Artist: The Jimmy Castor Bunch
Album: “It’s Just Begun”
Year of Release: 1972
Label: RCA
I Bought This Record From: Jerome @ North Plaza Flea Market
Come Hear this Record Live @ CFBG’s Record/Art Co-Op on Saturday, February 11th @ 8 pm in preparation for the J Dilla Lounge Show
- This review is way overdue. Funk Legend Jimmy Castor died on Monday, January 16th at the age of 71. If Jimmy never did anything else in his entire career he would’ve become an undeniable funk essential with this album alone. The album was organized as a concept album about the pre-creation of the human race. The opening prologue leads into the soaring aggressive horn line and bass that leads into one of the greatest b-boy anthems of all time. One only need to watch the most influential moment in hip hop history. When this song was used as the diegetic background for the famed Flashdance breakdance scene it skyrocketed hip hop into the mainstream, especially b boy culture. I could listen to this song over and over again, but it would do injustice to the rest of the albums progression; which includes the always ridiculously fun “Troglodyte Cave Man,” and a spaced out psych guitar instrumental, “Psyche.” And oh yeah this is just the first side. Side B keeps the masterpiece vibe going with “Life, Truth, Death,” and then the funk to the bone, “Bad.” You can hear “Bad” in the post I did below. Hear the shout out he gives to the Jackson 5. There are few things that can be called Funk Masterpieces. This is one of them.
R.I.P Jimmy Castor, Etta James, Don Cornelius
