2022 reissue as part of the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series - Ronnie Foster's debut album, The Two Headed Freap is a set of contemporary funky soul jazz from the early '70s, which means it sounds closer to the soundtrack of a lost blaxploitation flick than Back at the Chicken Shack, Pt. 2. Foster certainly does display a debt to Jimmy Smith, but his playing is busier than Smith's and a bit wilder. Ironic, then, that his playing is in service to the groove and blends into the mix of wah-wah guitars, funk rhythms, electric bass, harps, and percolating percussion. Everything on The Two Headed Freap is about glitzy groove -- it sounds cinematic, colorful, and funky. It's true that there is little real improvisation here and the songs all have a similar groove, but it's worked well, and the music is ultimately appealing to fans of this genre. Fans of early-'70s funk from Sly Stone to Herbie Hancock will find something of interest here.
A1 | Chunky |
A2 | Drowning In The Sea Of Love |
A3 | The Two Headed Freap |
A4 | Summer Song |
B1 | Let's Stay Together |
B2 | Don't Knock My Love |
B3 | Mystic Brew |
B4 | Kentucky Fried Chicken |