If you've ever been motorvatin' on the U.S. Interstates, here's a musical postcard to bring
60s soul into today's electric car Detroit offramp.
You can reel off the influences here of Stax, Motown and Cadet along with pre-glam rock funk, R&B V1.0, James Brown (of course) and a touch of Prince, you'll be getting this from ya Bruick to ya Memphis horns.
And if you didn't think Marcus Malone & The Motor City Hustlers could back-up the previous single, 'Can't Take The Fight' (see review HERE), well they are back in the ring ready to punch ya soul lights out; starting with the opener 'Ain't No Telling'.
In fact, all ten tracks are a funk 'n' soul battering (in a more than good way) as there's definitely the "protest" in here that was totally lost from "modern" music at one stage; "Fight the power" as they'd say.
But this isn't all retrospecitve 60s soul with Woodstock idealism, there's a sexy blue machine on the cover and it's leaving Detroit on the I75 (come on you TV exec producers, there's a soul-umentary here following the boys on tour down to Miami, Florida, Georgia and the rest) and don't forget there's a single version out there with an instrumental.
You don't have to be a fan of Downtown Soulville to love 'Good Lovin' (love the the big horns and "loud" electric guitar solo) or the ballad 'Hurt Walks Out Of The Door'; but if you are, you're going to be shocked that 'If You See My Baby' isn't a long lost 45 on ATCO/Sue or similar.
Whilst the revival of Northern Soul never ends, this is old soul/funk/rock and is now now; and we need more. And, talking of Northern Soul, Marcus was once a member of Mitch Rider's band 'Detroit Wheels'(!) so even stranger that he and Dan Smith (one time of The Noisettes) met in a Croydon club (that's Croydon, S. London not Croydon, Penn State).
This album has come out just in time for some holiday get away soundtrack and once you've heard Marcus Malone & The Motor City Hustlers, they ain't never going to leave you... well they might if that blue Bruick has half a tank of gas in it.
Artist: Marcus Malone & The Motor City Hustlers
Title: Interstate 75
Release date: 21st April, 2023
Label: Ramrock Red Records
Cat. No: RRRLP008
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