Four incredible albums from Billy Paul – all brought together here in a single set! First up is Ebony Woman – an amazing early album from Billy Paul – the start of a rich career of sophisticated soul, and a record that really put Paul on the map right away – making him one of the most soulful interpreters of song in the 70s! There's a mix of modes going on here that's a bit similar to the early solo work of Isaac Hayes – a way of mixing mature styles from jazz, soul, and pop – into a blend that's all very much Billy's own, and which completely grabs you right from the start! The first track, "Ebony Woman", perfectly sums up Billy's style – one of those haunting tunes that never lets us down – and the album follows with a brilliant mix of tunes that includes nice groovers like "Everyday People" and "Psychedelic Sally" – plus the tracks "The Windmills Of Your Mind", "Windy", and "Let's Fall In Love All Over Again", all given a great soulful vibe and a very different twist! Going East is one of Billy Paul's greatest albums ever – or perhaps the greatest! The record is an amazing blend of soul, jazz, and a soaring sense of spiritualism that's not only rare for Billy Paul – but which makes the record sound different than any other Philly International LP from the time! Billy's way more than a soul singer here – and working in a mode that's very high-concept, reaching towards the sky to bring a new maturity to the music that pushes way past his other pop and soul recordings in the 70s – almost with a consciousness of the spiritual jazz underground, but a bit more focused as well. You can hear this best on the classic track "East", a swirling long groover that takes an extended funky soul jazz journey – and other good cuts include "Jesus Boy (You Only Look Like A Man)", "Love Buddies", "I Wish It Were Yesterday", "Magic Carpet Ride", "This Is Your Life", and a nice cover of "Compared To What". 360 Degrees is Billy Paul at the height of his powers – able to capture the ears of the crossover audience, yet still stay very strongly on message – all with this righteous power that maybe makes Billy one of the hippest mainstream soul stars of the 70s! Gamble & Huff are at the helm, and arrangements at Sigma Sound are by Lenny Pakula, Norman Harris, and Bobby Martin – but throughout the whole thing, it's Billy's delivery that really sends the record over the top – the new sense of maturity he brings to the huge hit "Me & Mrs Jones", the funky vibe of "Am I Black Enough For You", and the wealth of great work on tracks that include "I'm Gonna Make It This Time", "I'm Just A Prisoner", "Brown Baby", and "Let's Stay Together". A masterpiece of sophisticated soul that not only had Billy crossing over big, but which opened whole new doors in the market for black male singers! War Of The Gods is a stone treasure from one of the greatest soul singers of the 70s – and a set you'll regularly find in the coolest of record collections from back in the day! Billy Paul was always one of the hippest talents on Philly International – mixing together soul and jazz influences with a deeper sense of spirituality, and long experience as a sophisticated vocalist. This album's one of his most sublime efforts – kind of a quasi-spiritual record with a similar high-concept approach to some of Marvin Gaye's work from the same time – really righteous, in ways that the Philly label didn't always hit – and which really goes past even most of Billy's already hip previous efforts. Gamble and Huff produced and wrote most of the record – including the two long tracks that make up side one, "I See The Light" and "War Of The Gods", the latter of which starts out slow and moody, then breaks out into a club groove. Other titles include the more standard soul tune "The Whole Town's Talking", plus "Thanks For Saving My Life" and "Peace Holy Peace".
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