Review Summary: Summer madness.
Released in 1977, Aalon’s debut album,
Cream City, should have propelled the Los Angeles group to stardom. An infectious mix of soul, funk and rock, the album was just as good as those that Prince and Rick James would come to release a few years later. From the playfulness of the title track to the raw experimental funk of closer ‘Jungle Desire’, the song-writing is great throughout, justifying suggestions that guitarist and lead singer/song-writer Aalon Butler had the potential to develop into a musical figure as important as Sly Stone or George Clinton. As events transpired,
Cream City did not achieve the commercial success it deserved, ultimately being Aalon’s only album and consigning the group to relative obscurity. Nevertheless,
Cream City is an album that deserves to be heard, with its warm, carefree tones making for a great summer record.
I first came across Aalon after hearing their brilliant song ‘Rock and Roll Gangster’ on an episode of The Boondocks. Featuring Butler’s smooth, soulful vocals against a backdrop of warm guitar chords, smooth keyboards and lush backing vocals, the song was incredibly soulful and immediately caught my attention. At its centre lies a simple but also memorable vocal hook. Lyrically Butler addresses the media’s scrutiny of the rock superstar and his ‘rock and roll’ lifestyle, opposing suggestions that they represent bad influences on today’s youth. While ‘Rock and Roll Gangster’ may be considered the standout track on
Cream City, there is plenty else on offer. The superbly arranged ‘Summer Love’ is a great summer song that highlights the band’s musicianship. Combining up-tempo drums, funky guitar chords and mellow keyboards, the song sees Butler soulfully reminisce over a past summer romance, ending with a great guitar solo. Elsewhere, ‘Magic Night’ is a great late night jam which combines smooth, inviting keyboards (played by Juan Luis Cabaza) with relaxed guitar and smooth vocals to create a mellow, seductive track.
One of the most interesting aspects of the album is Aalon’s ability to effortlessly mix together a wide range of styles in their music. Whereas the above-mentioned tracks can be considered to be quite soulful, ‘Midnight Man’ and ‘Lonely Princess’ see the band exhibit a rockier, more guitar-driven sound. Midnight Man’ is an infectious blend of rock and funk that showcases Butler’s talent as a guitarist with punchy riffs, great leads and a nice guitar solo. Drummer Ron Hammond does a solid job of keeping the song together, adding some nice drum fills, and both lead and backing vocals are superbly handled. Rock ballad ‘Lonely Princess’, on the other hand, begins with smooth piano and a guitar lead reminiscent of The Isley Brothers’ ‘Summer Breeze’ before launching into a funk-rock groove. Elsewhere, the light-hearted ‘Steven Baine’s Electric Train’ is a fun mix of rhythm and blues and rock while the title track, ‘Cream City’, sees the band blend together rhythm and blues, funk and soul to create an enjoyable, playful track. The album ends with the experimental funk of ‘Jungle Desire’.
While such musical diversity increases the album’s longevity, there is a sense that Aalon have not yet found their sound. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay to
Cream City is that while the band clearly have an appreciation of Sly & the Family Stone, Graham Central Station, and The Isley Brothers, among others, their songs still sound somewhat unique. I for one would have been extremely interested in seeing how their sound developed had they made a second album. Yet despite the band’s early demise,
Cream City still remains a great summer listen. Relaxed, cheerful, but also musically varied,
Cream City is a whole lot of fun.
Aalon are:
Aalon Butler – vocals and guitar
Luther Rabb - bass
Juan Luis Cabaza – keyboards
Ron Hammond - drums
