LP Review: Just We Two and War & Peace
JUST WE TWO
Released: 1969
LP Charts: nada
Just We Two is full of duets recorded with Sondra Williams, known professionally as “Blinky”. The opening take on Brenda Holloway’s “You've Made Me So Very Happy” sets the tone of this album. Generally performed competently at a level slightly above replacement; while indulging in tons of covers. Not that the latter situation is surprising. Starr was a second-tier star at best on Motown while Blinky was even lower on the hierarchy. I’m actually surprised Motown even green-lit an album of duets between the two.
I think I can see a glimmer of the appeal, though. Starr and Blinky have grittier voices than the typical Motown vocalist. They kind of split the difference between the more pop-oriented Detroit style and the funkier Stax brand of soul.
(The truth actually seems to be Motown had some Starr songs and some Blinky songs already recorded, but not enough for a full album from either alone, so they just had the two record some lines and inserted them into the others’ tunes.)
Example of the funkiness can be found on “I'm Glad You Belong To Me”. It has the more orchestrated Motown sound, but is grounded in some funky rhythm guitar licks. And speaking of Stax, they even throw in a cover of the Soul Children’s “I’ll Understand” written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. Yeah, Motown was definitely keeping an eye on what was happening down south.
Meanwhile, “Oh How Happy” (#92 pop) shows off the poppier side of things. An early example of what I’ve coined as “sugar funk” that would explode at the very end of 1969 when the Jackson 5 stormed the charts with “I Want You Back”.
It can’t all be sunshine and rainbows here, though. The standard “Let It Be Me” shows up in drab form. It’s a sad come down from their cover of “Ooo Baby Baby”, which doesn’t hold a torch to the original by the Miracles, but hearing it as a duet adds a new wrinkle to the mix. Plus this is like four years after the original version and soul music had added some velvety touches to its repertoire, which is greatly used here.
ALBUM GRADE: C-
While this album has good moments, it isn’t anything special or notable in the end.
Song Scores
You've Made Me So Very Happy: 6/10
I’m So Thankful: n/a
Oh How Happy: 7/10
Let It Be Me: 4/10
I'm Glad You Belong To Me: 7/10
I’ll Understand: 6/10
We'll Find A Way: 5/10
Sweet Joy of Life: n/a
Can't We Be Strangers Again: 4/10
I See A Rainbow: 6/10
Ooo Baby Baby: 7/10
WAR & PEACE
Released: 1970
LP Charts: #9 R&B, #52 pop
First thing’s first… get that cheesy ass synthesizer off of “All Around the World”! Goodness is that annoying. Otherwise that song is fine funk-rock.
Okay, as for the rest of War & Peace, it clearly leans heavily on the smash hit “War” (#3 R&B, #1 pop). Edwin Starr was lucky that Berry Gordy didn’t want to have the Temptations associated with a song this anti-war. The Tempts recorded the original version for their album Psychedelic Shack. The original version is strident, but measured, in its demand for an end to the Vietnam War. I like its relative reservedness more than the bombastic, over-the-top production on this update by Starr.
Was producer Norman Whitfield deliberately trying to destroy any and all speakers? He has Starr yelp and scream at the top of his lungs. There is no subtlety in this delivery or instrumentation. The only reason why I don’t hate it is precisely because of the subject matter. If ever there was a time for a singer to sing so hard his throat explodes, it’s in the attempt to denounce warfare.
However, the best song on the album is easily “Time” (#39 R&B). It’s a hectic, breakneck psychedelic funk song that cleverly toys with its theme. The issue of time (and politicians delaying doing the right thing) is the focus and the hyperactive bass, Starr’s impatient delivery, and the speeding saxophone solo all create this claustrophobic pressure that only finds release in dancing. This song definitely belongs on the list of proto-disco tunes.
With all that hard-hittin’ funk-rock, there are a few late ‘60s soul leftovers thrown in on the LP. Some don’t work (the insipid “At Last (I Found Love)”), but “Running Back and Forth” and “I Can’t Replace My Old Love” more than carry their weight.
ALBUM GRADE: C+
There’s too much standard-fare for this to not get a standard-fare grade… except this album has “Time”, so it gets a C+ instead of C.
Song Scores
War: 7.5/10
Running Back and Forth: 7.5/10
Adios Senorita: 7/10
All Around the World: 6.5/10
I Can’t Escape Your Memory: 5/10
At Last (I Found Love): 5/10
I Just Wanted To Cry: 6/10
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head: 5/10
Time: 8/10
California Soul: 5/10
I Can’t Replace My Old Love: 7/10
She Should Have Been Home: 6/10