The South African Rock Encyclopedia > Rock Legends > 1970s > Baxtop > Discography > Baxtop – Work It Out
Tracks
- Jo Bangles
- Take Me Into Your Heart
- It Depends
- Dr Watson
- Golden Highway
- Foxey
- Work It Out
- Night Time Train
- Song With No Name (It’s Yours)
Bonus tracks on 1993 CD reissue and streaming / download
- Jody Babe
- Sherriff
- Just Turned 20
All songs composed by Larry Amos except “Jody Babe” by JJ Cale, “Sherriff” and “Just Turned 20” by Baxtop.
Recorded at Satbel Studios between May and September 1979.
Tracks 10 to 12 recorded live in the studio, summer 1978.
Musicians
- Larry Amos: Vocals, lead, acoustic & slide guitars
- Tim Parr: Guitars, backing vocals
- Fuzzy Marcus: Bass, vocals, harmonica
- Bruce Williams: Drums, percussion, piano, keyboards, vocals
Produced by Greg Cutler and Baxtop.
Engineered and Mixed by Greg Cutler.
Release information
LP: 1979, Asylum Records, AUC9000
CD: 1993, Tusk, WOND 117 (titled “Baxtop”)
Streaming / Download: 2018, Fresh Music
Streaming / Download: 2022, Retro Fresh
Comments
“Work It Out” was originally released in 1979, and reissued on CD in 1993 by Benjy Mudie on the Tusk label (titled simply “Baxtop”) with 3 bonus tracks.
“Jo Bangles” backed with “It Depends” was released as a single in 1979. “Take Me Into Your Heart” was also released as a single.
Reviews
Work It Out
A short introduction that could easily have dripped from Chic’s Nile Rodger’s guitar then BAM! you’re into the slickest, funkiest piece of music ever to emanate from the tip of Africa, or most places on the globe, for that matter. With it’s wicked bass line, tight production and outstanding vocals, “Jo Bangles” is a track designed to be played loud. When I first heard this, I was stunned and completely hooked and nearly wore out the tape playing this track.
After this, the album mellows out, but never loses it’s sheen. Larry Amos’ vocals are unequalled by any South African male artist I have heard. Soul, blues and rock flow from his vocal cords with ease.
Then there’s the guitar work. They can do funk (Jo Bangles), blues (Foxey), rock, (Golden Highway), country (Take me into your heart), Eric Clapton (Dr Watson), George Benson (Dr Watson again). It all seems to flow. These guys are masters of their instruments.
“Dr Watson” is an epic track, starting out with a soulful sound that could have been included on Marvin Gaye’s classic “What’s Going On”, gets rockier, slides back to soul then features a brilliant George Benson-esque scat/guitar section before finally easing back into Marvin mode.
“Golden Highway” has a “Born to be Wild” feel to it with a great guitar work out and really rocks along. While “Foxey” is a Clapton-esque laid back blues number. “Night Time” continues in the same vein and could have come off Clapton’s “Unplugged” album. “Train” features a harmonica solo Stevie Wonder would have been proud of and rock ‘n roll is the name of the game here. “Song with No Name” is an instrumental that is bluesey and funky. The extra tracks on the CD “Jody Babe” and “Just Turned 20” are hardcore funk numbers reminiscent of Sly & the Family Stone.
I have made a lot of comparisons in this review, but as you will notice they are all to legends. This album is the slickest, chic-est funksoulblues album I’ve ever heard. A truly spectacular offering and I think that any of the artists mentioned above would have been proud to work with this talented bunch of guys had they even had the privilege to hear them. Highly recommended.
~ John Samson, August 2000
A SECOND LOOK AT 3 CDs: Baxtop
Sounds better than ever. From the out-Doobie-ing the Doobies title track ‘Jo Bangles’, through their second single release ‘Take Me To Your Heart’, to ‘Night Time Train’, and others, this CD keeps the listener satisfied.
Call it rock-country-Southern-rock-boogie (though not so heavy in the boogie bottom as, say, Canned Heat). With a couple of easygoing slower songs along the way, this album swings, rocks, and trots along at a lively pace.
The guitars by Larry Amos and Tim Parr are cool and solid pleasure, the
drums and bass beat and pump dead solid perfect. The pure playing in the instrumental sections really shine, and the vocals clearly complement the songs.
~ Kurt Shoemaker (from Texas), SA Rock Digest #144, 25 February 2002