Search - Slave :: Stone Jam (Reis)

A Slick Introduction To The 1980's Funk Scene!

Maria Alvarez | Stevens Point,WI USA | 03/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD will blow your mind! Let me tell you, the funk is on the one! One the best funk albums ever made! It'll have the funk floating across your speakers in no time. This one's got the grooves to make your body move! With the resounding, muscular drum beats,Danny Webster's groovin' rhythm guitar licks, mixed with the pure virtuosity of Mark Adams' thunderous & volcanic bass lines; all of these elements and more make Stone Jam an essential in your collection. Mark Adams' best bass lines appear here. This CD is packed with tight jams driven by Mark Adams' rumbling bass,Danny Webster on lead,rhythm guitar,the chunky funk beats of Steve Arrington's drumming,& delicious keyboard tones played by Ray Turner. Slave's Unique Groove is captured on this album,originally released in 1980. Slave Shines from Start to Finish on this album-From the Synth-Laced Summertime Groove of "Feel My Love" to the blazin' title track, "Stone Jam" which features another one of those signature bass lines by Mr.Mark Adams and an outrageously wild Mini-Moog Keyboard Solo that's tweaked to sound like a guitar! At first, I thought it was another one of Mark "Drac" Hicks' lightning-sharp guitar riffs! "Watching You" is a Slice of Subtle Sexuality ,it's a lush-funk arrangement that is a vibin' funk masterpiece with Steve Arrington on lead vocals,Danny Webster's rhythm guitar lightly strumming in the background,Ray Turner's Trademark Keyboard lines and Mark Adams plucking away on bass. "Sizzlin' Hot" is a stanky,hardcore funk romp that is reminiscent of Slave's earlier work,while "Dreamin" is a trip to Pure Funk Ecstasy. Ultimately, this album is one of Slave's best efforts. There's not a song on this Cd that you'd even think about skipping! It throws down Jam after Jam. It's a shame that most of Slave's albums aren't available on CD format. I feel like the world is really missing out on a tremendously talented band. I mean, would it really be that hard for some record companies & labels to Re-Release a couple Slave albums every now & then???? Titles that come to mind are Just a Touch of Love, Showtime,Bad Enuff & Unchained at Last. I have all of Slave's LPs(all in excellent condition)and some more recent material by Slave on CD,so it doesn't really matter to me. But it would be nice to have Remastered Versions of Slave's work. SLAVE is indubitably one of the Most Underrated & Extremely Innovative Funk Bands Ever!-PERIOD! They were such a unique band because every musical element was exactly in place- The Lead Vocalists(Danny Webster, Floyd Miller,Steve Arrington,Starleana Young,Eugene Jackson,Wayne Foote, and later Keith Nash) brought to the table some of the most inimitable & most imitated (but never duplicated) vocal stylings in the Face of Funk; the drummers were always right on time (Tim Dozier,Steve Arrington,Ronny Cochran,& Keith Nash);Slave had all the funky lead guitar rhythms,licks,& riffs that you could handle (by Danny Webster& Mark "Drac" Hicks); They were ahead of their time when it came to Technical Things like the Synthesizer-They created dimensions of Synth Sounds & Layers(from Carter Bradley,Ray Turner,Sam Carter,Marvin Wheatly,Kenny Hairston,Larry Houston,Charles Cedell Carter & even the Ohio Players' Billy Beck at one point);Slave's Seasoned & Exuberant Horn & Brass Section helped to round out the Sound (Steve Washington,Thomas Lockett,Floyd Miller,Kenny Anderson,Aubrey Rivers and others) And of Course,the most important aspect of Slave's Style- Those MONSTER BASS LINES by That Funky, Nimble-Fingered Bassist-Mr.Mark L. Adams The Hansolor Himself! Listening to Mark Adams on Bass is The Ultimate Funken Town Experience 'cuz He's as Dangerous As Dynamite on Bass! There's just no other when it comes to BASS. Each&Every Bass Line & Riff by Mark Adams is Masterful Musicianship-From SLAVE,HARDNESS OF THE WORLD to JUST A TOUCH OF LOVE,SHOWTIME to BAD ENUFF,UNCHAINED AT LAST to MASTERS OF THE FUNK!!!! The Hansolor was Unstoppable & Unbeatable as a Bassist 'cuz those Bass Lines were Stompin' & Slammin', Thumpin' & Throbbin',& Rockin'& Jammin'!- all at the same time. Slave was also the most innovative force in funk 'cuz their sound was all their own. They were the first to combine Gritty & Hardcore Funk with Smooth & Sophisticated undertones- Successfully. SLAVE is the Best Funk Band Of All Time- Hands Down."

The prelude to perfection

FunkyBeats | Los Angeles | 08/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This record is a fine, high quality funk effort from an extremely underated 80's funk outfuit out of Ohio. But it was merely a prelude to their following album and one of the greatest funk (and r&b) records of all-time: "Showtime". I feel rhino or atlantic records or someone should have re-released that one rather than this one although all their records with Steve Arrington and Jimmy Douglass are classics of the era and genre. Pick this one up in the meantime. BUT IF "SHOWTIME" IS EVER RE-RELEASED GET TWO COPIES. YOU WILL HEAR IT AND BE BLOWN AWAY BY THE SOPHISTICATION AND GRITTY FUNK OF SLAVE. How can a band be both polished and sophisticated and down and dirty? Just trust me o.k.??? LOL."

Among the Best of Smooth 80s Funk!

ohmysohopeless | Nowhere to Go | 01/03/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Early-1980s is one of my most favorite eras as far as popular music is concerned. That was the era electronic instruments really started to kick in, adding new sonic flavors to what had been done over and over before, performance somewhat losing human touch as players were slowly replaced by sequencers.



Slave, to me, was really the best among the best which did not sink into that much cliched black music of the '80s --- smooth, sexy, soothing, yet nothing substantial. In reality, Stone Jam captures how listeners in the early '80s preferred that form of music over hardcore funk, so substantial yet too *stinky* for those who have no interests in the root of soul music. Hence hardcore funkateers seem to despise the transition that Slave made, remembering Slave as only the band which produced "Slide."



But close listening reveals that Stone Jam has a collection of music that should not be tagged as a mere smooth funk. Rather, it is indeed smooth and mellow yet as tight and hard as ever! I find Stone Jam to be ideal fusion of radio-ready hard funk, appealing to anyone who likes hard stuff. The level of performance, the combination of Mark Adams (base), Mark Hicks (guitar), and Steve Arrington, is really something to listen to. They WERE jamming!



I really wonder why Slave does not get more credits they deserve. Having only two albums (other being Slave) being reissued is really a shame for such an immensely talented band."