js “The Very Best of the Ohio Players” is a collection of tunes recorded by the Players early in their career, before they developed their signature funk sound in the 70s. At this early stage in their career they were playing a very energetic and aggressive RnB that leaned heavily on Wilson Pickett and James Brown, as well as newer RnB bands with large vocal ensembles such as the Isley Brothers and the Temptations. Also, the slightly rough recorded sound and loose approach is reminiscent of fellow Ohioans, Funkadelic’s early records. If the Players had never switched to the funk, they probably would have gone down as one of the better RnB bands in history and that’s why this record is such a treat for Player’s fans and fans of late 60s RnB.

There are no duds on this record, every song is smoking hot with excellent vocal leads and ensemble horn work, all trademarks of the Player’s sound which will become well known in the 70s. Some highlights include a couple jazzy instrumentals, “Find Someone to Love” and “Alabama Soupbone”, and an incredible high pitched vocal rendition of the classic ballad “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. I’m not sure who the un-credited singer on “Rainbow” is (I have the 1977 United Artists version of this record) but towards the end of the song he takes the vocal line up into Phillip Bailey range. This ‘unique’ choice of a cover tune and the Player’s over-the-top rendition works both as ironic kitsch and a damn good performance, the double whammy of great art wherever you find it.

These tunes from the Ohio Players early days tend to get re-packaged under a variety of names. Whatever the name of the collection you run into, if you are an RnB or funk fan, you will definitely want to pick this up. The sound is rough, but that doesn’t hurt the music much at all.

js The Ohio Players are hardly an unknown band, but when it comes to honoring the most innovative and talented funk bands it seems that they always fall beneath the mighty shadows of EW&F and the p-funk mob, which is a shame because the Players deserve to rank up there with the best. “Pleasure” was approximately the third album in the Ohio Player discog, but the first to get widespread attention due to their big RnB hit, “Funky Worm”. Still early in their career, “Pleasure” came out in 1972 before the Players had solidified their signature mid-70s sound and finds them serving up an eclectic mix of styles. Side one is for the jazz rock fans and has the band taking long instrumental rides full of excellent horn arrangements and tricky rhythmic change-ups. Along with the aforementioned EW&F and Parliament, this side may also remind some of Chicago, Tower of Power, Steely Dan, Sly Stone, and Donald Byrd.

After an opening ballad, side two features a couple of old school rave up RnB numbers that sound more like the Four Tops than the slick funk gangstas that the Players would become over the next few years. Next up is “Funky Worm”, the song that broke the modern funk sound to popular RnB radio. Its easy to imagine Bootsie and Geaorge Clinton listening to this song’s silly nonsense lyrics, snakey synth melodies and low down bass driven groove and seeing a whole future of music making. This album is recommended for funk fans who like some jazzy sophistication in their funk, side one in particular will not disappoint.