200? Scorpio reissue, originally released in 1972 - Horace Silver was one of the jazz musicians who, like Miles Davis or Donald Byrd, totally reinvented himself when he saw that traditional jazz hit a dead end in the late 1960s. As a result, Total Response is nothing like his classic hard bop albums from ten years before, nor the Latin-tinged albums from the mid-60s.
Instead it's a funky vocal jazz album that may be closer to a kind of soul pop rather than actual jazz. This should not be a total surprise; after all, Silver had become progressively funkier on albums such as You Gotta Take a Little Love or the wonderful Serenade to a Soul Sister.
The main work here is in the hands of Andy Bey and Salome Bey, who deliver flawless vocals, while Silver himself mostly comps along on electric piano, not taking a lot of spotlight, but shining whenever he does. Of the sidemen, Cecil Bridgewater and Bob Cranshaw manage to impress, and while this album may come as something of a shock to everybody who loves Song for My Father, this is actually not bad at all. It's just a totally different thing.
Oh yes, and the lyrics make this sound like lessons in self-improvement. It's all about eating healthy food, doing exercise, staying clear of drugs and generally taking care of your body. The result is oddly listenable, if a bit a product of its time. Definitely a recommendation. - hprill / rateyourmusic
| A1 | Acid, Pot Or Pills |
| A2 | What Kind Of Animal Am I? |
| A3 | Won't You Open Up Your Senses |
| A4 | I've Had A Little Talk |
| A5 | Soul Searchin' |
| B1 | Big Business |
| B2 | I'm Aware Of The Animal Within Me |
| B3 | Old Mother Nature Calls |
| B4 | Total Response |
