Brother to Brother - Let Your Mind Be Free (2024) [Hi-Res]

As far as '70s funk bands go, Brother to Brother was never a major-league act. If Parliament/Funkadelic, the Ohio Players, L.T.D., Earth, Wind & Fire, Graham Central Station, the Commodores, Tower of Power, and the Bar-Kays constituted funk's major leagues, you would have to call the lesser known Brother to Brother a minor-league act. That isn't to say that Brother to Brother didn't come up with its share of worthwhile grooves; Let Your Mind Be Free is a competent but uneven funk/soul outing from 1976. Although nothing mind-blowing occurs, the band's sound is a likable, if undeveloped, mixture of Sly Stone, the Ohio Players, and the pre-J.T. Taylor Kool & the Gang. "Leavin' Me," the single "Chance With You," and the title track are gritty funk numbers, while the jazzy, hypnotic "Visions" would please the acid jazz crowd. And "Take My Love," which Brother to Brother guitarist Billy Jones co-wrote with Sylvia Robinson, is a decent northern soul item. "Chance With You" enjoyed some radio airplay, but even so, Let Your Mind Be Free didn't go very far commercially. This LP has been out of print since the late '70s, and it is most unlikely that the album will ever be reissued on CD.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Brother to Brother - Let Your Mind Be Free (3:31)
1.02 - Brother to Brother - Visions (6:54)
1.03 - Brother to Brother - Phattenin' (3:24)
1.04 - Brother to Brother - Groovy Day (2:56)
1.05 - Brother to Brother - Take My Love (6:08)
1.06 - Brother to Brother - Leavin' Me (6:22)
1.07 - Brother to Brother - Joni (3:21)