Aquarius Records: Search Results for Title: Inspiration Information
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album cover OTIS, SHUGGIE Inspiration Information (Luaka Bop) cd 15.98
David Byrne's Luaka Bop label decided to follow up the Os Mutantes "best of" collection which was volume one of their "World Psychedelic Classics" series with this disc of by long-forgotten seventies singer/songwriter Shuggie Otis. Thus those of us who had never really heard him before were curious -- this had better be good! And while Byrne's back-cover blurb likening this album to "D'Angelo meets DJ Shadow" seems like a stretch, "Inspiration Information" is certainly a great record, fantastic to have back in print (it was originally released in 1974, when Otis was but 22 years old!). Fellow back-cover-blurbist Sean "High Llamas" O'Hagan says "It's total eclecticism...This is an album that I play for people, and it always gets an extraordinary reaction." Doubtless, as the music of Shuggie (son of R&B star Johnny) Otis isn't dated at all, and makes for a trippy, soulful listen, suitable both for Sunday mornings and late Saturday nights... This lost masterpiece features sweet vocals (kinda like Curtis Mayfield), spartan funk, melancholic instrumentals, Pong-era "techno" beats, eclectic grooves, and psychedelic moves worthy of a more obscure, experimental version of Stevie Wonder or Sly Stone. I guess it must be Shuggie's pioneering use of primitive drum machines and his studio-as-instrument, one-man-band collage of sounds that inspired Byrne's DJ Shadow comparison. This songwriting approach works well on the classic "Strawberry Letter 23", psych-pop sequing into Terry Riley-ish minimalism (this song was a hit later in the '70s for The Brothers Johnson). By the way, that cut and two other tunes included here are not actually from "Inspiration Information" but are taken from Shuggie's 1971 debut LP "Freedom Flight". Byrne & Co. decided to add 'em to this reissue, making this disc even more of a necessity (although why that album doesn't also get a reissue, I don't know). We're just shocked that Otis (on the strength of this disc, truly a musical visionary, one who even turned down a guitar gig with the Rolling Stones at the time of this album's original release!) isn't better known -- it's a sad story that this album didn't do well and was indeed the swansong of his short career, as to this day he's never made another album.
MPEG Stream:
"Inspiration Information"
MPEG Stream: "XL-30 "
MPEG Stream: "Strawberry Letter 23"
MPEG Stream: "Sweet Thang"

album cover OTIS, SHUGGIE Inspiration Information (Epic) lp 15.98
Remember when this came out on cd, via David Byrne's Luaka Bop label? This album by long-forgotten seventies singer/songwriter Shuggie Otis quickly became a big hit! It's been a steady seller at AQ ever since. And now it's been reissued on vinyl, yay!!
Here's what we wrote about it back when the cd version was brand new to us: ...Those of us who had never really heard Otis before were curious. And while Byrne's back-cover blurb likening this album to "D'Angelo meets DJ Shadow" seems like a stretch, "Inspiration Information" is certainly a great record, fantastic to have back in print (it was originally released in 1974, when Otis was but 22 years old!). Fellow back-cover-blurbist Sean "High Llamas" O'Hagan says "It's total eclecticism...This is an album that I play for people, and it always gets an extraordinary reaction." Doubtless, as the music of Shuggie (son of R&B star Johnny) Otis isn't dated at all, and makes for a trippy, soulful listen, suitable both for Sunday mornings and late Saturday nights... This lost masterpiece features sweet vocals (kinda like Curtis Mayfield), spartan funk, melancholic instrumentals, Pong-era "techno" beats, eclectic grooves, and psychedelic moves worthy of a more obscure, experimental version of Stevie Wonder or Sly Stone. We guess it must be Shuggie's pioneering use of primitive drum machines and his studio-as-instrument, one-man-band collage of sounds that inspired Byrne's DJ Shadow comparison.
Unlike the cd edition, which included a three bonus tracks (crucially the classic "Strawberry Letter 23") taken from Shuggie's 1971 debut Freedom Flight, this is a straight reish of the Inspiration Information as it was originally presented, nine tracks in total. 180 gram vinyl, though!
MPEG Stream:
"Inspiration Information"
MPEG Stream: "XL-30"

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