Rick Mason And Rare Feelings

Who might be Rick Mason that his inner dimension is so utterly interesting people pay about 800 US$ for the sole record he and his band RARE FEELINGS produced in 1977? Well, we will now find out. He turns all of his interior inside out and gets you folks into a state of trance listening and dancing to his raging funk’n’soul music. Organ, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, drums and percussions build a simmering fundament for the eruptive yet sophisticated performance of the brass section and when the jazzy flute sets in you will go crazy. And this is indeed a classic of electric jazz spiced up with the hypnotizing groove of the seventies funk from the darker corners of the city. While this album starts quite smoothly with a steady groove and straight melodies, the second song already shows the true inner dimension of Rick Mason, a constant changing in between twisted jazzy rhythms and wide open soul harmonies that float gently down your spine. The interplay of all instruments with Mason’s mumbling voice singing on top is just magical. We drift further along into soft passages and get irritated by strange, yet beautiful aspects of the compositions for a second. That must be the progressive aspect of everything he keeps within. Well, all these little twists and turns make this an ever growing and ever captivating album. What message might then hide behind a quirky title like “Funk ain’t being funky”? A stretched out trigger finger towards all who just pretend being? Rick Mason and his RARE FEELINGS show ‘em how. The particular tune is a prototypical funk groover with killer electric piano lines and an ear blowing brass section. Once more he mumbles in a quite unique way upon the solid basement the instruments build just for him. And while we listen we realize that even Sly Stone and his band would be proud of these brass lines. Rick Mason has certainly the guts to go for a gentle funk ballad to melt every woman’s heart and still retain the honest and earthy feeling a great funk band should play its music with. Now I can understand why collectors of outstanding underground funk gems spend a month’s salary on such an album and I cry out of joy that this kick ass groove beast got finally reissued. A number like “Metamorphosis funk” with swirling organs, flutes and rhythm guitars raging upon a wall of groove has been even scarce in the 70s when this music was all new and hot. And if you go further and experience the wild and totally unleashed lead guitar spitting out flashes of melodies you will certainly agree with me. And this is just one highlight among others. “The inner dimensions of Rick Mason” might have been a bit too far out for the average mainstream consumer but those enlightened spirits who know how to deal with dark and mysterious progressive funk and lighter tunes that caress your ears and soul will enjoy this album for a helluva life time.