Mao Zedong was responsible for the deaths of over 20 million during the mass famine following China’s Great Leap between 1959 and 1961; millions more suffered or perished five years later during his Cultural Revolution. Mao’s legacy is not to be taken lightly and is still profoundly felt both in China and across the globe. Hell, the brother of my roommate’s grandmother was imprisoned in a Chinese labor camp for over 20 years due to Mao’s cruel, obtuse and contradictory policies.
Purely as a cultural figurehead, Mao’s visage is familiar to potentially billions. Warhol recognized this when he created his series of Mao portraits in 1973, no doubt affected by the US media’s attention to the widely documented opening of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. I suspect that the DJ Chairman Mao is aware of the potency of his moniker and is using it merely as a gimmick to broaden his fan base, riding the pop culture coattails of an icon in the same manner that other artists have appropriated the images or names of significant revolutionaries like Malcolm X or Che Guevara.
Putting the above aside, "Run For Cover" is a fantastic assemblage of rare soul gems that benefit greatly from a contemporary audio polishing and by the sheer quality of the cuts. While most DJs start their mixes cracking with an upbeat number, this compilation begins with a sensitive cover of Stevie Wonder’s "Love’s In Need of Love Today", followed by Curtis Mayfield’s "Eddie You Should Know Better". A cover of Bill Wither’s always impressive "Use Me" kicks everything into more of a party vibe that runs through the rest of the joint, slowing down with a cover of Marvin Gaye’s "Come Live With Me Angel".
Eric Benet’s "Georgy Porgy" straddles that fine, tasty line between soul and disco, crooning over the familiar childhood rhyme while the house lights are brought to a proper dim. The cover of Barry White’s "I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby" could be the hottest track on this release. We’re all familiar with White’s singular, deep delivery traditionally backed by super smooth keyboard melodies and extended string movements. This approach is effectively flipped on it’s head with a front man delivering a falsetto interpretation of White’s genius and a band that picks up the whole pace of the song with a more prominent guitar sound and faster rhythms while retaining the signature piano based groove.
The most frustrating thing about this disc for a music geek (such as myself): no artist credits are given on the track listing! How many Google searches must one man do to find the many talented artists responsible for these knockout tunes? I’m familiar with enough soul to recognize a number of the songs (if not the musicians) included on this stellar lineup, but Chairman Mao or Flatrock Records would be wise to include full credit where full credit is due. These obscurities clearly have voices, but what are their names? |