| | Ohio Players Pleasure CD Ohio Players Discography of CDs
 (1 Customer Review)
When the Ohio Players recorded their second Westbound album, Pleasure, in 1972, they weren't as big as they would be from 1974-1976. But their popularity was growing -- slowly but surely -- and those who were hip to the band recognized it as one of the most cutting-edge acts in the funk field. A lot of bands were providing funk in 1972, but not many of them used jazz progressions as creatively as the Players use them on "Laid It," "Walked Away From You," and Pleasure's title song. Those tracks are gems, and the Players are equally captivating on the sweet soul ballad "Varee Is Love." But the best known tune on the album is the goofy "Funky Worm," which employed the Players' amusing Granny character and was, in 1972, their biggest hit to date. Long after the band's popularity faded, "Funky Worm" would live on in the 1980s and 1990s thanks to the various hip-hoppers who sampled its irresistible bassline. Like Pain in 1971, Pleasure had a kinky cover that generated some controversy -- the same bald woman who brandished a bullwhip and wore dominatrix attire on the front cover of Pain was chained up on the cover of Pleasure. Some folks found the Players' kinky LP covers intriguing, while others were shocked and offended. And the Players, having struggled in the 1960s, were happy to be noticed. But ultimately, it is the quality of the music -- not the bondage-minded cover -- that makes Pleasure a funk classic. ~ Alex Henderson
(AVAILABLE NOW) This reissue includes for the first time on CD the tracks from the vaults that were on the two albums that were released by Westbound after the group had signed to Mercury. The tracks here were the ones that had been completed before the
Includes bonus tracks. Ohio Players Pleasure Songs | 1. | Pleasure |
| 2. | Laid It |
| 3. | Pride and Vanity |
| 4. | Walt's First Trip |
| 5. | Varee Is Love |
| 6. | Walked Away From You |
| 7. | Paint Me |
| 8. | Funky Worm  |
| 9. | Our Love Has Died |
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Purchase Pleasure CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Joe Simon Get Down CD (1975)
Pleasure
 $12.59 
| | Gino Vannelli Storm At Sunup CD (1978)
Pleasure
$6.35  
Though Gino Vannelli's third record didn't contain a big hit single like its predecessor, STORM AT SUNUP was a significant ...
| | Gino Vannelli Pauper In Paradise CD (1978)
Pleasure
$6.59 
Though Gino Vannelli's third record didn't contain a big hit single like its predecessor, STORM AT SUNUP was a significant step forward artistically. Combining the Stevie Wonder-esque synth textures of POWERFUL PEOPLE with a complex jazz-rock fusion sound and vocal gymnastics occasionally reminiscent of Tim Buckley, the album finds Vannelli at his most musically ambitious. "Mama Coco" sounds like Weather Report jamming with Jamiroquai singer Jason Kay, while "Love is a Night" makes ELP-style keyboard rock sound like ...
| | Ohio Players Pain CD (1971) Bonus Tracks
Pleasure
$12.89
Creatively, commercially, and conceptually, Pain was a major step forward for the Ohio Players. This 1971 album was quite a departure from their previous work -- in the late-'60s, the Midwesterners' forte had been raw, hard-edged Southern-style soul along the lines of Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, and Wilson Picket. But with Pain, they became a lot more experimental and unveiled an interesting, distinctive brand of funk that incorporated elements of jazz and blues as well as rock. The jazz influence is especially strong on "Never Had a Dream," "Singing in the Morning," and the hit title song, while "The Reds" is a progressive blues number that draws on jazz as well as psychedelic rock. It was with Pain, the Players' first album for Westbound, that they unveiled their goofy Granny character, which the funksters continued to have fun with on their subsequent Westbound releases but discontinued when they moved to Mercury with 1974's Skin Tight. And it was with Pain that they became famous (some would say infamous) for their erotic LP covers. Employing S&M/bondage imagery, Pain's front cover was considered shocking in 1971. Although the Velvet Underground had written songs about S&M, and the British spy thriller The Avengers frequently hinted at kinky sex -- Diana Rigg's Emma Peel character often dressed like a dominatrix -- S&M and fetishism were very taboo subjects for Middle America in 1971. And not surprisingly, some retailers refused to carry Pain. But the album, although not huge, was ...
| | Ohio Players Ecstasy CD (1973) Bonus Tracks
Pleasure
$12.89
Throughout the 1970s, the Ohio Players were famous (or infamous) for their erotic album covers. But there are major differences between the covers of Mercury albums like Skin Tight, Fire, Honey, and Contradiction and the covers of such Westbound releases as Pleasure and Pain. At Mercury, the Players' album covers favored softcore erotica à la Playboy or Penthouse, whereas the covers of their Westbound LPs were more bizarre and offered kinky bondage/S&M imagery. Those covers came under attack from different parts of the political spectrum; some of the more radical feminists accused the Players of objectifying women, while Republicans and Christian fundamentalists accused them of promoting moral decline. And the Players were laughing all the way to the bank -- at least from 1974 on. When their third Westbound album, Ecstasy, came out in 1973, they were still a year away from signing with Mercury and becoming really huge. But they did have a small cult following, which found that Ecstasy fell short of the excellence of Pain and Pleasure. Nonetheless, the material is respectable and generally decent. Serious Players fans will find sweaty funk items like "Spinning," "Black Cat," and the title song to be enjoyable even though they aren't among the band's essential recordings. While Ecstasy isn't recommended to casual listeners, it isn't a bad album to have in your collection if you fancy yourself ...
