
When it comes to smooth, soulful, lyrically-rich melodies, very few bands could compare to The Commodores. Their distinctive sound (pre-1985) still stands the test of time & truth be told, they sound better than most of the bands on radio today. As the best-selling male act at Motown (1975-1985), they set the bar quite high & it’s a shame that the era of the “Supergroup” is over (or was it overtaken by modern technology which can program any instrument & enhance any weak vocals via sound editing?) Thank goodness for bands like Mint Condition & The Roots that continue to make real, live music rooted in the Golden Era of soul/funk. I read some time ago that Lionel Richie expressed an interest in reuniting The Commodores as he feared that within the next ten years no one will care or remember their impressive body of work. This fear is all too real as exemplified by a contestant on American Idol who nonchalantly admitted that he never heard of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’ classic, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”–he thought Simply Red’s version was the original!! We have to keep this music alive or it will be lost or uprooted from its origins. Imagine “Easy (Like a Sunday Morning)” forgotten in 10 years or known only as Muzak elevator music? The loss would be incalculable.

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