Everyone (including myself, the mgmnt and even the choosy Shota The Database) flipped over Bob & Gene's "You Gave Me Love(1)" / "Your Name(2)" single when Daptone dropped it last year, and it's seemed like eternity waitin' for this CD to come out! You really gotta go to Daptone's site and read the full story behind this album to appreciate it, but in short: in 1967, two friends (Bob & Gene; 15 and 16, respectively) in Buffalo, NY (I see you, Caps!) started recording these tracks in a basement studio set up in their neighborhood by a local renaissance man ("singer, saxophonist, factory worker, union leader and father of two.") The two recorded until the studio shut down in 1971, and these dusty, never-before-released recordings were discovered (after some footwork) by soul historian David Griffiths. If you ain't interested yet, just click on "Sailboat(3)," "Don't Leave Me Girl(4)," "Somebody's Doin' It(5)" or the title track(6) and tell me that's not some classic shit. 12 tracks; 34 minutes. Highly recommended.

reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red