Eddie Hazel

Eddie Hazel's Games, Dames and Guitar Thangs has long been a holy grail of sorts for real funkateers, as it was the only thing released under Hazel's name while he was still alive, and it's been out of print for years. Enter Rhino Handmade to remedy the situation, not only re-releasing Games, Dames and Guitar Thangs for the first time on compact disc, but nearly doubling the amount of music by including the Jams From the Heart EP. Truth be told, the album itself is a bit light. Barely over 30 minutes long, about half of the album consists of two covers (and a reprise), and the remainder of the tracks are little more than slightly fleshed-out jam sessions. But what the album lacks in songwriting and original material, Hazel more than makes up for with his guitar playing. The album starts with the most soulful version of "California Dreamin'" you've ever heard. Hazel totally makes the song his own by slowing it down and adding an even more pronounced sense of longing, then there's the wicked molten guitar leads that are worth the price of admission alone. "Frantic Moment" and "So Goes the Story" are little more than jams with some Brides of Funkenstein vocals added (and of course, great guitar), but the epic cover of the Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is just fantastic. "Physical Love" and "What About It?" are solid instrumentals that just let Hazel strut his stuff ("Physical Love" also gives some spotlight to Bernie Worrell) before the reprise of "California Dreamin'" closes the set. Again, what this album lacks in substance it makes up for in performance, and there just isn't enough material that really features Hazel's guitar playing upfront like this. The Jams From the Heart material is of a piece, but slightly less polished. These recordings sound like your basic studio jamming, and were never intended for release in this form. That being said, there is some absolutely fantastic playing on display, especially on "Lampoc Boogie," which approaches "Maggot Brain" as an Eddie Hazel tour de force. Hazel was an undeniable guitar genius, but his troubled lifestyle led to a dearth of material that really showed his strengths. Rhino Handmade has done music fans a tremendous service by making this lost classic available again, and putting some spotlight back on a pioneering and undersung guitar great. Funkateers rejoice. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide