Genre: Soul
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Cream City
Company: Arista
Catalog: AL 4127
Year: 1977
Country/State: L.A., California
Grade (cover/record): NM/NM
Comments: was sealed; opened to tape; original inner sleeve; small cut out notch along right edge
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4299
Price: $15.00
Cost: $66.00
Geez, showing my age here, but I actually remember seeing this outfit on an episode of Soul Train (which I seldom got to watch). I think Herb Alpert was the headliner (!), but these guys got to play two selections from their then-new LP. I seem to remember them playing 'Cream City' and 'Summer Love'.
Singer/guitarist Aalon Butler got his first break backing Eric Burdon during his mid 1970s collaboration with the band War. The resulting publicity eventually found Butler signed to Arista.
Produced by War's Jerry Goldstein, 1977's "Cream City" should have catapulted Butler to superstar status. Propelled by Butler's smooth voice, the album featured an effortless mix of soul (''Cream City'), funk and rock influences (''Midnight Man'). At least to our ears, the album recalls the best of diverse acts such as The Isley Brothers ('Summer Love'), Rick James and even early Prince. That said, the results are still unique and quite mesmerizing. Personal favorites, the rocking 'Steven Baine’s Electric Train' and the pretty ballad 'Lonely Princess'. Unfortunately, Butler's willingness to cross musical genres seems to have cost him an audience, with black radio considering him too rock, while rock radio stations found him too black. Naturally the album vanished without a trace and even though Butler continued to work around Los Angeles, he apparently never got a chance to record a follow-up. Shame ...
"Cream City" track listing:
(side
1)
1.) Cream
City (Aalon - Jerry Goldstein) - 3:20
2.) Rock And Roll Gangster (Aalon) - 5:25
3.) Midnight Man (Aalon) - 4:41
4.) Summer Love (Aalon) - 5:00
5.) Steven Baine’s Electric Train (Aalon - Jerry Goldstein) -
3:50
(side 2)
1.) Lonely
Princess (Aalon) - 5:48
2.) Magic Night (Aalon - Jerry Goldstein) - 7:20
3.) Jungle Desire (Aalon - Juan Luis Cabaza) - 7:32