Saturday, August 04, 2007

Eli's Fabulous Flip!


Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves - It's Easier



I've discussed Eli Reed & The True Loves in prior posts (this being the main feature I did on them), and I continue to encourage you to visit his website (a link is in the original post) and to support this fine group as they continue to build their sound and their reputation. All reports from the Rabbit Factory showcases in Chicago and New York have been highly complimentary of the group, and now they have a new 45, "The Satisfier" b/w "It's Easier," which I have championed in various posts since it's arrival was announced. This past week I purchased a copy of the 45 from Q Division Records (which released the single on its Q-dee imprint), and I encourage you all to do the same. For $5, I got the record, pressed on nice heavy vinyl, along with a CD single and, for nostalgia's sake I suppose, a 45 spindle adapter. I sat down to play the record, mainly to see how the funky dancer "The Satisfier" would sound alongside some of my other 45s, but when I flipped it over and listened to "It's Easier," and then proceeded to listen to it about four or five more times in a row, I realized that in mentioning the single in passing elsewhere on the blog, I had seriously overlooked the better side.

For some reason, "It's Easier" reminds me of some of the Birmingham soul along the lines of the material that John Ciba has put out with the Birmingham Sound comp and the Ralph "Soul" Jackson reissue 45. Reed wrote "It's Easier" and does a great job with the tune's fine lyrics and melody. The band is also really on point, and, as I mentioned in my discussion of "Take My Love With You" in my earlier post, the improvement both of their skills and the technical quality of the recording really makes this a top-notch record that will burrow itself into your soul. I eagerly await an album release from the group on Q-Dee. Keep up the good work!

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