American Gypsy - S/T

An album that begins with an amazing break -- and then rolls into a great batch of fuzzy guitar grooves! The set is one of the odder albums to be issued by Chess Records during its funk years -- as American Gypsy were a Dutch band, recording in Holland, and the record was only licensed to Chess for release in the US. We're not sure what made them make this international ploy in their dying years (as they also did with the album Atlantis, by Daniel Salinas), but the move gave them a great bit of funk that's been a favorite with collectors for years! At some point, the album's got a rock/soul sound -- almost in the vein of Thin Lizzy or some of the other European groups of the time -- but on the best cuts, that heavy guitar gets used to great funky ends, and the rest of the group jumps in line with a good groove. The most famous cut is the massive "Inside Out", which has an excellent breakbeat, funky bass, and very soulful grooves -- but other nice cuts include "Golden Ring", "While It's Cold Outside", and "Let Your Life Lead By Love". This one does not turn every day, DON'T SLEEP!!!