The Salsoul Orchestra ”Nice ‘N’ Naasty”

The Salsoul Orchestra

”Nice ‘N’ Naasty”
( LP Salsoul Records, 1976 )
Catalog # SZS-5502

Tracklisting:
Left Cheek
A1 Good For The Soul (4:20)
Guitar [Solo] – Norman Harris
Written-By – Vincent Montana, Jr.
A2 Nice ‘N’ Naasty (4:35)
Written-By – Vincent Montana, Jr.
A3 It Don’t Have To Be Funky (To Be A Groove) (3:36)
Written-By – Ron Baker
A4 Nightcrawler (3:45)
Written-By – Vincent Montana, Jr.
A5 Don’t Beat Around The Bush (3:30)
Written-By – Vincent Montana, Jr.
Right Cheek
B1 Standing And Waiting On Love (3:31)
Written-By – Floyd Smith , Vincent Montana, Jr.
B2 Salsoul 3001 (6:16)
Written-By – Richard Strauss
Written-by [Adapted By] – Vincent Montana, Jr.
B3 We’ve Only Just Begun / Feelings (4:59)
Written-By – Paul Williams, Roger Nichols
B4 Ritzy Mambo (5:29)
Written-By – Vincent Montana, Jr.
B5 Jack And Jill (0:15)

Credits:
Bass – Dennis Locantore , Gordon Edwards, Michael “Sugarbear” Foreman, Ron Baker
Cello – Larry Gold , Romeo Di Stefano
Drums – Earl Young
Engineer – Arthur Stoppe, Dirk Devlin, Jeff Stuart, Jim Gallagher,
Kenny Present, Michael Hutchinson, Peter Humphreys
Executive Producer – Joe Cayre, Ken Cayre, Stan Cayre
Flute, Piccolo Flute – Jack Faith
French Horn – Joe “One And Only Lips” DeAngelis
Guitar – Bobby “Electronic” Eli, Norman “The Harris Machine” Harris, T. J. Tindall
Keyboards – Carlton “Cotton” Kent, Ron “Have Mercy” Kersey
Mastered By – Al Brown
Percussion – Crusher Bennet, Andy Gonzalez, Carlos Martin,
Jerry Gonzalez, Larry Washington, Manny Oquendo, Oswaldo “Chiwawa” Martinez, Peter “Choki” Quintero
Photography – Bob Gruen, Joel Brodsky
Producer, Arranged By, Conductor, Timpani, Percussion, Vibraphone, Other [Liner Notes] – Vincent Montana, Jr.
Saxophone [Alto] – John Bonnie
Saxophone [Baritone] – Buddy Savitt
Synthesizer – Bill O’Brian
Trombone – Edward Cascarella, Robert Moore, Roger DeLillo
Trumpet – Evan Solot, Joseph Cataldo, Louis Opalesky, Jr.
Viola – Anthony Sinagoga, Davis Barnett, Julia Ann Barker
Violin – Americus Mungiole, Charles Apollonia, Christine Reeves, Don Renaldo, Gov Hutchinson,
Lance Elbeck, Rudolph Malizia
Vocals – Barbara Ingram, Carl Helm, Carla Benson, Evette Benton, Phil Hurtt, Ronni Tyson

Notes:
Track A1 is called It’s Good For The Soul in the sleeve and Good For The Soul on the label.
Track B5 is only mentioned on the label.
Format:Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:US
Released:1976

Review:
On their second album, the Salsoul Orchestra enhance the appeal of their string-heavy soul sound by marrying it to a series of tight, hook-laden tunes. The overall feeling of Nice ‘N’ Naasty is very ‘up’ and the album prominently features a number of high-energy tracks tailored for the dance floor. In fact, the album contains of two of the Salsoul Orchestra’s best-ever uptempo tracks: “It Don’t Have To Be Funky” moves forward at a double-time speed thanks to a combination of frenetic drumming and an infectious rhythm guitar riff while “Don’t Beat Around The Bush” layers the rhythmic, sexy chant of the title over a huge-sounding, thickly-layered drum beat that sounds like it was lifted from a glam rock record. Another uptempo highlight is “Salsoul 3001,” a dance floor stormer that brings “Thus Sprach Zarathustra” into the disco age by marrying its dramatic melody to a frenetic groove anchored by some furious conga drumming. Nice ‘N’ Naasty also improves on the group’s debut album by downplaying the easy listening excesses that marred that album: even on soft tracks like “Nightcrawler,” the musicians add a rhythmic touch that keeps the album’s overall groove moving forward. In fact, the only time Nice ‘N’ Naasty slides toward easy listening is during the “We’ve Only Just Begun/Feelings” medley, but even that is saved by a clever arrangement that highlights some some lovely vibes work by Vincent Montana. Overall, Nice ‘N’ Naasty’s combination of solid tunes and tight performance make it the Salsoul Orchestra’s most consistently entertaining album and a good choice for disco fanatics.
By Donald A. Guarisco (AMG)

By Pier