Donny Hathaway: Extension Of A Man - 1973

Donny Hathaway's final album, is, on the surface, a strange, concept-ish mix of orchestral instrumental (I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry), jaunty, funky-jazz instrumental (Valdez In The Country), gritty Blaxploitation brass soul-funk (The Slums - best track on the album - and Come Little Children), smooth late night soul (I Know It's You), classic gospel soul (I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know) and Broadway-style show fare (Magdelena). Love, Love, Love and Lord Help Me are both gospelly goodies too. 

It is a Sgt. Pepper-ish chocolate box of an album that requires several listens (they work too, as its considerable hidden depths get revealed) and it clearly stands out as his most adventurous piece of work, taking soul music to another level in Stevie Wonder fashion. 

I can certainly see its appeal and why it is rated as his meisterwerk, but it has a surprising lack of cohesion, for me, as it flits from one style to another with each song. This somewhat nit-picking gripe of mine, though, definitely fades with each listen and I cannot deny its true quality. It is a brave, worthy composition, for sure.

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