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On May 14, 1974, Tower of Power went to radio station WLIR in Hempstead, Long Island and played a live-in-the-studio show that set the station ablaze as well as the radios of any listeners that were lucky enough to hear it. Flash forward nearly 40 years. On a whim, a tape collector sends us the show, saying that of his 10,000-plus recordings of live concerts, this set was his favorite. Well, people send us stuff all the time; but within about five minutes of listening to this show, we know we HAVE to find a way to expose the record-buying public to this performance. So, fingers crossed, we send it to the band, and much to our delight, they agree with us. In the words of Emilio Castillo, founding member and leader of Tower of Power: "We were clearly at the top of our game firing on all 10 cylinders." Indeed, Hipper Than Hip captures the band at their commercial peak, fresh from releasing their fourth album, Back to Oakland, and featuring such key early tracks as "You're Still a Young Man," "Down to the Nightclub," "So Very Hard to Go," "Time Will Tell" and, of course, "What Is Hip?" with Lenny Williams on vocals. What makes the recording particularly overpowering aside from the band's performance, which is so on the money that calling it "tight" doesn't really do it justice is that it was a live-in-the-studio session, so the fidelity is the equal of a studio recording, yet it has all the passion and immediacy of a live concert. Our Real Gone Music release includes photos and liner notes by noted R&B producer, scholar, and long-time friend of the band Leo Sacks. Hipper Than Hip (Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow Live on the Air & in the Studio 1974 marks a major addition to the band's discography.
M**T
This is the STUFF!
Reading the reviews of the CD, I certainly had my hopes up for this recording. I am also a longtime fan and although each lineup this band has presented over the past 40 years has been nothing but first-rate, the band presented here.....the 70's line-up....are still the undisputed heavyweight champions, not only within the history of TOP, but of any horn-driven band anywhere. The definitive "live" TOP album "Live and in Living Color" was the moment TOP planted their flag and dared anyone else to touch anything they laid down in those shows. My only criticism of that mighty recording was that is was way too brief for what they had under their belts. This CD more than makes up for that. The recording and mixing are impeccable, and the band executes each number like they mean business!! And we have "live" Lenny Williams on vocals to complete this snapshot of TOP in its prime. This recording now is an excellent supplement to "Live and In Living Color", to more fully flesh out how hungry, tight, and funky TOP was back in the day. I read a drum ad once in which David Garibaldi stated that the goal of each TOP show was to sound as tight live as they did in the studio. "Mission Accomplished"!!
F**S
Blast from the past!!!
Being a Tower of Power fan for the last 90 years and seeing them in every type of venue and band line up, this bought back a wave of memories when I first saw them at the Bottom Line In NYC.Probably recorded at the same time I saw them, I got chills while listening. This band was hot, smooth, funky, and shot me with an overdose of soul vaccination.I can still see Lenny Picket doing the off beat air punches in Knock Yourself Out and his massive solo during the same song. Lenny W singing to the audience that made the women squirm in the seats during "So very hard to go" and the horns doing the horn hits in the middle of the left to right dance during the same songAnd Chester T doing his thing on the organ that was so funky and powerful it was sensory overloadRocco, never saw anyone play bass like that. So out, it was in .Garibaldi wow. Effortless playing. What a rhythm section!1974 made me a fan forever.Buy this without hesitation.
S**T
TOP is truly Hipper than Hip
I have been a Tower of Power fan from the first time I saw them back in the summer of 1972. I have all of their CDs (I still have them on vinyl-just can't part with them) I have a DVD of a live performance so I wasn't sure I wanted to get Hipper that Hip since I have all their songs that are on it. I am so glad that I went with my initial feeling to buy it, this CD took me back to when I first saw them and the many times I have seen seen them in concert. It is the uncomparable pure sound of TOP...it is a must have if you are a fan. Thank you Tower of Power for all of the years of great soul music you have blessed us with.
P**S
Tower of Power - Hipper Than Hip: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrrow
so one of your favorite bands reconfigured years ago. and worse, you didn't get to see them live in that unit you loved best. Man, this CD is the next best thing to time travel! some lucky souls in a New Jersey radio station had the Tower of Power in there with an audience and they cooked! Mic Gillette, Lenny PIckett and Lenny Williams are in this time capsule at their funky best! Emilio and Steve have carried the banner on since then but, geez, Man. what a band. i got a buddy whose no fan of 'live' music but i wanna try and totally dissuade him now. i may have to buy another copy as this one may well be played a lot!
S**.
Tower Of Power, Hipoer Than Hip, New all over again....
