The Chambers Brothers
From page 82 of Classic Rock Magazine January 2004
‘Time Has Come Today’ (Track) When the Mississippi-born Chambers Brothers fuse their genuine gospel legacy with spiky, acid tinged funk, it produced a spark of inspiration in the heart of 60s Americana. Almost in an instant, they changed character. From spirited revisionists, they attained a disarming, innovative power.
‘Time Has Come Today’ sat at the core of this new sound, and from it inspiration poured into the minds of Sly & The Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis and the unexpected rush of psychedelic Motown. It is perhaps unfortunate that so many of these artists, duly inspired, would go on to greater commercial status than The Chambers Brothers, while the latter languished in revered infamy.
This collection helps to tell the wider story. That it retains a contemporary vitality is testament to the band’s status.
That said, it is far more disparate than the casual listener might be expecting, the brittle acid funk tempered by the lush soul of ‘Love, Peace And Happiness’ and, more famously, ‘People Get Ready’.
★★★ ★★ Mick Middles


