Simple Soul Power

While poking around for music to get me through a hellish week last week, and get me past my writer’s block this weekend, I happened on Amazon’s uploads for the two albums the Buddy Miles Express cut in the late 60s. I’d almost forgotten how fantastic these albums are. Miles plays pure, ungimmicked, let-‘em-ring, full resonance drums. A lesson for anyone used to today’s treated, pedaled, taped and roped percussion sections. Plus you get high-powered horns that drive the music better than the horns on Quadrophenia. And, almost as lagniappe, you get Jim McCarty (of Cactus) on guitar, providing outstanding lead, backing, and even acoustic on some cuts. I’m glad Jimi Hendrix had the good sense to record with Miles. Set him up perfectly for working with Miles Davis, which would have been his next project, had he survived. 

Anyway. Buddy Miles Express’ two albums—Expressway to Your Skull and Them Changes—come Highly Recommended. No Home Should Be Without. And it’s so easy to upload ‘em from Amazon, there’s no excuse for any home to lack them!