Honey Cone - Love, Peace & Soul (2021)

Do yourself a favor if you come across this album: play side one once, then take a pin and drag it across the grooves; this way you'll never make the mistake of playing it again. Three beautiful R&B classics -- "Ooh Baby Baby," "Stay in My Corner," and Smokey Robinson's endearing "Who's Loving You" -- are disrespected big time. The arrangements are poor and the vocals are uninspired, but don't blame L.A. natives Edna Wright, Shellie Clark, and Carolyn Willis (the Honey Cone) -- these charts would have dampened James Brown's fire. "Sittin' on a Time Bomb (Waitin' for the Hurt to Come)" climbed the charts and made a respectable showing; it's the Honey Cone's style, it's what they're about. The piano-driven "Ace in the Hole" is the LP's other gem; this should have rocketed up the charts, but it did little, probably because Hot Wax was in the process of dissolving and the promotion was little or nil. ~ Andrew Hamilton