The Mark of the Beast

Another overlooked streetwise seventies funk collection from the talented Willie Hutch, the opener Get Ready For The Get Down is an exemplar of high-level sophisticated orchestrated funk. Hutch stretches out a little on the near-eight-minute psychedelic-lite title track which is followed by killer steppers classic Try It You’ll Like It. And then for the rest of the album, he just keeps on delivering those mournful/euphoric melodies he excelled at, putting them over churning, string-laded funk, proto-disco and lush mid-tempo soulsters. Mark Of The Beast is a smooth, sumptuous and superbly funky Motown album.