While you and I are frittering away our time with whatever dumb bullshit our bosses want, Barrence Whitfield and his Savages are blowing their minds watching Sun Ra documentaries, wailing on saxes and writing gonzo rockers like I Can’t Get No Ride, Edie Please and the far-out space blues jammer I Want To Go To Mars. Thank Christ somebody’s got their priorities straight.
Whitfield (née Barry White – true) has been an enduring legend in his adopted hometown of Boston since the 80s, but it’s about time the world at large got with it. The aptly named Savages are absolute monsters here, belting out high-octane, high-velocity soul, rave-up rock’n’roll, lean and sizzling blues, even street-corner doo-wop, with almost alarming accuracy, as Whitfield delivers one jaw-dropping bucket-of-sweat vocal performance after another. Soul Flowers Of Titan is an all-night rocker, that’s for sure. Could take all weekend.
