The Impressions

I think I'll stay along the soul lines of Kyle's last post tonight. I can't claim to have had the same year long devotion to the classic sounds of soul music that Kyle has, but my appreciation for the genre definitely has increased since '07. This new appreciation has led me to discover the magic that is The Impressions. Anymore the Impressions might be best known as the original group of Curtis Mayfield of "Super fly" fame, but the truth is that this is where Mayfield honed his skills, and where a lot of incredible music was made before his departure in 1970.

The gospel driven, smooth and soulful sound of The Impressions has really grabbed me lately, and while I still haven't had time to get through and listen to all their stuff (they have 10+ releases before Mayfield left), I already have some personal favorite songs. The songs that are my favorites combine their famously smooth harmonies with sweet guitar lines and funky horn licks that give the songs life. Their sound in the late 60s represented a shift away from some of the early doo wop sounds of soul on towards the soul/funk genre that would be led by Mayfield later on. Its the beginnings of the shift that represent some of their best work, almost like James Brown soul/funk but without the screaming and onstage antics, and with better harmonies.

These here are some of my favorite tracks from them that I think showcase some of the stuff I was writing about. While they're all great tracks, I especially recommend "Fool For You" and "We're A Winner".

The Impressions - Fool For You

The Impressions - Seven Years

The Impressions - We're A Winner

The Impressions - The Young Mod's Forgotten Story


- Alec