Various Lowriders - Sweet Soul Harmony From The Golden Era (LP)

The Lowriders album is an amalgamation of the two "This Is Lowrider Soul" CDs. Ace Records has selected 14 tracks that represent the sound that Los Angelenos, often of Mexican descent, love and that seeps from their fabulously designed engines as they drive down Whittier Boulevard in East LA or, say, Van Nuys Boulevard in the city's Northwest. The classic Los Angeles vocal group, the Superbs, is represented here with their glorious "It Hurts So Much," but records discovered by lovers of soul predominate. 

The Carnival label has a good reputation in this scene; Lee Williams & the Cymbals' 'Please Say It Isn't So' and 'Follow Your Heart' by the Manhattans are two killer ballads that fit the Cruisers perfectly in tempo and harmony. Other East Coast offerings include the captivating 'Here It Comes' by the Persians and two gems that existed only on master tape prior to their Kent releases - 'I'm Just Passing Time' by Melvin Hicks & The Versatiles and the equally unknown 'So Much In Love' by the Exceptions. Chicago has always been a hotbed for black harmony groups. 

The Esquires enjoyed great success on Bunky; "No Doubt About It" was their equally great first release on Wand. Little Ben & The Cheers were from the same city; their "I'm Not Ready To Settle Down" is making big money due to lowrider demand, as is "What Am I Gonna Do" by the mysterious Houston Outlaws - their origins are uncertain, but must be Midwestern. The Vanguards hail from Indianapolis and deservedly hit the charts with "Somebody Please," which was licensed to the Whiz label in LA. All of their seven singles on Lamp are also fine, harmonic soul tracks. 

The Lovers were a Bay Area group recording in Los Angeles with maestro Arthur Wright; their "Someone" was destined for the charts when it was licensed to Philips, but flopped, making it ripe for a revival by the soul cognoscenti. As with the Lovers, the reputation of Reuben Bell's "It's Not That Easy" has grown over the decades, and a record once considered ordinary can now fetch hundreds of dollars - class is something that must be learned.