Taj Mahal - Brothers (1977)

1. Love Theme in the Key of D
2. Funky Butt
3. Brother's Doin' Time
4. Night Rider
5. Free the Brothers
6. Sentidos Dulce (Sweet Feelings)
7. The Funeral March
8. Malcolm's Song
9. David and Angela

Not My Review
Taj produced, wrote and arranged this soundtrack from the late 70's film. It has a strong Caribbean feel to the percussion and Taj's voice is strong and fluid as ever. The synopsis from the cover is as follows: "He was nobody, a black man in a white man's prison. She was somebody; a notorious, beautiful radical, black professor. Their love story caused a national convulsion. This film is that story. And it happened." I've never seen the flick myself, but I love the record. Nice simple cover graphics are well chosen.

Link to movie review
Arthur Barron - Brothers (1977)

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - Book Of Numbers (1972)

1. Walk With The Lord (Vocal by Pat Kessee)
2. Riding To Bookers
3. Blue's Last Walk
4. Eldorado
5. Stompin' At Booker's
6. Poor Little June Bug
7. I'm So Glad (Vocal by Barbara Massey)
8. Cracker Cops
9. Blueboy's Holler
10. Moog montage: the clan, no way out, chase down

Blaxploitation.com
A low-key soundtrack to a film starring Philip Michael Thomas, later of Miami Vice. The album features a country and western motif and much harmonica. Take the time to listen more closely and you'll discover a great smooth funky soul vocal track, "I'm So Glad", and an interesting moog and guitar instrumental.

Various Artist - Honey Baby, Honey Baby (1975)

1. Titles And Openings (feat. Weldon Irvine)
2. Honey Baby Theme (Friends Of Distinction)
3. (A Song For Diana) Hey, Hey Star (vocals by Zulema and Friends Of Distinction)
4. Just Can't Say Goodbye (vocals by Zulema)
5. Salt Chase
6. Baalbeck
7. Nowhere (feat. Nat Adderley Jr., Friends Of Distinction and Tender Loving Care)
8. Honey Baby Theme (instr.)

Blaxploitation.com
This soundtrack features Friends of Distinction and Weldon Irvine. It's a good album, full of clean mid 70's funk instrumentals and strong vocal numbers. It's a lush, full orchestral sound, clean but featuring big beats. "Title Theme and Openings" starts the LP in strong funk style.

Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come (1972)

1. You Can Get It If You Really Want
2. Draw Your Breaks - Scotty
3. Rivers Of Babylon - The Melodians
4. Many Rivers To Cross
5. Sweet And Dandy - The Maytals
6. The Harder They Come
7. Johnny Too Bad - The Slickers
8. 007 (Shanty Town) - Desmond Dekker
10. Sitting In Limbo
11. You Can Get It If You Really Want
12. The Harder They Come

Artistdirect.com
In 1973, when the movie The Harder They Come was released, reggae was not on the radar screen of American pop culture. The soundtrack went a ways toward changing that situation. It is a collection of consistently excellent early reggae songs by artists who went on to thrive with reggae's increased popularity and others for whom this is the most well-known vehicle. Jimmy Cliff is both the star of the movie and the headliner on the soundtrack. He contributes three excellent songs: the hymnal "Many Rivers to Cross," "You Can Get It If You Really Want," and "The Harder They Come" (the latter two are repeated at the end of the album, but you probably wanted to hear them again anyway). Interestingly, the better production values of his songs actually seems to detract from them when compared to the rougher, but less sanitized, mixes of the other tracks. All the songs on this collection are excellent, but some truly stand out. Toots & the Maytals deliver two high-energy songs with "Sweet and Dandy" and "Pressure Drop" (covered by the Clash among others). Scotty develops a mellow, loping groove on "Stop That Train" (not the same as the Wailers' song by the same name) and the Slickers prove on "Johnny Too Bad" that you don't have to spout profanity or graphic violence to convey danger. The Harder They Come is strongly recommended both for the casual listener interested in getting a sense of reggae music and the more serious enthusiast. Collections don't come much better than this.