Anthology
While funkified R&B; orchestras of the late '70s and early '80s such as Earth, Wind & Fire and the Commodores made frequent appearances on the mainstream charts, Maze hold a special place in the hearts of nostalgic R&B; fans because the San Francisco-based seven-piece (later eight-piece) band always stayed exclusive to its loyal core audience--the many thousands of mostly adult, mostly black, mostly working-class fans who made each of Maze's 10 albums gold without the help of a huge pop hit. Soul fans who heard about only the crossovers missed out on Maze's medium-funk grooves and the buttery-thick Philly-style vocals of featured performer/bandleader Frankie Beverly. Thankfully, the two-discAnthologycollects the singles that, depending on what neighborhood you grew up in, may never have made it as far as they should have. Covering, in chronological order, all of Maze's recordings for Capitol--from 1977's self-titled debut to 1986'sLive in Los Angeles--Anthologyprovides just about all the Maze anyone short of a collector would need. Disc One is preferable, with its classic '70s soul ("While I'm Alone"), down-home grooves ("Workin' Together"), and gritty deep-fried jams ("Southern Girl"). Disc Two features their bigger R&B; chart hits, such as the late-career high point "Back in Stride" and songs from the mid-'80s, when the band had overproduced its up-tempo stuff into a synth-damaged pulp ("Love Is the Key") and its slow songs into doctor's-office slush ("Your Own Kind of Way"). But whatever its shortcomings, Maze'sAnthologygives us a new chance to discover a species of music endangered in today's new jack, studio-processed R&B; world. By all means, relive the sound of the full-scale soul band.--Roni Sarig