Bobby Womack - The Best of Bobby Womack: The Soul Years

Genre soul Publisher Capitol External Links Bobby Womack Website

For anyone who has a penchant for 70s R&B/Soul a la Curtis Mayfield and The Superfly soundtrack, look no further than the most recent compilation from Bobby Womack, entitled The Best of Bobby Womack: The Soul Years. The disc is not your standard Static fare, but I couldn’t resist the pull of “narrative soul.” It’s an affliction really. I can’t help but admire a man who can put a 70s funk-laden spin on “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” and “Fly Me to the Moon.” The disc follows standard thematic movements of the era, from lovin’ your woman well to growing up in an urban neighborhood.

The Best of Bobby Womack: The Soul Years starts out strong with a “Pusher Man” style song called “Across 110th Street.” It’s a track that tells of Bobby’s life growing up on the “wrong” side of the city with pushers, hookers and trying to survive. As with many of the songs on the album, the song is about hope and encouragement that urges listeners that “there’s another way out… it’s either live or die, you’ve got to be strong in order to survive.”

“Woman’s Gotta Have It” mimics the base of many of B.B. King’s songs with advice to Bobby’s listeners about keeping their woman happy with a blues base funkified. “Don’t take for granted the smile on her face, check a little bit closer you might find a tear trace” takes the place of “I’ve been down hearted baby“ just as synthesized music takes the place of B.B.’s epic guitar. The only thing consistent on this disc beyond Bobby’s soulful voice is his proclivity for addressing his audience directly.

“Harry Hippie” has to be the most stand out track on The Best of Bobby Womack: The Soul Years. It’s a slow and mournful song about a homeless man that Bobby has in his neighborhood who “may even sell The Free Press on Sunset” and how he loves to “help a man when he’s down, but I can’t help him when he’s sleepin’ on the ground.” Beyond the soul aspects of the song, the modern track that it’s most reminiscent of is Martin Sexton’s “Way I Am.” Both Bobby and Martin give their narrative characters lines in the song while they tell the story of how this seemingly unrelated person has impacted their lives. It makes the allegory more tangible and gives the lyrics import despite the great instrumentals in the songs.

If you don’t have much experience with 70s soul, beyond classics like Al Green and Marvin Gaye, Bobby Womack’s The Best of Bobby Womack: The Soul Years is a great primer. In addition to his vocal mastery and the fun, throwback melodies it’s got some kick ass cover art that makes it worth buying on vinyl rather than CD or electronic form. This disc is great, but it won’t replace Superfly and my love for Curtis Mayfield.