Dead Presidents (CD - 1995)

The soundtrack to the Hughes Brothers' tribute to early-'70s blaxploitation gets the sound of the era right, featuring hits by the O'Jays, the Spinners, Isaac Hayes, Al Green, and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, among others. The inclusion of Danny Elfman's instrumental theme interrupts the flow of the album, but for the most part, Dead Presidents is a first-rate collection of prime soul. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Albert and Allen Hughes' DEAD PRESIDENTS takes place in the early 1970s, the nation's supposed time of recovery from the social upheaval of the '60s. At the time, musicians--particularly soul artists--were edgier, more likely to create music that addressed previously ignored societal ills; even the love songs of the era were daring in their structure and sound. The music found on the soundtrack of the gritty film falls directly into the period spanning 1967 to 1974, when R&B was experiencing this radical phase prior to the arrival of disco.

The artists the Hughes brothers chose include many trailblazers who took black music to the "next level." Sly & The Family Stone, who check in with "If You Want Me To Stay," were forefathers of funk who fused the positive messages of the love generation with an amalgam of soul, gospel and jazz. Elsewhere, Curtis Mayfield's grim depiction of ghetto life ("If There's A Hell Below") is balanced by the O'Jays' message of hope and brotherhood ("Love Train").

Love songs also went from innocent platitudes to a more aggressive style, soaked in desperation and desire. Some artists went the way of lengthy orations (Isaac Hayes' covers of "Walk On By" and "The Look Of Love"), while others coupled smooth funk with lush orchestration (Barry White's "Never, Never Gonna Give You Up") to deliver messages that reeked of champagne and silk sheets. minimize