Back in 1992, I was working in my first job - behind the counter for a chain record store. Highlights of the working week were days off, the doors closing at the end of the day and the new release deliveries on a Monday. One particular Monday, Stoned Woman arrived. It stayed on the deck for weeks.
Back then, I knew nothing of its origins, aside from knowing the name from the Totally Wired compilations. I didn't really care either - the mix of soul, funk and 60s-style grooves was the perfect shop soundtrack, going down well on the home stereo too. And now it's back, reissued by Ace in expanded form to celebrate the Acid Jazz 20th anniversary.
And do you know what? It still sounds every bit as good. Ignore the more widely-known People Tree, Stoned Woman is a very different kettle of fish - originally a studio project, it evolved from Eddie Piller/Bunny production practice to take in various friends and Acid Jazz label acts who added the music-playing skills and vocals. The end result was Stoned Woman and the backbone of a band created from it.
Those rough edges are still there for all to hear, but the album's all the better for it. From the beats and funk mix of Riot On 103rd Street through to the soulful Look To The Light (and its instrumental), the wonderfully Hammond-driven title track, the laid back funk of The 5th Quadrant, the spacey groove of Jonathan E, the 60s-style organ workout that is Bad Ass Weed and the funky Knowledge - all have aged well because the entire album was already grounded in the late 60s.
As a bonus, six additional tracks have been added- some you might know from single releases (Hope You're Feeling Better, Jonathan E remix, Little Bag Of Sugar), others never previously being released - including a new version of Stoned Woman with a 'live' band and interestingly, a version of George Harrison's My Sweet Lord (which just sounds a bit too clinical for me, but worth checking out).
If you don't own Stoned Woman, you really should check it out. Not obviously 'Acid Jazz' and probably not the best album the label released - but slap it on the music player on a warm summer's day and you'll find this mix of soul, funk and Hammond the perfect soundtrack.
