Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band Express Yourself LP (Brown Vinyl)

The hit title track alone makes this 1970 release worth having, but it's the other cuts on this record that make it one of the greatest psychedelic soul/funk albums of all time. Charles Wright's beautiful falsetto kicks off the opening track (and #16 pop hit) "Love Land", in which this L.A. band takes a page from Philly soul, and "I Got Love", with its oh-so-funky descending bass line, is a stone groove. But the fun really starts with the first slice of "High as Apple Pie", which offers just the first six minutes of what turns out to be a 23-minute jam. Adventurous production touches, loose-limbed arrangements, and a bit of old-time gospel make this the love child of Dr. John's "I Walk on Guilded Splinters", James Brown, Sly Stone, and the Chambers Brothers' "Time Has Come Today" (and you can bet George Clinton listened long and hard to this record)!

Previous issues of this classic LP have never been up to snuff sonically, so Real Gone Music went in and had it remastered by Mike Milchner of SonicVision from original tape sources especially for this release. Pressed in brown vinyl limited to 750 copies!