Average White Band - Greatest and Latest
Let’s get one thing straight - Average White Band is hot. Trying to write a bad review of an artist of this caliber would be like trying to denounce one of the driving forces of the genre. Greatest and Latest represents a re-invention of some of the group’s stand out work over the past three decades. Most note-worthy is track 2, the nu-jazz version of perhaps AWB’s most famous instrumental Pick Up the Pieces. Opening with driving tracks such as In the Beginning, the song choices move into a more relaxed soulful sound for the majority of the album, closing strong with the funky bass ofLet’s Go Round Again.
Indeed, while crooning tunes such as Love At First Sight and Window to Your Soul are pleasant listening, Greatest and Latest would fall flat if not for the live performance of Oh Maceo strategically placed in the middle of the album. The energy and raw power of the song will refresh you as you journey along the track listing.
The name Greatest and Latest has its flaws, as this album is missing some staple AWB songs to truly be called a “best of” type of offering (where’s Cut the Cake and Got the Love?). However, the live tracks and re-interpretation of some of their classic tunes breath new life into this band of white boys playing in a stereotypical black genre.