Apart from the militant gangster funk of opener 'Smash It Up', which initially set a bright, sparkly tone for a smooth, seductive set that'd be ideal for a smooch and a cocktail I don't really see the point in this at all, except playing the first song during a DJ set. Despite the attention to detail of early/mid Motown and Stax era soul, a whole instrumental album just strikes me as hmmmm, rather a tad over-indulgent and hard to get worked up about. Especially when on every song bar about two, the lead is taken by an organ with the MOST patience testing, irritating sound that screams out for a Russ Abbot or Smith and Jones comedy skit over the top. This effectively ruins what would otherwise be an okay workout, as it does contain some wonderful passages with teasing hints of smoky old chestnuts, that has you sniffing the air like kids in the old Bistro ads for tantalizing tastes of Lil Stevie, Curtis, Otis, Isaac, Martha Reeves...the whole gamut, just get some vocals on there and stop the noodling. So it's a shame as it falls short of achieving the fervor of something like 'Soul Finger'. I can really only see its usefulness for a Spanish cocktail bar full of old couples locking dentures or reading with a cup of cocoa, a crap porno soundtrack or karaoke in a dismal pub in a far-off desolate village somewhere populated by the couple above who've just come back from the holidays. But this is very heavy going for a relatively short record (35 minutes).
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– Stu Gibson