Published on Sep 10, 2001
Often, greatest hits albums are used as lures to get people
interested in catalog albums from an artist. Seeing that I own
several such albums, I guess I have no problem with this – besides,
this normally is the best way to get the absolute cream of the crop
from a group or an artist.
In the case of Seattle’s Phat Sidy Smokehouse, their disc
Slingin’ Hubs, a compilation of three independently-released
discs, is not labeled as a greatest hits. In a sense, that’s good,
since most people would probably rail against such a disc from a
group which had never made it to the majors. Ah, but this is also
where the band, led by vocalist E-Dog, also does the smart thing.
Slingin’ Hubs serves as the kind of disc that makes the
listener want to discover more from this band – and should be the
disc that makes a major label want to snag this highly talented
group up in a heartbeat.
The group, which is augmented by a horn section, is a wonderful
mixture of “old-school” r&b and hip-hop, with a little funk
thrown in for good measure. But don’t label this group rap just
because this reviewer chooses to hang the “hip-hop” tag; in fact,
there is no rap on this disc at all. What I mean by “hip-hop” is
there is a lively bounciness to much of the music, creating an
absolute groove that is reminiscent of many hip-hop groups I’ve
heard over the years. (Obviously a group like Digital Underground
agrees; Phat Sidy Smokehouse has opened for them in the past.)
But I can understand a little bit of hesitancy on the part of
consumers and record label execs. We’ve been down this path before,
they all say. 24-7 Spyz. Fishbone. Psychefunkapus. Limbomaniacs.
All groups who, for one reason or another, never achieved the kind
of success that was once dreamed about.
Baloney. Just slap
Slingin’ Hubs into the CD player, and hear for yourself why
Phat Sidy Smokehouse demands to be taken on their own merits. Lord
knows they have plenty of them. Tracks like “Ghetto Life,” “Phreaky
Deaky” and “Original Mac” have a joyful bounce to their rhythmic
backbone, enough to get you up and dancing to the wonderful groove.
E-Dog lays down solid vocals throughout, sounding a little bit like
a soulful Montell Jordan at times.
And just like that, Phat Sidy Smokehouse can lay down a beat
which slows things to a gentle boil, and causes the listener to get
sucked into this new-fashioned soul. Tracks like “Don’t Do It” and
“Changes” all simmer with power and musicianship, and are further
testimony to the mastery this group has over its genre.
How down-to-earth is
Slingin’ Hubs? “E-Dog Epilogue” is a brief thanks to the
listener delivered by E-Dog, almost as if he was sitting across the
table from you and you had spent the whole disc talking about what
the band was up to. It actually is an appropriate finish – though I
would have left off the final moments where it sounds like E-Dog
fired up a spliff to relax.
Slingin’ Hubs is a disc which should renew people’s interest
in soul, funk, r&b and hip-hop, and could well be an early
indication of a future superstar group. Phat Sidy Smokehouse has
been working on a double-album, and are hoping to find a record
label willing to give them a chance (as well as assistance to get
it finished). Here’s hoping someone in the industry takes a chance
and gives this group the break they deserve – in fact, I challenge
any major label to give them a chance. You can thank me later.