Roy Ayers – Silver Vibrations

In comparison to my OG Lots of Love, this pressing is obviously louder as an expanded 2LP, but it also sounds very tinny/trebly. Likely digitally sourced. Clean, quiet and flat otherwise.

Easily trumps the single disc version which sounds almost distorted compared to this, while its not horrible its just not as clean! Throughly recommended on all fronts. Nice to not try and find a NM og... most have probably been well worn by DJs at home and in the clubs!

An album with one track on side a for 7mins. What a rip off

anyone know how this pressing is ? ? ? ?

Side One - WOW, WOW, WOW. Side Two - WOW, EH?, WOW, WOW. There - that's the simple "review" bit done track by track. I'm a huge Roy Ayers fan but for reasons completely beyond me I'd never heard or owned a copy of this until this week. Bad mistake! This is vintage stuff from the master of all things groovalishious! This release is well pressed and sounds great. I bought it brand new, it was completely flat (as you'd expect I guess, by hey we all know that isn't always the case). The labels both sides pay homage to the original release from '83 albeit they are green/black on here rather than white/black, but still a nice touch. The sleeve is pretty much as the original too, save for the barcode at the top and the credits 'n' stuff at the base. As for what you hear, well then ...

Side One
1. Chicago - 7 minutes and 18 seconds of pure, bass-led funky joy with the word Chicago repeated (probably) more times than I can count to. Everything about this track is great and very typical of Roy's best funky-jazz affairs. Heard through headphones, this is something that could benefit from a 20 minutes version.....
2. Lots Of Love - What I'd call a "grower". Starts sort of slowly and builds. By 'slowly' I don't mean the BPM's change, just the structure. This is one of the two tracks that really showcase Roy's vibe's playing, roughly halfway through. Great stuff.
3. Keep on Movin' - The title says it all! Another great riff, some great jazz vibes from the alto-reed (I think - sounds like that to me, but unfortunately the complete absence of credits anywhere on the sleeve makes this hard to know for sure), and harmonic girl vocals keep the interest going.

Side Two
1. Silver Vibrations - A slightly awkward beginning with a jerky sounding riff. He's done this type of thing before, but for me it sounds like something you'd do to warm up before "laying it down" ... which is what happens on most of this. Another couple of absorbing vibe solos in the middle and near the end over a "yeah yeah yeah" mantra push the whole thing along very nicely thank you very much.
2. Smiling With Our Eyes - Erm.... Eh? WHAT? I do not understand why this track is on this album. It's a sugary throw-away ballad (not sung by Roy, but as per note mentioned on Side One, track 3, who I don't know). The vocals are OK and sung with feeling and gusto, but the whole thing belongs elsewhere. The lyrics are a bit "I Love You Baby, I Want You Baby, I Will Always Treat You Right" type of thing, but the whole thing (except possibly the shortish piano break) just sounds so out of place with the vibe of the rest of the album!
3. D.C. City - Plenty of people should listen to this track for the vocals / lyrics! Especially in 2020 and what with all the upset and disharmony caused by what happened to George Floyd. OK so the "Family and Living In Harmony" thing ain't new (especially as I picked "those" words re Side Two, track 2!), but is preferable in some ways. This track has a nice vibe and shows Roy and the Band in reflective mood.
4. Good Good Music - Or if you like, get up, get down, get up, get down, get up, get down, baby, baby, it's good to us too (x 20), baby, baby, baby, woooo-ahhhh, get down on the floor ..... all to the funkiest groove imaginable. Great background and soul-laden female vocals throughout. Another track that could go on for about half an hour! Then the end - it's like no-one worked how best to do it! A sort of scowling acid-infused throb occurs (I'm not averse!) and then it finishes!

All in all - a superb album, the sort that makes you flip it over and play it all through again (except in this case there is a shortish needle lift required on side 2 - you know where!). The bass and drums throughout are amazing. Plenty of nice arrangements, vocals, instrumentation (keyboards, vibes). Just goes to show that music really does come from the heart and soul when the result is because of playing real instruments and not relying on studio trickery to rescue the lack of skill needed. I'll just temper that statement by declaring that I have a LOT of stuff by all sorts where the studio "trickery", as I put it, is essential and without which the album or 12" wouldn't be possible - and they sound fantastic! However, when it comes to a band, as such, then allowing for dubbing etc if in the main it sounds "live" then that's what it's all about. If you saw Roy and entourage live, would you expect a load of computers?? Ha ha ...

The only thing missing here are sleeve notes. Yes, it is 98% the same as the original, however Silver Vibrations (released March 2019 - BBE493ALP) has a gatefold sleeve and plenty of notes. Plus, it is a louder mix owing to the fact that it spans 2 discs e.g. "Chicago" is the only track on Side One. Having said that, even though this review is for a single disc version, there's nothing wrong with the sound quality, which is really something seeing as Side One is 22 mins and Side Two nearly 23.

Silver Vibrations released on Roy's own Uno Melodic imprint contains material that possibly was the continuation of Lots Of Love earlier during 1983 ( but was probably not destined for inclusion on that project ). It is every bit as good and compelling as Lots Of Love. Some standout tracks are Silver Vibrations and Smiling With Our Eyes. I really think that packaging and promotion on this album could have been much better because there is some really good music on here.

This album used to sell for a £10😁😁 crazy price now

I heard the single LP Expansion version and the BBE double vinyl pressing and I am surprised that actually the single LP version sounds a lot better. The BBE pressing is badly equalized, distorted and at higher volumes the sound gets really high pitched. I always prefer double LP, but this time was definitely not the case.

Skip this RSD day edition and get the BBE pressing which was thoughtfully spread out over two discs. This single disc edition is cut too low and lacks low end, due to the time constraints vinyl dictates.