Mother's Finest - Goody 2 Shoes and the Filthy Beasts

Mother's Finest

Goody 2 Shoes and the Filthy Beasts

by Claire Taylor at 23 March 2015, 10:35 AM

Georgia band MOTHER'S FINEST surprised me instantly as I didn't know what I was in store for when I listened to "Goody 2 Shoes and the Filthy Beasts". I was automatically hooked on the Funk-style bass lines and Joyce Kennedy's powerful voice and this was only from the first song on the album "Angels". I was shocked to discover the band first formed in 1970! Their sound is very fresh and undated to the point where I felt a bit foolish considering how obviously experienced they are in terms of their sound. The forth track "Cling to the Cross" upholds an insanely contagious sound and incorporates Glenn Murdock vocals to boast that smoky Funk vibe.

I am certainly a sucker for strong bass lines so MOTHER'S FINEST were a reassuring breath of fresh air. The steady riffing and bass lines alongside soulful vocals creates something fairly unique as it's hard to put my finger on their exact genre, but as far as I'm concerned, I like that. Kennedy's rich voice has been complimented greatly by the rest of the band. Their sixth track "Tears of Stone" takes a less energetic approach yet still shines light upon each member's talent. Devastatingly powerful harmonies in this track make it impossible for me to find fault. Murdock's introduction of Rap-style vocals fit really well and bought it to the Twenty-first century sound which worked really well.

I cannot emphasize how much I enjoyed "All My Life" as it introduced the song with that Funky bass following up with some top range vocals once again. The thing I noticed is that MOTHER'S FINEST sound somewhat familiar in terms of Classic Funk Rock yet new and completely fresh at the same time. You can pick up on the 70's style riffing in "Take Control" underneath the vocals of Glenn "Doc" Murdock. I love the fact that they take advantage of both vocalists' talents in this album. I was really into the energy changes in this album, for example "Mr Badd" opens with crunchy riffing which surprised me.

I think it's safe to say, I wish I could sing like Joyce "Baby Jean" Kennedy as her voice just gets better the more I listen. And of course, you can't go wrong with a cover of STEPPENWOLF'S "Born to be Wild" entwined with ROLLING STONES' "Satisfaction" to end the listening experience! This is certainly a good listen and contains that uniqueness I think we all need at some point!