| | Stephen Stills Right By You CDs (Import) Import
Pleasure
For Sale Pre-Order Now! Release Date Not Determined
$12.65
| | Big Joe Turner Tell Me Pretty Baby CD (1992)
Pleasure
$13.59
The late-1940s sessions presented on TELL ME PRETTY BABY feature blues belter Big Joe Turner cutting loose in an unabashedly caddish style, with most of the 24 tracks here focused on love or, more often, lust. Many of these tunes (particularly "So Many Women Blues" and both parts of "Around the Clock Blues") find Turner evoking Tex Avery's desire-crazed cartoon wolf, and this sort of bawdy playfulness only increases the album's charm. What makes the record so enjoyable musically is the simpatico interplay between Turner's powerfully deep voice and the lively piano lines of his longtime partner, Pete Johnson. Although the duo was capable of excellent blues-tinged jazz (see '56's THE BOSS OF THE BLUES), Turner and Johnson seem to be having more fun in this raucous boogie-woogie setting, as best revealed on the rollicking "Wine-O-Baby Blues," the swinging "Boogie Woogie Baby," and both parts of the wild "Rocket Boogie 88."
Recording information: 11/1947-??/1949.
Editor: ...
| | Georges Brassens Chante Les Chansons De Sa Jeunesse + Inedits Espagnols CD (1998) (Import) France
Pleasure
$10.25
Track Listing of songs: Avoir un Bon Copain; On N'a Pas Besoin de la L; Le Bateau de Peche; La Petit Chemin; Pour Me Rendre a Mon Bure; Paris dans Chaque Faubo, A; Jai Connu de Vous; Le Refrain des ...
| | Kingpin Skinny Pimp Greatest Hits And Remixes CD (2001)
Pleasure
$14.49
Parental Advisory
| | Basswerk Sessions #02 CDs (2005)
Pleasure
$13.89
| | XXL Raps, Vol. 1 CD (2005)
Pleasure
$15.99
XXL, the magazine that's "Hip-Hop on a Higher Level," presents XXL Raps, Vol. 1, a mainstream compilation that's so of its time it really should have a "2005" on the cover. The wealth of tracks from 50 Cent's G-Unit crew and an even bigger selection of Southern street music represents the successful thug singles of the year, but the lone Common track suggests a broader scope, and if that's the case, why is Kanye West missing? He gets a shout out in the liner notes and maybe he'll be on "Vol. 2," which will hopefully give the producers some credit since volume one shamefully doesn't. Regardless, the collection is filled with big tunes and flows extremely well, making it a worthy overview of the high-profile and hardcore side of 2005. ~ David Jeffries
XXL, the magazine that's "Hip-Hop on a Higher Level," presents XXL Raps, Vol. 1, a mainstream compilation that's so of its time it really should have a "2005" on the cover. The wealth of tracks from 50 Cent's G-Unit crew and an even bigger selection of Southern street music represents the successful thug singles of the year, but the lone Common track suggests a broader scope, and if that's the case, why is Kanye West missing? He gets a shout out in the liner notes and maybe he'll be on "Vol. 2," which will hopefully give the producers some credit since volume one shamefully doesn't. Regardless, the collection is filled ...
| | Mary J Blige Reflections (A Retrospective) CD (2006)
Pleasure
$10.49
Mary J. Blige began her reign as the queen of hip-hop soul in 1992 with her debut, WHAT'S THE 411?, and continued it over the course of seven studio albums, along the way throwing in remixes, live recordings, and virtually non-stop appearances as a guest artist on the albums of contemporaries. THE BREAKTHOUGH (2005) was one of Blige's most accomplished and acclaimed albums, and she continued to maintain her high profile on awards shows, in videos, and on the charts. The time was ripe for a greatest-hits package, and 2006's REFLECTIONS: THE JOURNEY fits that bill.
Blige placed 16 Top Ten singles on the R&B charts, and the best-known of those--"Be Without You," "Real Love," "Be Happy"--are present on REFLECTIONS. Rather than packing all the singer's hits onto one disc, however, REFLECTIONS also includes new material (in an effort, one can assume, to appeal to long-time fans who already own her studio output). In this way the set may come as a disappointment to those awaiting a pure blast of the best from this diva, but REFLECTIONS balances the old and new beautifully. As always Blige's top-tier productions; emotive, confessional lyrics; and stirring, agile vocals astonish, making REFLECTIONS a must for the devoted and the uninitiated.
Personnel: Mary J. Blige (background vocals); Chucky Thompson, Bryan-Michael Cox, E. Hudson, Jimmy Jam, Babyface, Terry Lewis (various instruments); Raymond Hinton, Paul Pescoe, Mike Scott , Ron Fair, Sharief Hobley (guitar); Gloria Agostini (harp); Regina Carter, Diane Monroe, Lesa Terry (violin); Eileen Fiolsom (cello); 'Prince' Charles Alexander (flute); Vincent Henry (alto saxophone); Mark Ledford, Bruce Purse (trumpet); Daniel Hall, Keyon ...
| | Amedicio Jr Flash Back Instrumental CD (2006) (Import)
Pleasure
$14.45
| | N Castiglioni Niccolò Castiglioni: Cangianti CD (2008) (Import)
$17.99 |
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