Wake Up and Smell the Funk

Put on your boogie shoes because the funk is back! Eli “Paperboy” Reed is making a strong Capitol Records debut with Come and Get It. This groovy album oozes so much classic ’70s soul that you might think you’re listening to your parents’ record collection. Can you dig it?

Eli “Paperboy” Reed sounds like the funky love child of Sly & the Family Stone and James Brown. He has a soulful voice and excellent sense of timing in his add-libs and vocal lead-ins. His high-pitched, vocal shrill could break a wine glass during a live performance with its shear volume and vibrato.

The songs on Come and Get It have a Motown-class about them. They are catchy and well written following the formula of classic soul music: moving vocals, dancing rhythms, horns, and a dash of funky guitar. The use of brass instruments has been a dying art in modern music. Eli incorporates oodles of horns into his songs with hard band hits and backing melodies. The funky and jazzy guitar parts add an excitement to the music by enhancing the driving rhythms.

The title track “Come and Get It” has a catchy chorus and is an instant classic. The song “Explosion” sounds like you’d expect with a smokin’ fast tempo, hard-hitting horns, and funky guitar. Eli uses sexual innuendo in his lyrics for “Name Calling,” similar to Clarence Carter’s claim to fame. They read “You went from name calling to calling my name.” “You Can Run On” has a gospel feel with clapping and a chorus singing repeated lines. Eli’s vocals and music touch on John Fogerty’s style of bluesy melodies and chord progressions, emphasis on the 2nd and 4th beats, repeated lines, and a raw, dry vocal vibrato. The album contains ballads such as “Pick a Number” that uses a clever number theme like Brian McKnight’s “Back at One.” Put it on during a candle-lit dinner with your lover.

Overall, Come and Get It has the classic 1970s soul sound with modern production. This kind of music spans the test of time. The first half of the album starts out strong but loses some steam near the end. However, this album hits the nail on the head for soul music fans and it sure to get you out of your seat.