Music / soul

Step up


Reviews (3)


Exclaim!

d. 27. Mar. 2020

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Matt Bauer

d. 27. Mar. 2020

"After more than a half-a-century as a sizzling, syncopated groove machine, Oakland's legendary Tower of Power aren't out to reinvent themselves on their latest offering. And that's definitely not a bad thing ... With a revolving cast of musicians that have come and gone, founders Emilio Castillo and Stephen "Doc" Kupka, and mainstays Dave Garibaldi and (the non-touring) Francis "Rocco" Prestia, remain a constant, as does ToP's vibrant, horn-soaked vitality".


soultracks.com

2020

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Howard Dukes

2020

"It has to be hard for a band like Tower of Power to continue to make music. The band's size alone stretches economics of music making to its breaking point. Yet here they are as productive as ever feeding their funk starved fans every other year. How long can it last? I don't know. But as long as TOP has something to say, I'll be ready to listen".


DownBeat

2020 July

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Ayana Contreras

2020 July

"Step Up is chock full of the romantic tunes (...), but it also features tracks that speak to current social and political situations (another hallmark of the band's catalog). "Any Excuse Will Do" expressly decries the divisive culture of finger-pointing just as "Only So Much Oil In The Ground" criticized cavalier consumption during the 1973 oil crisis. Both feature lyrics by Kupka, and clearly, he still has a lot to say, again proving that a stone jam also can provide listeners food for thought. ".