BRASS CONSTRUCTION - Love. (+notes). video free download

The 1976 dancefloor breakthrough from Brass Construction was one of the musical highlights of the year. Almost effortlessly bridging the lines between R&B, disco and funk, Brass Construction's debut LP was a landmark in high quality dance music. From the blast of brass,"Movin' " is a stunning ride through infectius funky groove, with the perfect balance of futuristic synthesizers and raw rhythms.Keyboardist Randy's Muller's synthesizer solos compete with the wall of sound from the horn section, providing one of the last great hurrahs of horn driven dance music. But on their million-selling debut album,Brass Construction had more than one trick going for them.

Movin' is followed by "Peekin' ". The zesty eroticism of "Peekin'" speaks to their nasty funk roots, from the Jimmy Castor Bunch - New York - school of stank. The streamlined polyrhytmic masterpiece of "changin' " proved just what the disco influence was capable of providing to the funk. With fewer, more muted vocals, the rollingriffs give an aura of an endless groove, and this was one of those songs you never wanted to stop. With less horns and more strings and synthesizers, "Changin' " represented more of the future of the bras Construction sound, and of dance music is general.

Side B was equally inspired. "Love" stars with offbeat country music guitar line, but falls into a grinding groove that features social commentary from Muller. "Talkin' " is reminiscent of the Kool & The Gang sound of the early 1970's, with swinging grooves, social commentary and inspired musicianship, in this case a great flute solo by Randy Muller himself. "Dance" rounds of the set, a low-light party jam with great crowd noise and more emphasis on the horn section, giving listeners a chance to groove non-stop to this entire dancefloor masterpiece. The seamless sound was evidence that the group had been grooving for years before hitting it big. Brandleader and fouder Randy Muller began in Brooklyn playing with bassist Wade Williamson, drummer Larry Payton and sax player Jesse Ward back in junior high school ni 1967 in a group they called the Dynamic Souls. They added guitarist Joseph Athur Wong, trumpeters Wayne Paris and Morris Price, sax player Mickey Grudge and percussionist Sandy Billlups, and in 1969 they won a Manhattan battle of the bands, where they met up with producer Jeff Lane. Lane brought Randy Muller into the business, starting him off with fellow Brooklyn funkers the B.T. Express, where he developed the string arrangements on the now legendary track "Do it Til You're Satisfied." with that experience behind him, Muller was poised to make magic with his own group; andhe delivered. "Movin' "as a single was released early 1976, as New York night clubs were taking off as the disco centres of the world. The single soared to the top of the charts and established the band as a new standard of dance music producers. Brass Construction kept the heat on for a few more years, and had a few more moments of glory, but none match the heights they reached with this debut effort you hold in your hands.

Geoff Brown, MOJO magazine.