one, with chunky bits of funk and groove thrown into a smooth, silky mix.
Upchurch is a master guitarist, and his sidemen for this date were chosen with
great care; he even replaced his own bassist with Lucky Scott from the Curtis
Mayfield band. This date also marks the first appearance in Upchurch's band of
future longtime collaborator, pianist, and songwriter, Tennyson Stephens.
Plainly put, this is easily one of Upchurch's finest recorded moments. With the
fuzz tones and other noise boxes sidelined, the guitarist has a new opportunity
to showcase his deep melodic sensibilities and the chromatic lyricism in his
soloing and chord work; without, as he did on Darkness, Darkness, giving up the
soulful funkiness that makes his style so unique. Standouts include a massively
souled-out read of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (that challenges any vocal
version, including the Righteous Brothers', as definitive) and "Another Funky
Tune": an Upchurch standard. Where strings and sparse horn arrangements frame
certain tunes, like the backdrop in "I Still Love You" and "Sitar Soul," the
rhythm section still propels Upchurch into dizzying feats in the cut groove, and
in the more up-tempo numbers, where strings are relegated to a back seat for a
more keyboard-driven approach, such as in "Washing Machine" and the album's
closer, "You've Been Around Too Long." Upchurch takes his playing into
wah-wah-saturated overdrive, creating funk inside of soul and soul inside of
funk, then turning them both inside out with raving arpeggios, as dirty grooves
come off as clean, sensual fills and cascading skeins of sexy, ringing lines of
pure, easy, club-night vibe. Lovin' Feeling is truly amazing from start to
finish: a high point in a career filled with them.

Tracks:

01. Keep on Trippin' (Upchurch-Mayfield) - 5:05
02. Another Funky Tune (Upchurch) - 3:45
03. Being at War with Each Other (King) - 6:14
04. Sitar Soul (Upchurch) - 4:19
05. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (Mann-Weil-Spector) - 4:42
06. I Still Love You (Upchurch) - 4:06
07. Washing Machine (Upchurch) - 3:15
08. You've Been Around Too Long (King) - 5:10

Personnel:

Phil Upchurch - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric sitar, vocals
Lucky Scott - Fender Bass
Steve Cobb - drums
Derf Recklaw Raheem - percussion, shaker
Tennyson Stephens - Fender Rhodes, mellotron
Tom Radtke - bells, tabla 

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