The Crusaders - Way Back Home (Boxset) (1996)

Artist: The Crusaders
Title Of Album: Way Back Home
Year Of Release: 1996
Label: Blue Thumb
Genre: Jazz Funk, Soul-Jazz
Format: FLAC (Tracks)+CUE, LOG
Quality: Lossless
Total Time: 04:38:16
Total Size: 1.61 GB

The music on this four-CD box set is mostly excellent, and this is not a bad sampler of the recordings of the (Jazz) Crusaders, but there are some problems. The 1961-70 group is covered much too quickly in the first disc, and the last two discs jump around chronologically throughout the '70s. The lack of recording dates is rather inexcusable, and the odd programming makes it difficult to trace the popular band's evolution. On the other hand, the extensive liner notes by Quincy Troupe are refreshingly honest, and many of the high points of the group's existence (including "The Young Rabbits," "Freedom Sound," "Eleanor Rigby," "Put It Where You Want It," their classic rendition of "So Far Away," and "Street Life") are included. Worth picking up by beginners, although veteran collectors will prefer to get the more complete original sets instead.

Tracks:

Disk 1
01 The Young Rabbits 03:36
02 Freedom Sound 08:25
03 Brother Barnard 04:24
04 Tough Talk 02:21
05 Scratch 08:04
06 Blues Up Tight 06:37
07 Eleanor Rigby 07:37
08 Inside the Outside 06:37
09 Jazz 04:26
10 Thank You 05:33
11 Golden Slumbers 04:07
12 Way Back Home 03:56

Disk 2
01 Put It Where You Want It 05:28
02 So Far Away 11:59
03 Sweet Revival 04:45
04 That's How I Feel 05:24
05 Three Children 05:13
06 Mosadi 07:10
07 A Shade Of Blue 05:21
08 Tough Talk 06:05
09 Don't Let It Get You Down 03:04
10 A Message From The Inner City 08:54
11 A Search For Soul 09:39

Disk 3
01 Scratch 06:08
02 Hard Times 07:26
03 Stomp And Buck Dance 05:50
04 Double Bubble 02:44
05 Crossfire 06:42
06 Lilies Of The Nile 09:28
07 When There's Love Around 05:26
08 A Ballad For Joe (Louis) 07:29
09 Whispering Pines 08:57
10 Chain Reaction 05:33
11 Creole 03:25

Disk 4
01 Free As The Wind 06:16
02 Sweet "N" Sour 08:53
03 I Felt The Love 05:08
04 Spiral 06:11
05 Night Crawler 05:11
06 Keep That Same Old Feeling 05:37
07 It Happens Every Day 05:39
08 Snowflake 04:54
09 Fairy Tales 04:41
10 Street Life 10:58
11 Way Back Home 06:57

Personnel:

Wilton Felder (vocals, saxophone, electric bass); Wayne Henderson (vocals, trombone); Joe Sample (vocals, piano, keyboards); Nesbit "Stix" Hooper (vocals, drums, percussion).

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