Consumer Guide Album

The Persuasions: We Came to Play [Capitol, 1971]
"You should never try to put a tuxedo on the funky blues," reads Richard Penniman's epigraph, but that doesn't mean they should go naked: Jimmy Hayes's bass pulse may be a wonder, but it isn't a trap set. The studio work here captures their live blend, but that's not quite enough--every lyric, melody, arrangement, and lead has to rank with those of "Man, Oh Man" or "Walk on the Wild Side" for an acappella album to call you back. B+