This is a coool album. No. A coooool album. Little Beaver, singer and guitarist, shone briefly in the early 70’s with his smooth soul minor classics such as ‘Joey’, ‘Party Down’ and ‘We Three’. Signed to TK Records in ’71, he wrote and played session for a number of already established acts such as Betty Wright and Blowfly/Clarence Reed before releasing material in his own right. ‘Joey’, his first hit, is dark, slow funk with soft guitar stabs and narcoleptic drum beats, while Beaver’s biggest hit, ‘Party Down’ is feel-good soul, clichéd to the point of irresistibility, coming complete with sultry spoken introduction. But like other tracks on the album, this track is somehow dignified by a soaring vocal that manages to be both seedy and beautiful at the same time. ‘Party Down Part One’ opens the album and is followed by ‘Part Two’, an instrumental version that sounds like the kind of thing heard in hotel bars played by men in faded suits with indecently sized lapels. ‘Get Into the Party Life’ establishes a theme here for Mr. Beaver, which is elaborated on by ‘We Three’, ‘I Can Dig It, Baby’ and ‘Groove On’.
A weakness to the collection perhaps is the fact that some songs seem derivative. ‘We Three’ has shades of Shaft (but seems more fit for a TV theme than a cult movie) and ‘Party Time’ is a track draped over Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’.
Nevertheless, there is something goood going on here. Little Beaver’s voice is tender, corny, funky –whatever a track needs, and the music is tight and infectious. Horn sections are mixed in well and gospel choruses bring songs like ‘I Wish I Had A Little Girl Like You’ to life.
It’s a fine collection overall – hot, sticky and redolent of a time and culture many of us have experienced only vicariously through the movies of Tarantino and the novels of George P Pelecanos. Listening to the album you could imagine humid weather, oversize cars blaring out music from 8tracks, casual seductions and an idea of ‘cool’ so close to corny it takes real class to pull it off.
‘The Very Best of Little Beaver’ is an example of where many dance records are coming from – grainier, cornier and yet, sassier. The album is out now on CD, but unfortunately not 8track.