From late '60s to early '70s, there were various activities, to start with Civil Rights Movement, followed by Anti-Vietnam War, Hippiedom, Women's Lib, and so on. The record industry allowed to release songs of social awareness using unparallleledly direct words or slogans, some of which impressed contemporaries with splendid expressions. But as these activities obtained some amount of fruits or fell into discouragement, and as the record industry got highly corporated and tied with other big enterprises or political parties and lobbies, expressionists turned out to carry self-contradiction, say," Though you talk big, you only exploit it and make money". When I listen to message songs of heyday, I feel uncomfortable and can't be gentle, for I remember these singers met 'conversion'. I rather feel fine to listen to introspective and covert songs or mere love songs. Edwin Starr was a person of the age in which anyone could sing simple and clear, before you can see diverse informations and hear inside stories.
"Tamla Motown Big Hits & Hard to Find Classics vol.1" , which collects less known singers, was the first CD on which I listened to Edwin Starr except on radio, I can't fit well with his songs, for I was so influenced on some magazines which criticized on message-singers' attitudes. But Edwin Starr didn't shout messages with his veins standing out on his face at the beginning. He cut singles of quite Motown-sound from Ric Tic Records, which gave side jobs to the musicians who weren't satisfied with Motown's wages. He was said to sing Agent Double-O Soul in the spy costume, and [S.O.S] Stop Her On Sight is that groove in which you feel cheerful. These two songs can be heard on "Big Hits & Hard to Find Classics vol.3" , and they seize my mind better than his famous songs.
Ric Tic was absorbed by Motown and Edwin had songs including 25 Miles, which he shouted soulfully on the harder and heavier arrangement, and War was released. It was originally on the Temptations' album "Psychedelic Shack", and it had a good reputation and was planned to be cut as a single. But it was said to become Edwin's turn, because it was too aggressive for the famous Temptations to run a risk in terms of sales. It went well with Anti-War lines, and the album "War and Peace" was released. He played the fool on its sleeves of the large peace mark, wearing black clothes with a sword and a shield in his hands on the left side and white ones with a peace sign and a pigeon on the right side, and the songs were selected at random. I think it is the essence of Edwin Star as an entertainer who once played a spy on stage.
Edwin Starr only yielded to the Motown system, in which singers sing songs given by producers, and it is ironical that the message of War flew far away from him. But it's impossible for most people to live up to an idea or a creed. Aside from the inconsistency, you dance or shake to the music and he shouts the joy of life, not the pain of life. That's 'Soul' and it is better suited to him. On "The Very Best of Edwin Starr" , you can hear such shouts and good deliveries. In addition to it, his recordings of the movie soundtrack "Hell Up in Harlem" , forming a part of 'Blaxploitation'(black movie boom), provides mid-70s' loose and funky groove, and Edwin Starr also shows fine deliveries ranging from the War-like strongness to the Philly-soulful ballads' mellowness. (2004/07/07)(2005/06/12)