Black Rock

The second album by the reconstituted Bar-Kays is a nastier, heavier creature than its predecessor, 1969’s Gotta Groove. Having learned a few things from Sly and the Family Stone, they turned their attention to Westbound-era Funkadelic. The opening version of Aretha Franklin’s “Baby I Love You” here stomps as hard as anything on Funkadelic or Maggot Brain, but with sharp horns to give it an extra gleam. A version of the Sam & Dave hit “You Don’t Know Like I Know” is similarly transformed into a psychedelic workout, with heavy guitar (including a searing solo) and organ and the chorus transformed into a Meters-esque chant. Their take on Stone’s “Dance To The Music” is laid over crowd noise that makes it seem like they’re playing at a protest rally, but there’s also a beautiful old-school Southern soul ballad, “How Sweet It Would Be.”