BEST OF VOL 2

The Bar-Kays: Larry Dodson (vocals); Harvey Henderson (tenor saxophone); Winston Stewart (keyboards); James Alexander (bass); Mark Bynum, Charles Allen, Lloyd Smith, Frank Thompson, Michael Beard, Sherman Guy. Compilation producer: Harry Weinger. Includes liner notes by Rob Bowman. This is part of Mercury Records' Funk Essentials series. Audio Remixer: Mark Berry . Liner Note Author: Rob Bowman. Arrangers: Allen Jones ; Bar-Kays. This greatest hits album documents the Bar-Kays' work from the late '70s to the mid '80s. Out of tragic beginnings (four of the band had died in the 1967 plane crash that killed Otis Redding), this extremely talented and hard-working outfit remolded themselves from a second-string Stax backing band into an R&B outfit with great crossover potential. However, they never achieved the commercial success of groups such as Sly And The Family Stone or James Brown, which makes their oeuvre that much more fascinating. VOLUME II presents the Bar-Kays' progression from funky '70s grooves to their more commercial, synthesizer-inflected '80s tunes. This album is a collection of energetic party songs, both exotic and erotic. Standout tracks include the funky (and prophetic) "Whitehouseorgy," featuring a cool guitar solo, and the self-explanatory "She Talks to Me With Her Body" featuring some groovy early '80s period-sounding electric drums. Like the later incarnations of the band, this album has style and sass; it's perfect for getting your blood, and booty, pumping.