Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Privilege
Company: T-Neck
Catalog: TNS 3003
Year: 1969
Country/State: New Jersey
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: opened, but still in shrink wrap; small cut out hole bottom left corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5121
Price: $60.00
Call me stupid. I wouldn't buy a bottle of wine based on a label, but I have bought albums based on a label ... witness Privilege.
Other than the fact guitarist Edward Leonetti and keyboard player Paul Venturini had been members of The Soul Survivors, I knew nothing about the band Privilege when I bought their 1969 self-titled release. As mentioned, what initially caught my attention was the fact the set was released on The Ilsey Brothers' T-Neck label, with Ronald, O'Kelly and Ruduolph Isley co-producing the set.
According to the liner notes the odd collaboration resulted from a Jimi Hendrix/Isley Brothers/Soul Survivors concert at Syracuse University. Several months after the concert the Soul Survivors called it quits. Leonetti and Venturini elected to continue their musical partnership and contacted T-Neck in the hopes of scoring a contract. Having recently set up their own T-Neck label the Isleys were in the market for acts and quickly offered the pair a deal. Leonetti and Venturini subsequently recruited drummer Tommy Brannick and bassist Jack Douglas for the line-up.
With Leonetti and Venturini responsible for all of the material, "Privilege" rocked way harder than anything in their earlier Soul Survivors catalog. In fact anyone looking for another slice of 'Expressway To Your Heart' styled blue-eyed soul will be severely disappointed. Neither Leonetti or Venturini handled vocals while in The Soul Survivors and it showed on tracks like 'Traitor' and the proto-punkish 'The Quiz', though that actually wasn't a major distraction given the set's raw hard-rock orientation. These guys were also smart enough to vary the sound with 'Circling' and the closer 'Sojourn' slowing the tempo down with a couple of power ballads. Leonetti acquitted himself particularly well, turning in some blazing guitar work throughout. Highlights included the fuzz-guitar propelled rocker 'People' and the Hendrix-influenced 'Purple Dog', though George Thorogood should've covered 'It's Yesterday'. Certainly not the year's most original album, but well worth hearing and one of the more pleasant surprises I've come across. T-Neck also tapped the album for a single in the form of ''Taking Care of You' b/w 'People' (T-Neck catalog number TN 918).
"Privilege" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Traitor (Edward Leonetti) - 4:38
2.) It's Yesterday (Edward Leonetti and Paul Venturini) - 4:57
3.) The Quiz (Edward Leonetti and Paul Venturini) - 2:50
4.) Circling (Edward Leonetti and Paul Venturini) - 4:30
5.) People (Edward Leonetti and Paul Venturini) - 3:50
(side
2)
1.) Going Down (Edward
Leonetti and Paul Venturini) - 2:40
2.) Purple Dog (Edward Leonetti and Paul Venturini) - 2:28
3.) Easter (Edward Leonetti and Paul Venturini) - 3:05
4.) Taking Care of You (Edward Leonetti) - 3:20
5.) Sojourn (Edward Leonetti) - 4:20