Genre: rock
Rating: 4 stars ****
Title: For the People
Company: Catalyst
Catalog: CAS-1111
Year: 1971
Country/State: Washington, DC
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: --
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5232
Price: $120.00
This one occasionally shows up on psych lists commanding big dollars. It's also listed in one of Hans Pokora's Record Collector Dreams books. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the 'psych' label's certainly questionable. Namesake Matthews and his interracial band (lead guitarist Randalll Burney, drummer Tommy Byrd, Norman Harrison, and bassist/brother Carl Matthews) actually would be better described as a soul band with rock tendencies. That's not meant as a criticism since the album's actually quite good.
Produced by Beau Ray Fleming, 1971's "For the People" was one of those era pieces that sought to span musical genres and appeal to soul brothers and hippies everywhere. A mixture of Matthews originals and popular blues and rock covers (Beatles, Blind Faith, B,B, King), that also goes a long way to explaining why the album occasionally bordered on being schizophrenic. Matthews' roots were clearly in blues and soul (he turned in a nice Otis Redding impersonation on 'Oh Lord (You Got To Help Me)'), though fuzz guitar propelled tracks like their wild cover of 'The Beatles 'Hard Day's Night' and 'Can't See Myself Doing You Wrong' made it equally obvious Matthews had bought lock, stock, and barrel into Hendrix's vision of rock and roll. As mentioned, namesake Matthews had an attractive soul voice and his backing band was quite good, if occasionally squeezed by Bert Decauteaux's string arrangements ('The Thrill Is Gone'). Lead guitarist Burney certainly loved his fuzz pedal (check out his performance on 'That's What I Feel (Like a Burning Fire)' which sure sounded like a Robert Cray tune to my ears) while Tommy Byrd and Carl Matthews aptly anchored the whole show. So what baseline comparisons come to mind? Perhaps early George Clinton and Parliament, or Norman Whitfield-era Temptations had he given guitarist Dennis Coffey a mandate to play whenever he felt like it (;Runaway People')... Yeah, this is simply one where I'm left to struggle for a better description, but it's also an LP that I truly enjoy for it's willingness to stretch demographic boundaries. As you'd expect, the album was commercially stillborn with soul fans put off by the rock moves, while rock fans were put off by the soul influences. Shame ...
"For
the People" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) The Thrill Is Gone (Benson - Petite) - 6:14
2.) Can't See Myself Doing You Wrong (Milt Matthews) - 3:16
3.) Hard Day's Night (John Lennon - Paul McCartney) - 4:57
4.) Oh Lord (You Got To Help Me) (Milt Matthews) - 3:47
(side
2)
1.) Runaway People (Arlester Christian) - 3:57
2.) That's What I Feel (Like a Burning Fire) (Milt Matthews) - 4:50
3.) Disaster Area (Milt Matthews) - 4:10
4.) Presence of the Lord (Eric Clapton) - 5:15
Matthews went on to record several other efforts, including one more Milt Matthew Inc. LP and some solo material. I've never stumbled across any of it, but I gather it was more soul oriented. Love to know more about these guys ...
1970's "Milt Matthew Inc" Commonwealth United catalog number CU 6005
