ERIC GALE — Ginseng Woman (review)

ERIC GALE — Ginseng Woman album cover Album · 1976 · RnB Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Sean Trane
Yet another typical CTI-label recording artiste, guitarist Eric Gale’s mid-to-late-70’s albums are your typical soul-jazz-funk album that emanated by the precursor of the not-yet born soft-jazz. Produced by Bob James on composition and keyboards, GW features other CTI artistes like Grover, McDonald and others like the Brecker bros and even Steve Gadd on drums for two tracks. With an evocative artwork, the album could hint at fiery JR/F, but it’s anything but fiery or even exciting… just barely enthralling at times.

Opening on the BJ-penned and typically over-produced title track, the album starts out with a funk and slightly disco feel, but the short following Red Ground fails to hold the tempo or/and the interest. As for the Hall & Oates cover of Sarah Smile, it’s adapted in a reggae groove, but the over-sweet soft vocal arrangements make it nearly laughable. Gale fools us with his soft bluesy intro guitar solo, as the De Rabbit track veers into funky crap that will embarrass you if you pull the album over the turntable in front of your music buddies. Excellent brass arrangement and guitar solo, but overall, this is a pure waste of talent and studio space. The soporific She’s My Lady is best forgotten, unless you like that kind of over-sweet and over-produced ballad. Brilliant guitar and flawless execution, but ultimately, it’s utterly boring stuff. The closing upbeat funky East End is rather interesting at first, but by the brass chorus, it’s already overstayed its welcome

A typical later-70’s CTI label product, don’t say I didn’t warn you. But I guess if you’re investigating Gale, you’re probably already familiar with the label’s average output, so it’s not like you’re in for a mega surprise. Your call on this kind of stuff, but I’ll pass on this for much more exciting stuff.

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