Aloe Blacc's Good Things LP is not receiving the acclaim I had hoped. Thus I shall continue to blog about all things Aloe Blacc in hopes people let this album in their life – it's hearty chicken soup for the soul ya'll.
I once heard The Supremes' “Where Did Our Love Go” blasting on loop from the high rises across the street from Don Pedro and I couldn't help but wonder what sort of depressing scenario was going down in that apartment. Perhaps it was the only record that person owned. If only I could toss up a copy of Aloe Blacc's record and at least grant the neighbors a break from The Supremes.
Aloe is a strong songwriter, but I've enjoyed his covers the most, ranging from Velvet Underground's “Femme Fatale” to the only Michael Jackson tribute I exposed myself to in the wake of his death. Blacc wins again with his rendition of “The Dark Side Of The Street,” which received previous interpretations by James Carr, Bruce Springsteen, Eva Cassidy and Cat Power. The cover is part of compilation under the same name put out by Carhartt (yes, the clothing brand of lumberjacks and hardcore rap group Onyx) in collaboration with Stones Throw, Now-Again and Soul Cal. The compilation features exclusive tracks composed by Dam-Funk, Mayer Hawthorne, Paul White and Spider Harrison.
