Ghetto Brothers - Power Fuerza

Ghetto Brothers

Power Fuerza
Truth and Soul;2012

4 out of 5

Ghetto Brothers were a Bronx street gang who, figuratively, traded in their knives for musical instruments, and created a brilliant album in Power Fuerza. Self-claimed admirers of The Beatles, Ghetto Brothers harmonies are right on target, and the Beatle influence is apparent on some tracks. The guitar playing on this record is a stand out, combining choppy rhythms with some great licks. The opening track, "Girl From The Mountain", is reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane in it's chord changes and leads. "Mastica, Chupa Y Jala" has a great Santana-like jam, a-la "Soul Sacrifice", which is quite a feat, considering the groups leader, Benny Melendez, claims to had never heard of Santana before the record was recorded. "Got This Happy Feeling", an upbeat tune, resembling Lighthouses "One Fine Morning" --which came out the same time as "Power Fuerza" -- shows that Ghetto Brothers were quite inventive, and could have been a significant musical influence if they had more exposure. A highlight of this album is "You Say That You're My Friend", a bouncy tune that combines 60's garage rawness with a Latin feel, nice harmonies, and a catchy melody and guitar lick that are infectious enough to have you singing it to yourself over and over. "Viva Puerto Rico Libre" has a pretty Latin folk melody and some nice guitar solos. Throw in some James Brown-type funk, and you have an album that is very diverse in style and well-produced. A great, although overlooked masterpiece of late 60's Urban America.