In 1970, funk band Tower of Power signed a record contract with San Francisco Records. Three years later, moving to Warner Brothers Records, they released the most soulful, funky record ever to grace the shelves of music stores: 1973’s "Tower of Power"

Led by vocalist Lenny Williams, the band is known for their amazing horns section. The section consisting of those like Emilio Castillo, Stephen Kupka, Mic Gillette, Geg Adams, and Lenny Pickett has played for Carlos Santana, Elton John, Mickey Heart, Heart (the band), Aerosmith, Rod Stewart, John Lee Hooker and even The Monkees.

In addition to their breathtaking horns section; the band consists of many prominent figures in funk history. David Garibaldi, the drummer, and Francis Prestia, the bassist, have the best connection of any band. The fast and jumpy drumming of Garibaldi is complimented by the simplistic and percussive bass lines Prestia puts forth. When combined, and augmented by the majestic horn section, it creates for a truly amazing experience.

"Tower of Power" is the band’s most known and most enduring album ever. Spawning singles such as "This Time It’s Real," "What is Hip," and "So Very Hard to Get." Perhaps the most exciting song on the record, "What is Hip" is the definition of funk. It takes advantage of Garibaldi and Prestia’s inversed undertone of nervous drumming and percussive bass with sharp spikes from the horn section.

Other great songs include "Clever Girl," which includes a piano and a stronger focus on Williams’ vocals than other songs, and "Soul Vaccination," Which, along with "What is Hip?" shows off guitarist Bruce Conte’s ability.

What makes the whole album great is that, unlike most other music, none of the instruments over power any of the other. When listening, the horns, the drums, the bass, the vocals and guitar all seem to meld together into a single smooth instrument. This is especially noticeable in the slower tracks, like "Will I Ever Find Love" and "So Very Hard to Let Go."

Tower of Power pulls together all the greatness of the soul, funk, and R&B genres, mixes it into a delicious batter, and cooks it with smooth sax and suave trumpets. The result? A delicious cake of funky perfection. At the risk of sounding cliché, if one looks in the dictionary under "funky," it is guaranteed one will find a picture of Tower of Power.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars