Literally. There are very few bands around today that could pull off a genre-bending masterpiece like this. Under the direction of former Moonglow and Motown writer Harvey Fuqua, the New Birth stretches all boundaries here, on an album that in my opinion has few equals anywhere in the music world. From the hard funk of "I Wash My Hands Of The Whole Damn Deal" to the aching, lusty ballads of "Patiently" and "Do It Again," the group never holds back, and unleashes a barrage of sounds that could only be the work of a force of nature. This group originally started in Louisville, Kentucky, as instrumental unit the Nite-Liters (8 members), famous for such early funk hits as "Afro Strut." When they combined forces with a group of singers (9 of 'em!), including the massively underrated Wilson brothers and octave-jumping female vocalist Londee Loren/Wiggins, they became truly unstoppable. The New Birth were never as huge as they deserved to be, yet with this record, anyone who listens will understand that they were peerless in their talent.
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