Leroy Burgess

There's really no point in paying any mind to Soul Brother's admirable attempt at separating Leroy Burgess' work as a producer from his work as a vocalist. As one can determine from a glance at the credits, Burgess often produced and sang on the same song -- not to mention that he often wrote, arranged, and played keyboards. Regardless, this second volume proves that the first hardly cleared out the top drawer; perhaps the biggest testament of all to Burgess' status as a disco/boogie legend is the fact that neither disc contains Universal Robot Band's "Barely Breaking Even," a favorite of many Burgess freaks and unaware club-goers alike. This second volume does show the man in more of a behind-the-scenes light, as he often isn't the lead vocalist. Still, it's nearly impossible to play favorites; just about every selection is full of the ingredients that Burgess' associations became known for. Black Ivory's "Mainline," written by Burgess for another project but eventually given to the group he departed from, temporarily brought him back into the group for one of the most heavenly disco singles recorded. Though accounts seem to differ on whether it was Burgess or Bob Blank who produced Fonda Rae's "Over Like a Fat Rat," it's a simple but incredibly infectious tune aided by crisp production and Burgess' background vocals. Class Action's version of "Weekend," a song written by Burgess and Black Ivory bassist James Calloway (and one of the first Sleeping Bag releases), arguably tops Phreek's original with squelch-squirt synths, delirious keyboard stabs, and some wonderful high-hat/handclap combinations. High Frequency's "Summertime" is one of several buried gems unearthed here, recorded by Burgess with the Aleems. It's as great as any other summer-themed song, replete with a string vamp that Burgess admittedly copped from John Williams' Jaws score. Yet another essential compilation. One listen to anything here is likely to make your day. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide