Hearts Of Stone: "Stop The World, We Wanna Get On"

Continuing along with the Motown auxiliary theme, here’s an LP that fell through the cracks almost immediately upon its release in 1970.  Distributed on the tiny VIP subsidiary label, the back cover proudly proclaims “The Motown Sound,” but alas, it was not meant to be for the Hearts Of Stone, a group obviously and heavily stylized in the Temptations/Four Tops tradition.  Given a larger exposure and a greater amount of promotion, this album could have done better, though there is nothing here to rival the work of Motown’s more famous acts.  There are, however, some key tracks for the psych-funk heads, such as the fuzz-guitar-infused “You Gotta Sacrifice (We Gotta Sacrifice)” and the cover of Sly’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).”  The Sly influence, in fact, pervades the material, as the group adds acapella, gospel-esque break-downs and handclaps to many of the songs, as well as generous slatherings of organ and rock guitar.  Some may contend that this LP serves mainly as an item for Motown completists, but I would broaden that assumption to include those interested in the incalculable impact Sly Stone had on music at this particular juncture in history.  It’s not a perfect record by any stretch, but its best moments are wonderful.  These guys just wanted to take the listener higher, even if they had to turn to the West Coast to get their inspiration.