Saturday, March 19, 2011

FORGET THE HITS


Stop. I know what you're thinking. Forget all about the Edgar Winter hits (all two of them). Hear me out on this one, because if you don't listen now, you might not ever hear it again. Edgar Winter released some top shelf funky-ass R&B in the band that preceded the hits, Edgar Winter's White Trash. I mean it. I know his career has been spotty, with some embarrassingly bad stuff that no one should be subjected to. (If you've ever heard the rap version of "Frankenstein," you know what I'm talking about.) But, if you haven't heard anything from either of the first two White Trash LPs, you're missing what he was best at.

The seven piece White Trash, all relative unknowns with the exception of Winter, did their own version of funky R & B, with distorted wah-wah, incredibly deep bass, and some perfectly placed horns. By no means purist, but funky as all get out. The band included one Jerry LaCroix, a fantastically gifted soul shouter from Winter's hometown Beaumont, Texas. It was undoubtedly the presence of LaCroix's Sam to Winter's Dave that prompted Winter to stretch his own pipes a little.

"Give it Everything You Got" has it all. The swapping of vocals, the aforementioned wah-wah, and the bass (so deep, it may be a fuzz bass), the horns, the screams, everything. I wish I could hear it again for the first time. Seriously, I think I would be awe struck.

The other two are from the second White Trash LP, the two record live album, Roadwork. "Cool Fool," is just as tight as the first one, with Winter singing lead, and "I Can't Turn You Loose," the Otis cover, has LaCroix singing lead. Give 'em a shot, they may change your perception of Edgar Winter, and make you forget "Frankenstein."

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Edgar Winter's White Trash - Give It Everything You Got mp3 at Giant Panther
Edgar Winter's White Trash - Cool Fool mp3 (via DivShare) at Your Sister's Record Rack
Edgar Winter's White Trash - I Can't Turn You Loose mp3 (via DivShare) at Your Sister's Record Rack

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