I have been a Tower Of Power fan since day one. This performance is magic. It is a room full of incredible musicians performing several soon to be legendary songs flawlessly. You can hear everything from the lead singers, to the percussionist with balance and clarity. Bear in mind that this was recorded on analog tape, decades before Lap tops, Pro Tools and auto tune were conceived. In short, if you are a TOP fan, a lover of jazz/funk/soul music, a musician or asping recording engineer, you should you should get this collection and enjoy, study and learn this music song for song.
L**E
I've waited 35 years for this
This album is a must-have for every life long Tower of Power fan. I love it!!! Hipper than Hip, more than makes up for mydissapointment with the 40th anniversary package. Which featured too much of Ellis Hall and not enough of Lenny Williams. I can now forgive Mr. Williams for not showing up on the Live & in Living Color album, back in the day. With all due respect to L.B (thanks for 13 great yrs) and the rest of the T.O.P vocalists, Lenny Williams is THE MAN. His voice seems to have been made just to sing in front of those horns. He and the rest of the band, sound great on this cd, " Out of the past, he came a walkin....
K**N
TOP is uptight and out of sight!
The promise that everyone saw in TOP in the seventies is very present in this recording. What's really amazing is how much their set list presently is included in this treasure from yesteryear. This recording features many of the original band members and definetly caught them at their peak during this concert for radio. This has been for me an unexpected gift for the upcoming holiday season. I love TOP and have seen them about 15 times and they never disappoint. It's a shame that they did not become bigger with the general public. I guess there was so much good music going on it was tough to get airplay. Anyway take a listen to this treasure and I think you will love it!
J**B
Really loved TOP back since they played at lunch in the ...
Really loved TOP back since they played at lunch in the quad at Santa Clara High School way back when in school there, a number of decades ago! Have a number of their early cds, too funky!! Not sure of this set. But then, what IS hip? Tell me tell me if you think you know.....
T**E
Great Compilation
Just saw the band in Australia so needed to refresh my back catalogue.A perfect solution
A**E
DAS Livealbum!
'Hipper Than Hip' bietet das, was man bei 'Live & In Living Color' vermisst:- das komplette Live-Set,- Brent Byars an den Congas und- LENNY WILLIAMS!
P**N
Hipper is the word
When You're still a young man and Down to the nightclub, started to have airplay in some Montreal radio station. Me and my musicians friends, were very interested to know more about this new band...( remember internet was not there in the 1970's). So as long as I was playing with a brass section, it really interested us. So I started to buy the records I could find fromTOP. And my appreciation for the talent of these musicians, the rich sound they had, and the hipper groove you could hear on records amazed me....I never saw them live ( except the horn section, in the 80's with Huey Lewis and the news....And I didn't expect it, it was magical.) I also met Mr, David Garibaldi who was giving a drum clinic in Montreal for Sabian cymbals and Yamaha drums. An amazing player with a real down to earth attitude, and humble too.This CD was a great discovery....The sound is like a real surprise. You got to think that, when it's been recorded, technology was not at it's best....But NO it sound great....And the band performance was to the roof....The band was at his best, the solos, the groove, the tightness they are known for....Everything is there....One of my favorite CD from TOP ....For all the Tower of Power fans, and those who are interested to know what they are all about...It is right there.....It is hipper than HIP......You won't find any better.....
G**N
Let me allay any doubts
If you like the group you will know that their performances are always great. You may be put off by the fact that a fan had the tapes from a radio station all those years ago and think that it will have awful sound quality.Rest assured that sound is great with everyone heard clearly and in good stereo mix, not the old left /right divide or the newer stereo which seems to be errr... Mono. Buy now for 80plus minutes of fun!
K**W
唯一無二のアンサンブル
約40年前の音源だけど、演奏されているのはほとんどが最近のライブでも定番の代表曲ばかりです。音質も演奏のクオリティも非常に高く、入門編としても最適だと思います。白眉は何と言っても "Just When We Start Makin' It" （このライブと同時期のアルバム "Back to Oakland" 収録曲）でしょう。ゆったりとした3拍子のバラードが、後半のオルガンソロで3連のウラを強調したジャズ（4ビート）っぽいリズムに変化し、最後は徐々に重ねられていったブラス隊が盛り上げる中、「これぞガリバルディ」と言いたくなる細かくハネまくるリズムで大団円を迎えます。スタジオ版は盛り上がってきたところでフェイドアウトしちゃうのがちょっと残念なのですが、本作では最後まで最高のグルーヴを楽しめます。ホントにかっこいい！
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