The Stylistics - THE STYLISTICS****

Stop Look Listen (To Your Heart)/Point Of No Return/Betcha By Gollly Wow/Country Living/You're A Big Girl Now/You Are Everything/People Make The World Go Round/Ebony Eyes/If I Love You

Debut album from the premier Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. They were one of the most successful R & B acts in the 1970s, particularly in Britain. Includes the US top ten hits Betcha By Golly Wow and You Are Everything. (US:23)

“The sound of the album is incredible, not exactly lush by my standards, as nothing is truly enveloping or washed out, it sounds powerful and alive. This has to be one of the best ballad based soul LPs ever, and it is so affecting that it makes more funk based soul music sound somewhat frivolous in comparison.”

“Just lots of classic tracks on here. An essential Philly soul record, and one of the very best R & B group albums. Thom Bell was really delivering tons of hits for them around this time. Russell Thompkins' singing is another real distinguishing characteristic of their music; he had a pretty unique voice.”

“Quintessential Philly Soul music. Copious amounts of lush strings and horns piled on top of incredibly smooth, delicate soul. Most of these songs can be safely filed under ballads, but the few upbeat songs sound remarkably like disco five years ahead of its time.” “I'm already in love with the wonderfully sweet and timeless sound of their big ballad hits.”

“This is an auspicious debut. At the time it was quite unique. I remember that while many of the elements present in this recording were partly in other styles of R & B, nowhere else was there a better combination of a sophisticated symphonic sound, with rich vocal harmony, a first rate falsetto lead, and evocative songs. This is romantic elegance at its height. This was one of the recordings that heralded the coming of the Philly style of soul, which at that point had not the exposure it deserved. The songs are of longing, love lost and found.”

“The Stylistics, the legendary Philly soul group debut, is a classic full of wonderful harmony driven soul from the centre of the heart. Russell Thompkins Jr. had one of the coolest, falsetto voices around.”