A concentrated collection of mid-'70s gold,
The Music of Labi Siffre comprises virtually all of the eccentric singer's best LP, 1975's Remember My Song, along with more material from 1975-1976.
Siffre was a rangy, often contradictory artist, which accounts for his lack of appeal. Beat-heads will find some ace material here (like the classic sample source "I Got The..."), but won't be interested in the dated, overly produced ballads; pop fans may like his crooning on "Second Time Around," but will find the funkier songs aimless. When
Siffre had a good riff going, though, he framed it perfectly (even when he rode it to death), whether it's the squelchy harmonica of "Sadie and the Devil" or the sly slide guitar of "Doctor Doctor."
Siffre's straight pop material was very erratic, with highs including a few sparkling nuggets of '70s pop ("Second Time Around," "Love-A-Love-A-Love-A-Love-A-Love," and "Would You Dance?," the latter a precursor of
Wham!'s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go") but a series of lows including the syrupy doo wop of "You Hurt Me" and the deadening sincerity of "Old Time Song." His most irresistible performance, "I Got The...," bulged his royalty checks considerably after
Dr. Dre sampled it for
Eminem's "My Name Is," but surprisingly, a completely different element of the song furnished the tagline for another hip-hop classic: "Streets Is Watching" by
Jay-Z, with production from
DJ Premier. With a bare few exceptions, it's the fan of slick '70s pop like
Al Stewart or
Elton John who will find the most to appreciate from
The Music of Labi Siffre. ~ John Bush